According to the Mayo Clinic, laughing has short- and long-term effects on our health. As we bring in more oxygen, it stimulates our heart, lungs, and muscles. Laughing increases the endorphins that are released by our brain, and it cools down our stress response. Over a longer period of time, laughter can improve our immune system, relieve pain, and increase personal satisfaction.

Laughter Can Be Good Medicine

While it’s easy to laugh at something funny, the ability to laugh at yourself can help you address the challenges that could be holding you back in your career and life, says Dr. Brian Kaplan, author of Almost Happy: Pushing Your Buttons with Reverse Psychology.“To laugh at one’s self is an excellent thing,” he says. “Humor can be a very powerful way of helping people, proving that helping doesn’t have to be a solemn experience.”

Helping Doesn’t Have To Be Solemn

Kaplan studied the work of Frank Farrelly, an innovative therapist who founded Provocative Therapy in the 1960s. Provocative Therapy uses humor and reverse psychology to provoke people to change. With the person’s explicit permission, you repeat what you hear their “sub-selves” saying and you do it with humor, warmth, and affection.

Provocative Therapy

Provocative Therapy is a system of psychotherapy in which the therapist plays the devil’s advocate, siding with the negative half of the client’s ambivalence toward his life’s goals, his relationships, work and the structures within which he lives. The provocative therapist also plays the Satanic role by facetiously agreeing with the doom and gloom feelings and expectations of the client, and “tempting” him to continue his “sinning,” his self-defeating attitudes and behavioral patterns.

Whose Side Are You On?

“We all have sub-selves, or sub-personalities, such as our inner child,” says Kaplan. “That’s a nice use of a sub-self. But we also have sub-selves that dominate us. They’re loud, grab the microphone, and dominate the whole personality.”For example, you may relate to a sub-self of the workaholic. You could justify that you need to work 15 hours a day because you’re paying for your children’s education, a new house, or a vacation home.

Our Sub-Selves

Laugh at yourself by reaffirming the workaholic’s devotion to work. For example, you can tell yourself, “You should definitely spend all your time focusing on making more money and acquiring more businesses or investing in the market. Your children will be judged by their clothes and vacations. They don’t need you; they need your money.”

Self-Subversion How-to

“When you can laugh at that side—especially when it’s a bit over the top—then you can laugh at that part of you that’s sabotaging yourself,” says Kaplan. “That moment of laughter provides a window of opportunity to recognize what’s holding you back and prescribe your own solution. And laughter and the warmth of it is like a medicine that allows you to deal with something that’s often quite painful.”

Laughter And The Warmth Of It

In his book, Kaplan identifies more than 100 sub-selves that could be holding you back. For example, you may be a procrastinator. In this case, you can talk to yourself by saying, “Never underestimate the power of tomorrow!” “Always make magnanimous resolutions on your finest night, New Year’s Eve.” And “Meditate on the many horrible consequences of most impulsive decisions and actions.”

Sub-Self: The Procrastinator

Another sub-self is the grim executive, which Kaplan calls “the stone-faced men and women of big business. Anyone feeling the burden of being held responsible for profit and loss.” In this case, you can call out the sub-self by saying, “It’s a badge of honor to look ten years older than you are. Don’t forget your annual visit to the cardiologist.”Other sub-selves include being a people pleaser, robot, doormat, critic, and ego maniac.

Sub-Self: The Grim Executive

“Mark Twain once said, ‘Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand,'” says Kaplan. “Once you’re laughing at the sub self, you’re acutely aware of it. Normally, you don’t think of the trait as a sub-self. When it takes you over, you think ‘I’m angry’ or ‘I’m under stress,’ because the sub-self has taken your whole personality there. When you can identify it as a part of you and not your entire being, you can quiet it down.”

A Part, Not The Whole

If you find it hard to laugh at yourself, I would be happy to do it for you.

If you would not be laughed at, be the first to laugh at yourself.

We probably all know what it’s like when others push our buttons and drive us crazy. What if we pushed our own buttons and drove ourselves happy? 

