In this day and age, it's very easy to get caught up in the hype of anticipation. Whether it's an upcoming movie or video game or other pop culture icon, or even if it's something in your own personal life, hype plays a big role in creating momentum and excitement. But there is a dark side to hype. Building hype could lead to creating unrealistic expectations. And when you experience something with expectations you cannot possibly achieve, what was it all for? In today's episode, we look at hype, both anticipatory and reactive, and how that could impact our emotions when it finally happens.

I have returned! After buying my first home and moving in, I thought what better way to return than to explain how much fun I had? Buying a home is not like buying a car. It is in a class of its own. In this episode, we look at the basics (really, really basic) of buying a home. It is certainly an involved process. But in the end, something magical happens. You own your own home. And that is a remarkable feeling.

What is one of the most universal aspects of life? Breathing. But a close second would be music. Music is something that everyone enjoys in one way or another. However, music itself is one of the most divisive subjects in civil conversation. Even within groups that support the same general type of music, there is dissent. Why is that? Music at its core digs deeply into our emotions. It has the power to evoke our inner feelings and even change our outlook. In today's episode, we talk about music at long last and why it is such an important part of our everyday life.

Tom Cruise loves to run in his movies. You'd certainly know that if you saw as many of his movies as I do. But inevitably, whenever a new Tom Cruise movie is released, we hear that some people don't want to see it. Why is that? Because he's a Scientologist. It isn't uncommon for us to judge celebrities based on their personal beliefs. But where does that come from? In this episode, we explore that very question.

What are you passionate about? That is question we should all ask ourselves. Passions are critical to our emotional health, cleansing our bodies and minds by accessing our emotions. It is almost spiritual how passions can affect us. Historically, passions were given a negative connotation because they were seen as shortcomings of the self. In this episode, we look at why we shouldn't fear our emotions, but rather celebrate our passions, and thus unique ourselves.

Let's face it: you're probably reading this on your smartphone. Cell phones have become an essential part of our cultural identity. And why not? Smartphones give us a world of information in palm of our hand, not to mention the ability to communicate like never before. But our dependence on our phones has had some unexpected consequences, including emotional and memory issues. In today's episode, we look at how smartphones have changed our lives dramatically in the past decade, and why it won't be changing any time soon.

It's that time of year again, when the theater marquee is packed with explosive, raunchy, big budget movies. It is all the more apparent with the recent success of Jurassic World. And with each new slate of comic book and disaster movies, the similar complaints arise that these are nothing but mindless entertainment. But is that a bad thing? Is there anything wrong with watching a movie strictly for enjoyment, knowing it doesn't have a meaningful impact? Today's episode of Paved With Good Intentions asks this very question.

Success is earned through hard work and, sometimes, the willingness to compromise the ethical or the moral. Especially in today's culture, people who might be perceived as "villains," like athletes or politicians, are given a pass for their actions because of their success. Why do we do it? People are not so innocent, either, as the internet has given rise to the "anti" culture. Are we inclined to root for the villains in our society? Or become them? In today's episode of Paved With Good Intentions, we ponder this very question.

Do you remember summer vacation? It was one of the most wonderful times of your life. But those days are gone, in place of work. And as Americans, we work a lot. In fact, work has become a dominant force in our lives. When we spend well over 40 hours a week working, when do we have time to live? It's time for our country to take a vacation.

Most people are aware of the so-called "Disney effect," where complex stories are sugar-coated to create a more family friendly experience. But is that harming our children? After seeing INSIDE OUT, Pixar's latest film, I saw how it can work to explore difficult emotional themes without presenting stories with unrealistic expectations.