Mindfulness

Happiness

Hitting the Elevator’s “Close Door” Button

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, August 7 2024

There’s a famous story about the elevator buttons that are designated to close the door: many of them don’t do anything. The running joke is that it’s a placebo making riders feel like they have control while also spending the waiting time doing something, thus increasing rider satisfaction but not actually changing the wait

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Choice

Control Your Attention, Control Your Experience

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, June 21 2023

Magicians (also known as illusionists) are masters of manipulation of your attention. Anyone who has seen Penn and Teller’s act has been introduced to the science behind how they deceive you: they can make an object appear to have moved when it hasn’t; they can make it appear to be somewhere when it has actually moved; and they can make you focus...

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Growth

The Benefits of Rest

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, August 31 2022

Many people out there will hear that the meaning of life is growth and think, “Well, then, I’ve gotta get to it!”  A short time later, you’ve burnt yourself out.  Don’t conflate growth and effort; let’s explore. Everyone knows that to accomplish your goals in life, effort is required.  Students study, employees and entrepreneurs work, and investors...

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Growth

Just a Reminder to Take Care of Yourself

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, September 9 2021

During 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...

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Suffering

The (Seeming) Paradox of Impermanence

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, August 25 2021

“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...

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Mindfulness

A Three-Step Approach to Being Present

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, July 22 2020

I was on the #EverydayHustle Podcast the other day, and Adam Ali asked me a little bit about being present in the moment for people who are showing up but aren’t always present.  Being present is not only important for enjoying your life as it happens, but it's also an important part of maintaining emotional and psychological well-being.

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