The ability to laugh at yourself can help you address the challenges that could be holding you back in your career and life, says Dr. Brian Kaplan.


Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

mindfulness

Mindfulness

habits

Habits

mentalhealth

Mental Health

How (And Why) We Should Learn To Laugh At Ourselves

<ol><li>You’ve made or kept a character commitment.</li><li>You’re slightly embarrassed at your past.</li><li>You question your sacred beliefs.</li><li>You’re a net-positive in your relationships.</li><li>You take responsibility for most of your mistakes.</li><li>You explore your curiosities.</li><li>You’ve given up on conditional happiness.</li></ol>

Seven qualities that define an extraordinary life

If you’ve pledged to do something you love or something that produces some good in the world, and you’ve kept at, no matter the outward success, you deserve a trophy.

1. You’ve made or kept a character commitment.

If you’re prouder of your past than your present, then you haven’t recognized your mistakes, you haven’t gotten better at what you do, you haven’t grown as an individual.If you look back on the old you and cringe at your immaturity, assholery, or undeserved arrogance, then congratulate yourself. You’ve grown up, matured, and bettered yourself. Some people never do.

2. You’re slightly embarrassed at your past.

You probably know family and friends who cling to outdated views long since proven untrue, yet they lack the maturity and courage to admit they’re wrong. An extraordinary person sees these situations as opportunities to grow. They accept that some of what they believe today will be superseded by what they learn tomorrow.People who admit they’re wrong and give up ideas that fail the truth test show they possess open-mindedness and humility. If you’re one of those people, you’re part of the elite minority.

3. You question your sacred beliefs.

Some folks act as a drag on others, sapping people of energy, and infecting them with toxic negativity.Most of us aspire to inject joy into our interactions and leave people in a better state than when they first encountered us.We may even have a few bad days. That comes with the territory of being human; But if you can make others feel joy, inspired, or grateful some of the time while remaining neutral the rest of the time, you’re a net-positive. That makes you an asset to the world.

4. You’re a net-positive in your relationships.

Nobody escapes life always saying the right words, taking the right actions, and thinking the kindest thoughts. That’s why we admire people who own up to their mistakes and do their best to clean up whatever mess lingers in their wake.There have been times where we’ve screwed up and denied it, deflected blame. As we’ve matured, we’ve become more attuned to the impact our mistakes have on others and ourselves. But it’s the act of taking responsibility that made us better persons.There’s no shame in screwing up; it’s how you respond to mistakes that define you.

5. You take responsibility for most of your mistakes.

Curiosity is the gap between what you know and what you want to know. Taking action to close that gap will fulfill you in a way that external reward never will.All of us harbor curiosities that yearn for exploration. Time will work in our favor.If you’ve dedicated a portion of your life to explore your curiosities, please congratulate yourself on a life well-lived.

6. You explore your curiosities.

Perhaps it’s culture, human nature, or a combination of both. There’s an idea that to achieve happiness, you must meet specific outcomes in life.I’ll be happy only when my income reaches $250,000 or I’ll be happy only when I get promoted to Vice President.The notion of conditional happiness is the shortest path to misery. But to believe it and live it, you need to experience the disappointment that stems from valuing your worth based on life outcomes. There’s a good chance you’ve lived up to some or all of these ideals. And if you haven’t? Don’t fret. You still have time.

7. You’ve given up on conditional happiness.

An extraordinary life has nothing to do with your job title, bank account, or how much fame you achieve.

A former mentor of mine once diagnosed why I felt so disgusted with my life. At the time, my net worth hovered close to zero, but he claimed that money had little to do with my self-loathing. It made…

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

communication

Communication

7 Overlooked Signs You’re Living an Extraordinary Life

<h3>Noom is a buzzy weight loss app targeted at young people.</h3> Noom helps you learn how to get in touch with your body and teach yourself not to crave foods that don’t nourish you. Noom's key differentiator is applying psychology to achieve long-term weight loss. But critics say Noom is a deceptive gateway to disordered eating at worst.

