About 14 years ago, I read a wonderful book called “The Book of Awesome,” by Neil Pasricha. I enjoyed it so much that I read his follow-up, “The Book of (Even More) Awesome,” which was also great. I wrote a blog post recommending the book, relating it to the practice…
This is my third and final post on “Meditations for Mortals,” by Oliver Burkeman, a book I loved. The book is to meant to be read one short chapter each day. There were too many takeaways for me to share in one post, so over the part two months I…
Last month I posted about the book “Meditations for Mortals,” by Oliver Burkeman, which I loved. The book is to meant to be read one short chapter each day. There were too many takeaways for me to share in one post, so last month I shared a bunch of my…
My niece recommended the book “Meditations for Mortals,” by Oliver Burkeman, and I loved it. The book is to meant to be read one short chapter each day. There are too many takeaways for me to share in one post, so here is part 1 of my favorite excerpts, with…
I read an article that talked about ways to be happier. The piece said happiness can be learned, and recommended practicing these habits, most of which I've written about in my book and/or here: Performing acts of kindness, Increasing social connections, including initiating conversations with people you don’t know, Savoring…
A colleague and I were comparing notes on how we were doing at work this year. I said I was having a good year, and that I had some luck. He said, “It’s not luck, it’s consistency.” I agreed. I explained that what I meant by luck was a lot…
Dana Smith, in an article in the New York Times, listed seven keys to longevity. They are not a big susprise, but are worth thinking about and, more importantly, making a priroity in our lives. Move More Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Get Enough Sleep Don’t Smoke, and Don’t Drink…
A friend of mine was telling me her car windshield cracked as a result of a pebble that got kicked up by a truck in front of her on the highway. She had to pay to have it repaired, and it also cost her time. Soon after, it happened again.…
I recently spoke with a group of my company’s up-and-coming professionals. Most of my talk centered around the kinds of things I always talk about in my speeches from my book, Six Simple Rules for a Better Life. Because it was a business event, I decided to add some thoughts…
I’ve written before about Arthur Brooks – articles of his I’ve read, the time I saw him as an event speaker, and episodes of his “How to Build a Happy Life” podcast. I very much enjoyed this podcast episode of his, featuring Robert Waldinger, a psychiatrist and a Professor of…
My brother-in-law is one of the all-time great people. For almost as long as people have been doing it, he has sent around emails with jokes, stories, wisdom, and more to a long list of people. I don’t read all of them, and it’s easy enough to delete ones I…
I’ve written a few posts about the power of smiling and how it helps our happiness. When I present to groups, I always have them do this simple exercise: I ask them to smile. I then explain: When we smile, chemicals are released in our brains that make us think…