10 Ways To Change For The Better — Without Changing Your Mind
n you change for the better without changing what you think? Many people have read my blog for a long time, tried some of the things I've suggested and seen improvements in their lives. But some are surprised it doesn't affect their lives more. Why doesn't learning how your mind works dramatically change your behavior? The answer might be because we have the whole thing backwards. What if your mind doesn't change your behavior; what if your behavior changes your…
6 minutes
How Hope Can Improve Your Life, Backed By Research
ere's a scientific reason to have hope Everyone says "have hope." Is that just silly pollyanna optimism? No. Actually there's a science to hope. Via Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined: In 1991, positive psychologist Charles Snyder and colleagues came up with “hope theory.” According to their theory, hope consists of agency and pathways. The person who has hope has the will and determination to achieve goals and a set of various strategies at their disposal to reach their goals. Put simply: Hope…
4 minutes
Does true wisdom come from youth – not old age?
ue wisdom may start early in life Knowledge is easy. With the internet, information is ubiquitous and cheap. But what about wisdom? Scientists have a hard time even agreeing on its definition, but as the old saying goes, we all know it when we see it. Not much on the subject is clear and the research doesn't all line up but there's a pattern emerging that's curious and worth a look. Get the image of gray beards out of your…
4 minutes
How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple Emails
w to make your life better? All you need is email. I've covered a lot of research on how to make your life better but many people struggle with implementing changes because it seems like a major undertaking. It doesn't have to be. You can make strides in 5 fundamental areas by just sending 5 emails. HAPPINESS Every morning send a friend, family member or co-worker an email to say thanks for something. Might sound silly but it's actually…
4 minutes
Which books can teach you how to be the best you?
at will teach you how to be the best you? There's been an explosion in social psychology and neuroscience books. That's great -- but many of them are too focused on theory, trivia, or are too general to be useful. And many that are legitimate just aren't an easy read for the average person. Which books can really teach you how to be the best you? What if you're an introvert? What to read: Quiet by Susan Cain What…
2 minutes
Does nearly being murdered change your life forever?
being stabbed in the throat doesn't change your life forever, what will? The knife sunk in two millimeters from his carotid artery -- which he describes as the difference between being "flown home in the cargo hold instead of in coach." Writer and cartoonist Tim Kreider had been stabbed in the throat. What is life like after it comes so close to ending? It's wonderful. Via We Learn Nothing: Essays: Except for the ten or fifteen minutes during which it…
4 minutes
How to find your passion
w to find your passion has been an eternal question. First it's important to ask "What is a passion?" Researchers found there are two types of passion: harmonious and obsessive. The latter is a bad thing, more like an addiction or being a stalker. We'll focus on the former, thanks. So what defines harmonious passion? Robert Vallerand and colleagues came up with a "Passion Scale." How many of these are true of an activity you engage in? Via Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined:…
6 minutes
Harvard professor Francesca Gino explains how to be a better person
Francesca Gino For this interview I spoke with Francesca Gino. She's a professor at Harvard Business School and the author of Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We Can Stick to the Plan. We discussed being a better person, giving good gifts, smart decision making, the power of introverted leaders and how rituals can improve our lives. ———–——— Reminders are the secret to being a better person Francesca Gino: Even good people can end up doing the wrong thing. We…
5 minutes