Noom - a diet app

The fight between Noom and its critics is part of a larger cultural war of the last decade over how we should think about food, weight, bodies, and health. On one side is the traditional diet culture which holds that weight is a crucial indicator of health. The idea is that if you simply wield a little willpower and use more calories than you take in, you will lose weight. On the other side are the rising anti-diet movements. They hold that the correlation between weight and health is not straightforward and that most diets don't last and damage your metabolism in the long run.

The diet culture war

Noom celebrates No Diet Day on Instagram but in practice, it works like a classic low-calorie diet. After registering, users are asked to set a goal weight and decide how quickly they want to lose weight. Noom will generate a daily calorie budget that users are expected to follow, and it instructs users to log their food. Noom philosophy stated that no foods are off-limits, but it does give users a way to classify their foods. Green foods in large quantities, yellow foods in moderation, and red foods such as desserts and chips are limited.

Critics insist that Noom is just another diet app

At the centre of the anti-diet movement are two scientific claims. <ol><li>The relationship between weight and overall health is unclear. It’s possible to be a healthy fat person and an unhealthy thin person.</li><li>Dieters end up gaining back all the weight they lost.</li></ol> The data on the first claim shows it to be mostly true. A 2014 meta-analysis showed that 6 % - 75 % of those classified as obese were “metabolically healthy.” Studies on the second claim show that it is very rare for dieters to lose weight and maintain that weight loss.

The anti-diet movement has been around since the 1960’s

Anti-dieters argue that dieting can damage the very bodies it promises to heal. <ul><li>Dieting slows the metabolism.</li><li>Frequent dieting is associated with higher mortality rates and increase the risk of death by heart disease in people with coronary artery disease.</li><li>It can damage the mind. Frequent dieting is associated with high rates of depression.</li><li>Dieters can become overwhelmingly fixated on food.</li><li>The boundaries between dieting and eating disorders can become interchanged.</li></ul>

The downsides of diets

<ul><li>Mindful eating is paying close attention to the food you eat and your body’s response to it.</li><li>Intuitive eating is the practice of rejecting all food rules and allowing your body to guide your eating. </li><li>Health at Every Size is the movement that argues that it’s possible to live a healthy life no matter what your weight is.</li></ul>

New ways of thinking about food

Noom is a diet app in an anti-diet moment.

food

Food

health

Health

The Noom paradox

Meditation is your birthright. It's your natural state. It requires no one, needs no thing, and has no technique.If something requires a guru, a mantra, or a teaching, it isn't universal, and it won't free you.

We say that we want peace of mind but what we really want is peace from mind.

“No technique of the mind will free you from the mind.”

All chases, whether flow, drugs, beauty, thrills, orgasm, or devotion, are attempts to escape from the mind. Meditation is the direct path.

In an age of mental gluttony, meditation is fasting for the mind. Before paying a therapist to listen to you, listen to yourself. Before clearing your inbox, clear your mind.

Just as the sky rains when the clouds are heavy, and the body sleeps when the limbs are tired, meditation arrives when the mind is calm.

Prepare for meditation by sitting quietly in the morning, with eyes closed and back upright, in any comfortable position that will minimize movement.

Sixty minutes are easier than thirty, as it takes time for the mind to settle down. Sixty consecutive days are needed, just as it takes time for the body to go from unfit to fit.

Realize that at this moment, you are the only person in the world and there is no one to instruct you, praise you, or judge you.

Make no effort for or against anything. Whatever happens, happens. Surrender to yourself in the moment. Resist nothing and reject nothing, including the urge to resist and reject.

Meditation is not going through thoughts but rather letting thoughts go through you. The thought “I am meditating” is also a thought.

Meditation isn’t holy or spiritual or magical. It’s literally nothing.

No focus, no mantra, no dharma, no chakras, no Buddhas, no gurus, no gratitude, no scripture, no temple, no music, no gadgets, no apps are required. Some may be helpful, but eventually all will have to be left behind. Start simply, because that's where this all ends.

There are many meditation methods, but "no effort" is the universal method. Every creature at all times can choose to do nothing.

