Attitude of Gratitude
Cultivating an "attitude of gratitude" has been linked to better health, sounder sleep, less anxiety and depression, higher long-term satisfaction with life and kinder behavior toward others, including romantic partners. A new study shows that feeling grateful makes people less likely to turn aggressive when provoked. How to practice gratitude? Research shows that those who keep a simple gratitude... posted on Nov 24 2011, 6,161 reads

Kindness Remembered 41 Years Later
Sometimes acts of kindness seem to conspire at times when they are most needed. Here's one such story of a kindness received 41 years ago, when ... "I was twenty-four years old and three months pregnant when my husband died. I was a widow and an expectant mother in the same day. We had bought a new home and I had filled our two bedroom apartment with nursery items in anticipation of moving in. ... posted on Nov 23 2011, 5,304 reads

5 Reasons Why Meditation Beats an iPhone
"People buy iPhones to be universally connected and have a ton of cool functions and features at their fingertips. But as the wise monk Rev. Heng Sure once said, everything we create in silicon already exists in carbon. I'd add that the silicon technology is a poor facsimile at best. So how exactly do you tap into the wonderful carbon technology you carry around with you all the time? Meditation i... posted on Nov 22 2011, 46,445 reads

Need to Create? Get a Constraint
"One of the many paradoxes of human creativity is that it seems to benefit from constraints. Although we imagine the imagination as requiring total freedom, the reality of the creative process is that it's often entangled with strict conventions and formal requirements. Pop songs have choruses and refrains; symphonies have four movements; plays have five acts; painters still rely on the tropes of ... posted on Nov 21 2011, 6,763 reads

Economics of Happiness: The New Economy
Many people are facing their most significant economic challenges in generations. From the hardships of unemployment to the perils of mounting debt, worry about the health of a national economy that depends on consumerism and market success dominates our conversation. But what is the economy is really for? "We've had enough of the official mantra: Work more, enjoy less, pollute more, eat toxic f... posted on Nov 20 2011, 23,442 reads

A 15-yr-old Dog's Gift
"I have the pleasure of meeting hundreds of incredible heroes, but this one caught me off guard. Your hair will stand on end as you read the story of this man and this dog who picked one another up time and time again: 'I saw in the front yard what appeared to be a very old dog that was in obvious distress. He would walk in a semi-circle, then fall to the ground, then struggle back to his feet a... posted on Nov 19 2011, 105,556 reads

Multivariate Bridges and Metaphysical Mangoes
"Last weekend, my friend Nimo came to the group with a problem. On the main pathway between a slum and the nonprofit Manav Sadhna (MS), a stream had built up due to the persistent rain we've been getting lately. The issue was that kids from the slum trying to get to MS had to cross the stream daily or more with no proper way to walk, and between the water's filthiness and the pressure it was rushi... posted on Nov 18 2011, 5,766 reads

Stillpower: A Path to Flow, Clarity, and Responsiveness
Sports guru and author Garret Kramer has a unique theory about what separates great performers. Kramer believes that the classic 'grind it out' mentality that we're taught at a young age actually prevents athletes from realizing their potential -- and he's betting it's impacting your performance at work, too. His insights led him to write a book: 'Stillpower: The Inner Source of Athletic Excellenc... posted on Nov 17 2011, 7,961 reads

Students Stepping Up the Kindness
How amazing would it be to start the first day of school receiving random acts of kindness from your fellow students? Last year, a hundred students at Kansas State huddled early in the morning to see just how they could pool their time, money and creativity to surprise (and even shock!) their fellow students with unexpected generosity. From a welcome applause to paying for meals to wowing a driver... posted on Nov 16 2011, 3,381 reads

Toss Productivity Out
"For at least a couple of years, Zen Habits was one of the top productivity blogs, dispensing productivity tips for a nominal fee (your reading time). I'd like to think I helped people move closer to their dreams, but today I have different advice: Toss productivity advice out the window. Most of it is well-meaning, but the advice is wrong for a simple reason: it's meant to squeeze the most produc... posted on Nov 15 2011, 16,557 reads