Dedicated to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1934-2021) Photo courtesy of Ehirsh and Wikimedia (Public Domain). When I first heard of the idea of positive psychology, i.e., the study of living a healthy, happy life, the first names that came up were Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Considered to be the pioneers and leaders in the field, these...
Read MoreIt is, generally speaking, a great time to be alive. There is less hunger and poverty around the world than in any other time in human history. Yes, it will continue to get better thanks to people who care enough to dedicate their time and effort to helping people and solving real-world problems. But there is also a rise in “manufactured problem...
Read MoreDuring COVID, I did not leave the house for six months out of pressure from my significant other. I ended up getting a severe Vitamin D deficiency, and my entire body started aching, I was tired all the time, and I didn’t feel like doing anything—not even getting out of bed. I would spend hours in pain wondering what was wrong with me, and it tur...
Read More“The only constant is change.” You’ve heard the saying before, usually when something great is coming to an end. It’s often a harsh reminder that no matter what you do, there will always be more to do and always be entropy slowly eroding the progress you make in this world. At the same time, many people today can’t even handle 5 minutes without...
Read MoreI know, I know—this headline is going to elicit groans from all of the memories of having to deal with an HR department when getting hired, promoted, or let go. I get the stigma associated with HR. But in my research and identifying the keys to success in life, I was looking for analogies that could best explain how it worked. When doing so, the...
Read MoreAhhh, life goals: the symbol that someone has direction and purpose...and also the source of stress and anxiety. How do you figure out your purpose? How do you know that you picked the right goals and have the right plan to move forward? What are the best goals to have? If you’re like many people, these questions are generating anxiety already.
Read MoreWhen people talk about the meaning of life, many look back to the origin of life for insight. Scientists and theologians both assess the origins of the universe, life, and everything in it to see what that knowledge can do for our lives today. Is it possible to definitively know the origins of life and the universe? Even if we could, would that...
Read More"There are plenty of fish in the sea." "Everything happens for a reason." "Maybe this was a blessing in disguise." I know, I know...it sucks hearing these clichés when you'd rather be sulking. Your significant other left you. You lost your job. You are facing a career-ending injury. You've been betrayed or hurt. You don't understand why, ar...
Read MoreOkay, so the title is a little "in your face" in nature, but I wanted to get your attention. There are a lot of philosophical discussions out there about impermanence, and they all seem to be the same Buddhism-like narrative about how everything is impermanent and so you should detach from everything and learn to let go to evolve beyond attachment...
Read MoreGreat storytellers can captivate their audiences. It seems like an art form, and much of it is: the tone, the pace, and the voice inflections are all key to capturing hearts and minds. But the structures of stories are as much of a science as an art. You might be familiar with the core structure: introduction, inciting incident, rising action, c...
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