There's no need to get up to record a thought. If the idea was good, it’ll come back. If it doesn’t come back, it wasn’t that good.

Meditation is a single player game. There is no point in comparing to other meditators or to even your own previous meditations.

If meditation was easy, you’d do nothing else.

The point of meditation is not to become "a meditator" - in reality, there's no such thing. If it doesn’t bring lasting and effortless change, drop it, before it becomes another struggle and another chase.

There is nothing to say and nothing on offer. No one is taking you anywhere, selling you anything, or making you promises. Reading or talking about meditation will do nothing for you.

Ignore all advice on meditation, including this thread. “Meditation is good for nothing. That's why you do it.” - @amirmotlagh

The closer you get to the truth, the more silent you become inside.

The ability to be content and at peace, by yourself, is freedom.

I like naval's approach to meditation a lot, its very practical.

philosophy

Philosophy

meditation

Meditation

Meditation - The Art of Doing Nothing: Naval Ravikant

We all get anxious, it’s a part of life, yet how we deal with it is critical. If we don’t know how anxiety shows up or why, we might get caught up in temporary distractions or short-term fixes that actually feed it, creating bad habits in the process (have you ever eaten ice cream or cookies when you’re stressed?). Or we might spend our whole lives adding to our anxiety by trying to cure it (why can’t I just find why I’m anxious and fix it?).

Anxiety hides in people’s habits

The anxiety and its close cousin, panic, are both born from fear. It's well known that fear’s main evolutionary function is helping us survive. Fear is the oldest survival mechanism we’ve got. Fear teaches us to avoid dangerous situations in the future through a brain process called negative reinforcement. Evolution made this really simple for us, we need only three elements in situations like this to learn: <ul><li>an environmental cue</li><li>a behavior</li><li>and a result</li></ul>

Anxiety and its close cousin

Sometime in the last million years, humans evolved a new layer on top of our more primitive survival brain; neuroscientists call this the prefrontal cortex (PFC).  From an anatomical perspective, this “newer” brain region is located just behind our eyes and forehead. Involved in creativity and planning, the PFC helps us to think and plan for the future. The PFC predicts what will happen in the future based on our past experience. Yet critically, the PFC needs accurate information to make accurate predictions.

The prefrontal cortex

If information is lacking, our PFC plays out different versions of what might happen to help us choose the best path forward.  It does this by running simulations based on previous events in our lives that are most similar. For example, trucks and buses are similar enough to cars that we can safely assume we should look both ways to avoid any fast-moving vehicle.

The lack of information 

Anxiety is born when our PFCs don’t have enough information to accurately predict the future Without accurate information, our brains found it easy to spin stories of fear and dread, based on the latest reports that we had heard or read. And because of the way our brains are wired, the more shocking the news, increasing our sense of danger and feelings of fear, the more likely our brains are to remember it. When we can’t control our anxiety, that emotional fever spikes into panic (defined online as “sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behavior”).

Anxiety

We map out how the pieces fit together and drive one another. Sometimes simply becoming aware of the habit patterns helps us step out of them, with significant results. At other times, we need a little hand-holding along the way. How often have you struggled to force yourself to overcome old habit loops and failed? How can you fix something if you don’t know how it works? Mapping out habit loops is an obvious place to start. This mapping effort is defined as the first gear.

Mapping a habit

In neuroscience, the default mode network (DMN), or anatomically the medial fronto-parietal network (M-FPN), is a large-scale brain network primarily composed of the medial prefrontal cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex and angular gyrus. The DMN was discovered by Marcus Raichle and his crew at Washington University in St. Louis. It was called the default mode network because this is what our minds go to whenever they are not engaged in a specific task. The DMN gets activated when our mind is wandering, thinking about things in the past or future, caught in repetitive thought

The default mode network

A hub of the DMN called the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) connects a bunch of other brain regions. The PCC is interesting because it gets activated when people are shown pictures that are reminders of or triggers for their addictions. For example, the PCC lights up with cocaine cues (e.g., a picture of a few lines of cocaine on a mirror) in cocaine-addicted individuals, with smoking cues (e.g., a picture of someone smoking) in nicotine-addicted individuals, and with gambling cues (e.g., a picture of someone playing roulette) in individuals addicted to gambling.

