How To Be More Confident: 5 Research Backed Methods
one doubts the value of confidence. In fact, research shows people often prefer confidence over actual expertise. G. Richard Shell teaches at the Wharton School and his book Springboard: Launching Your Personal Search for Success has a great chapter on how to be more confident. Here's what you need to know. Surround Yourself With People Who Believe in You I've posted a lot about how the power of context can improve behavior. And people are a part of that. When you're told you're…
4 minutes
How To Get Happy RIGHT NOW: 7 Quick Ways To Feel Better
theory here. No nightly exercises for months. You're feeling sad or angry. How do you get happy fast? Sex, Exercise, Socialize When researchers survey 5000 people from 83 countries, what do they learn about happiness? We’re happiest when we’re having sex, exercising, or socializing. Via Engineering Happiness: A New Approach for Building a Joyful Life: Using smart phones, Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert of Harvard University collected a large sample of experiences and associated happiness. They also…
3 minutes
3 Ways To Boost Happiness That Sound Really Stupid But Actually Work
her book Positivity, professor Barbara Frederickson provides a number of positive thinking exercises to increase happiness and good feelings. I've covered a lot of this research before so most of it wasn't too surprising to me... but three of them threw me for a loop. I looked up the studies to verify. Sure enough, they were all the real deal: 1) Be Sincere Or Your Heart Will Explode Frederickson says fake smiles can lead to heart attacks. Via Positivity: Groundbreaking…
3 minutes
Is It Possible To Live Forever? How To Live A Long, Healthy Life
is it possible to live forever? The person with the longest confirmed lifespan is Jeanne Clement. She lived to be 122 and died in 1997. Imagining living that long almost makes your head hurt. This lady met Vincent Van Gogh. In person. For real. And was around to see the internet too. Imagine your retirement age and middle age being the same thing. She was still riding her bicycle everywhere until 100. Lived on her own until 110. And there's pretty…
8 minutes
The 4 Scientific Ways To Become Luckier
sounds crazy at first: How can you possibly become luckier? But it turns out luck isn't chance and magic. There's a science behind it. Richard Wiseman studied very lucky people to figure out what they had in common. In his book, Luck Factor, he explains the four principles you can use to increase luck in your life. 1) Maximize Opportunities It makes intuitive sense: if you lock yourself in your house, how many exciting, serendipitous things are going to happen…
3 minutes
8 Things Movies Can Teach You About Human Nature
studying what makes a great story you can learn a lot about human nature. Stories aren't just distractions -- our brains are wired for story and studies show they are a fundamental part of the way we perceive the world. Stories are how we form meaning in our lives and they are vital to everything from career to family to happiness. UCLA Film School professor Howard Suber's book The Power of Film is meant to teach cinematic storytelling -- but also conveys deep…
5 minutes
Success In Life: How Do You Measure It?
your life was a board game, how would you score it? Remember the Game of Life? It's one of the most popular board games ever. You won if you ended the game with the most money. Here's the interesting thing you probably don't know: The game wasn't always about money. The original version was about vice, virtue and happiness. But when it was re-released in 1960 it was about cash. When Milton Bradley (the man) first created it, he saw…
4 minutes
How To Live A Happy Life: Louis CK Explains The Science
s, this guy knows the secret to happiness. You've probably already seen the following video. It got about 7 gazillion views and for good reason -- it's very funny. It also sums up what the research says is the most powerful (and easy) way to become happier. Louis CK? Scientific research? Jokes about rotary phones? Huh? Buckle in, I'll explain. "Everything is amazing right now and nobody's happy." Louis CK says that, then he drives it home with this…
5 minutes
