A friend of Dr. Robin's who had gone through a difficult divorce and whose children were all grown up recently confided in her that she felt as though her heart was shrinking—that there was less room for love, affection and connection than there had previously been. This honest admission got Dr. Robin thinking—how big is your heart feeling today? Is it growing or getting smaller? Is it opening or closing up?

In the midst of her own hectic schedule, worries and concerns, Dr. Robin says she is still able to tap into the tender parts of her own heart, inspired by her mother, who at 85 years old is "still in the game, still wanting to taste more of life every single day." "Instead of my life shrinking from my own fears and my own worries and my own traumas, I found that I'm still wanting to taste life fresh and new, and that my own heart is still growing bigger and bigger," Dr. Robin says.

If life's events have caused your heart to wither, Dr. Robin says it's time to find its beating pulse once again. "You can make the decision, no matter what's happened, no matter what kind of loss or suffering or fear, no matter where you are on the spectrum of age—whether you're 85 or 44 or 14," she says. "Expand your heart so that you can live the life that you long for and deserve."