The posterior cingulate cortex

There are different types of people depending on how they react when facing danger. These people can be categorized into three different groups based on their reactions. These groups are fight, flight, and freeze.

When we face dangerous situations

You must let the pain visit.You must allow it to teach you.You must not allow it overstay.

Every time you pay attention to your actions, you become more aware of what you actually get from them.  If you notice that potato chips make you feel crappy when you eat too many, you get less excited about eating the whole bag next time. Not because you have to force yourself to not eat them, but simply because you remember what happened last time (and the time before that, and the time before that, and the time before that).  This also holds true for worry, procrastination, or any other anxiety habit loop that you’ve learned over the years.

Pay attention

The theory sounds—and is—simple. Yet this can easily fall into the thinking trap that was mentioned in the last chapter: you can know that something is bad for you, but thinking doesn’t change behaviors on its own. It isn’t strong enough. Watch your thoughts. They become words. Watch your words. They become actions. Watch your actions. They become habits. Watch your habits. They become character. Watch your character. It becomes your destiny.

The thinking trap

Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles. It takes away today’s peace.

The instant New York Times bestseller A step-by-step plan clinically proven to break the cycle of worry and fear that drives anxiety and addictive habits We are living through one of the most anxious periods any of us can remember. Whether facing issues as public as a pandemic or as personal as having kids at home and fighting the urge to reach for the wine bottle every night, we are feeling overwhelmed and out of control. But in this timely book, Judson Brewer explains how to uproot anxiety at its source using brain-based techniques and small hacks accessible to anyone. We think of anxiety as everything from mild unease to full-blown panic. But it's also what drives the addictive behaviors and bad habits we use to cope (e.g. stress eating, procrastination, doom scrolling and social media). Plus, anxiety lives in a part of the brain that resists rational thought. So we get stuck in anxiety habit loops that we can't think our way out of or use willpower to overcome. Dr. Brewer teaches us to map our brains to discover our triggers, defuse them with the simple but powerful practice of curiosity, and to train our brains using mindfulness and other practices that his lab has proven can work. Distilling more than 20 years of research and hands-on work with thousands of patients, including Olympic athletes and coaches, and leaders in government and business, Dr. Brewer has created a clear, solution-oriented program that anyone can use to feel better - no matter how anxious they feel.

books

Books

New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller A step-by-step plan clinically proven to break the cycle of worry and fear that drives anxiety and addictive habits We are living through one of the most anxious periods any of us can remember. Whether facing issues as public as a pandemic or as personal as having kids at home and fighting the urge to reach for the wine bottle every night, we are feeling overwhelmed and out of control. But in this timely book, Judson Brewer explains how to uproot anxiety at its source using brain-based techniques and small hacks accessible to anyone. We think of anxiety as everything from mild unease to full-blown panic. But it's also what drives the addictive behaviors and bad habits we use to cope (e.g. stress eating, procrastination, doom scrolling and social media). Plus, anxiety lives in a part of the brain that resists rational thought. So we get stuck in anxiety habit loops that we can't think our way out of or use willpower to overcome. Dr. Brewer teaches us to map our brains to discover our triggers, defuse them with the simple but powerful practice of curiosity, and to train our brains using mindfulness and other practices that his lab has proven can work. Distilling more than 20 years of research and hands-on work with thousands of patients, including Olympic athletes and coaches, and leaders in government and business, Dr. Brewer has created a clear, solution-oriented program that anyone can use to feel better - no matter how anxious they feel.

Judson Brewer is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Judson Brewer has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Judson Brewer's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

Judson Brewer

Unwinding Anxiety

Picasso himself said, “It takes a lot of time to become young.”A fresh, young, and somewhat childlike view of the world is often closer to genius than a grown-up perspective.

Embrace Childishness And Look At The World With New Eyes

What distinguishes rare geniuses like Leonardo from the rest of us is that they seem to be curious about almost everything.To develop a sense of curiosity try things you would not normally try. New topics in books and magazines. Wonder unknown areas of the city. Explore life in a multifaceted way as curiosity makes life richer.

Cultivate Curiosity 

The ability to concentrate and focus to develop deep thinking is a key feature of genius. Concentration can come naturally or you might need to devise rituals that enable you to concentrate. Deep thinking is fundamental to develop your ideas and you need to seek ways to focus your attention for long amount of times.

Focus Your Undivided Attention 

Geniuses recognize the order of the word but they are not afraid to break with the status quo. They see their mission to be coherent with their disruptive vision.

Break The Rules

The mind creates new ideas when disengaged. Under the shower, napping, taking a walk.The way to arrive at new ideas and insights isn’t by exhausting yourself with never-ending work. For optimal creativity, times of concentration need to be combined with stretches of deep relaxation and rest.Go for a leisurely walk when you need new ideas.

Relax 

“An unusually engaging book on the forces that fuel originality across fields.” --Adam Grant Looking at the 14 key traits of genius, from curiosity to creative maladjustment to obsession, Professor Craig Wright, creator of Yale University's popular “Genius Course,” explores what we can learn from brilliant minds that have changed the world. Einstein. Beethoven. Picasso. Jobs. The word genius evokes these iconic figures, whose cultural contributions have irreversibly shaped society. Yet Beethoven could not multiply. Picasso couldn’t pass a 4th grade math test. And Jobs left high school with a 2.65 GPA. What does this say about our metrics for measuring success and achievement today? Why do we teach children to behave and play by the rules, when the transformative geniuses of Western culture have done just the opposite? And what is genius, really? Professor Craig Wright, creator of Yale University’s popular “Genius Course,” has devoted more than two decades to exploring these questions and probing the nature of this term, which is deeply embedded in our culture. In The Hidden Habits of Genius, he reveals what we can learn from the lives of those we have dubbed “geniuses,” past and present. Examining the lives of transformative individuals ranging from Charles Darwin and Marie Curie to Leonardo Da Vinci and Andy Warhol to Toni Morrison and Elon Musk, Wright identifies more than a dozen drivers of genius—characteristics and patterns of behavior common to great minds throughout history. He argues that genius is about more than intellect and work ethic—it is far more complex—and that the famed “eureka” moment is a Hollywood fiction. Brilliant insights that change the world are never sudden, but rather, they are the result of unique modes of thinking and lengthy gestation. Most importantly, the habits of mind that produce great thinking and discovery can be actively learned and cultivated, and Wright shows us how. This book won't make you a genius. But embracing the hidden habits of these transformative individuals will make you more strategic, creative, and successful, and, ultimately, happier.

productivity

Productivity

“An unusually engaging book on the forces that fuel originality across fields.” --Adam GrantLooking at the 14 key traits of genius, from curiosity to creative maladjustment to obsession, Professor Craig Wright, creator of Yale University's popular “Genius Course,” explores what we can learn from brilliant minds that have changed the world. Einstein. Beethoven. Picasso. Jobs. The word genius evokes these iconic figures, whose cultural contributions have irreversibly shaped society.Yet Beethoven could not multiply. Picasso couldn’t pass a 4th grade math test. And Jobs left high school with a 2.65 GPA. What does this say about our metrics for measuring success and achievement today? Why do we teach children to behave and play by the rules, when the transformative geniuses of Western culture have done just the opposite? And what is genius, really?Professor Craig Wright, creator of Yale University’s popular “Genius Course,” has devoted more than two decades to exploring these questions and probing the nature of this term, which is deeply embedded in our culture. In The Hidden Habits of Genius, he reveals what we can learn from the lives of those we have dubbed “geniuses,” past and present.Examining the lives of transformative individuals ranging from Charles Darwin and Marie Curie to Leonardo Da Vinci and Andy Warhol to Toni Morrison and Elon Musk, Wright identifies more than a dozen drivers of genius—characteristics and patterns of behavior common to great minds throughout history. He argues that genius is about more than intellect and work ethic—it is far more complex—and that the famed “eureka” moment is a Hollywood fiction. Brilliant insights that change the world are never sudden, but rather, they are the result of unique modes of thinking and lengthy gestation. Most importantly, the habits of mind that produce great thinking and discovery can be actively learned and cultivated, and Wright shows us how.This book won't make you a genius. But embracing the hidden habits of these transformative individuals will make you more strategic, creative, and successful, and, ultimately, happier.

Craig Wright is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Craig Wright has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Craig Wright's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

Craig Wright

The Hidden Habits of Genius

I've been thinking a lot about the human sense of contribution. The idea that everything you do matters is quite life-changing.And you can easily think that what you do doesn't matter that much. That you are only a genetic variation in an almighty multiverse. When you can truly reverse it and formulate a healthy way of viewing life and thinking that everything matters.

The Human Sense of Contribution 

I’ve been doing this exercise lately, where every time I’m going outside for a daily walk, I will pick up at least one piece of trash, of garbage. It doesn’t really matter how small or big it is, but only about leaving the world just a little bit healthier when coming back to my comfortable home after a day’s journey into the outside world. And I found that this helps my daily sense of contribution. And on a micro-practical level, it helps the world.

The Power of Small Wins

The world has to suffer because we are struggling to find peace, as we are confused with our options. The Paradox of Choice. It’s like we are the spoiled child of the world, causing nothing but trouble. And mother Earth still loves us, but I’m wondering, for how long?

Making Peace With Mother Earth 

Some thoughts on simplicity and mindful thinking 

I’ve been thinking a lot about the human sense of contribution. The idea that everything you do matters is quite life-changing. I remember watching a lecture a few years ago and, there is one concept…

problemsolving

Problem Solving

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

Picking Up 1 Piece of Trash a Day

Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

1. Temperance

Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

2. Silence

Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

3. Order

Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

4. Resolution

Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

5. Frugality

Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

6. Industry

Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

7. Sincerity

Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

8. Justice

Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

9. Moderation

Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.

10. Cleanliness

Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

11. Tranquility

Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.

12. Chastity

13. Humility

My intention being to acquire the habitude of all these virtues, I judged it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix it on one of them at a time; and, when I should be master of that, then to proceed to another, and so on, till I should have gone thro' the thirteen; and, as the previous acquisition of some might facilitate the acquisition of certain others, I arranged them with that view, as they stand above.

How to acquire these virtues, Franklin advised:

WikipediaIn "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin," we find a list of thirteen virtues "all that at that time occurr'd to me as necessary or desirable."

Benjamin Franklin Thought Everyone Should Possess These 13 Virtues 

<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">How Far You’ve Come</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Every Obstacle You’ve Overcome</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Every Time You’ve Failed</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Your Desire To Grow</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Every Choice You’ve Made</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Taking The First Step</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Every Time You’ve Helped Someone</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Every Time You’ve Taken Care Of Yourself</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Being Honest With Yourself And Others</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Accepting Others As They Are</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Being A Good Friend</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Every Time You’ve Made Someone Smile</li></ol>

Be proud of these things:

Let's stop for a moment and look around ourselves. Let's reflect on the life that we live. Reflect on our choices, our struggles, our achievements and what we have lost.

12 Things That You Should Be Truly Proud Of | Steven Webb

Habit is the foundation of the routines that comprise the vast bulk of our everyday lives. When we are not disturbed, we live our practical lives without engaging in anything like a cautious assessment of what it is we are doing at any given moment. No conscious deliberation or reflection is required to brew morning coffee, or to catch the morning train to work. As the late philosopher Hubert Dreyfus said, habits are a part of our “everyday coping practices”.

Habits: Everyday Coping Practices?

“Habit is a second nature that destroys the first. But what is nature? Why is habit not natural? I am very much afraid that nature itself is only a first habit, just as habit is a second nature.” - Blaise Pascal

Rather than mindless mechanisms for routines, habits are a species of belief that display a great deal of intelligence

In Praise Of Habits – So Much More Than Mindless Reflexes

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