Positive Psychology

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    Positive Psychology News Daily

  • The Three Degrees of Influence and Happiness

    Timothy T.C. So
    18 Nov 2009 | 6:00 pm
    November 18, 2009By Timothy T.C. So - “People who post smiley photos on Facebook/Frowners attract happy friends.” (Nature, 2008) Social Networks and Happiness Fowler lecture Christakis lecture Would you be surprised to read the above finding from Nature, one of the most prominent science journals in the world? Nicholas Christakis, a sociologist at Harvard University, and James Fowler, a political scientist at University of California, advocate that our happiness is affected by our social networks in a subtle way. The research shows that within a social network, happiness spreads…

  • Positive Psychology Includes Negative Emotions

    Dave Shearon
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:02 pm
    November 17, 2009By Dave Shearon - Detecting Icebergs IcebergsRecently, I was teaching “Detecting Icebergs”, one of the resilience skills described in The Resilience Factor.  The participants had practiced the skills themselves, and we were talking about how to teach them.  I mentioned the importance of using personal examples whenever possible and gave a quick example of a personal iceberg I had uncovered.   It was just the outline of the story with very little elaboration.  But, when I mentioned that my anger surprised and puzzled me until I uncovered the deeper value that was…

  • (Book Review) Positive Psychology Workbook series by Biswas-Diener, Lyubomirsky, Kurtz, and Sheldon

    Dana Arakawa
    14 Nov 2009 | 1:45 am
    November 14, 2009By Dana Arakawa - To describe how much I enjoyed and recommend the Positive Psychology Workbook series by Robert Biswas-Diener and colleagues, I thought of the positivity ratio discovered by Barbara Fredrickson and Marcial Losada: flourishing happens when positivity outweighs negativity by 3 to 1, but above 11:1, the “butterfly effect” disappears. I loved the series and would highly recommend it, so I offer 11 positives of the series and one dose of critique. "Invitiation to Positive Psychology" book 1. Expert authors. Written by a stellar group of positive…

  • (Book Review) Invitation to Positive Psychology by Robert Biswas-Diener

    Aren Cohen
    12 Nov 2009 | 12:28 am
    November 12, 2009By Aren Cohen - "Invitation to Positive Psychology" book Invitation to Positive Psychology: Research and Tool for the Professional by Robert-Biswas-Diener is a workbook that allows a student to study a six-week self-directed course that touches on the main themes of positive psychology. Pairing Invitation with Christopher Peterson’s A Primer in Positive Psychology (weekly homework reading assignments are all from the Primer), a novice can get a basic understanding of positive psychology, the importance of positive emotions, the usefulness of positive psychology…

  • To Boost Your Teen’s Brain, Try Success

    Christine Duvivier
    9 Nov 2009 | 9:10 am
    November 9, 2009By Christine Duvivier - Failure does not breed success when it comes to the brain, according to MIT scientist Earl Miller whose study of monkeys is cited in the Boston Globe article of August 3: “Why success may breed success.”  When a correct response is rewarded, higher-intensity signals fire between the two learning areas of the brain.  This increases the odds that the next answer will be correct too, according to Miller and his colleagues.  To me, this seems more like Pavlov’s Dogs than true education, but still it sparks a question. Success Breeds Success Teen…
 
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    Innate Intelligence - The Science of Thriving

  • The subconscious is not just a myth?

    Wayne Jencke
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:58 am
    Research involving subliminal priming tends to instantly grab people’s attention, I guess, because there is simply something very enticing, but simultaneously disturbing about the idea that the might have significant power over our . We don’t like to think that we are not fully in control of our own decisions, but we do like the thought that there is some additional hidden computing power behind the choices we make. Click here to read the article. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolved-primate/200911/the-subconscious-and-strategic-resource-recruitment

  • The problem with working on strengths

    Wayne Jencke
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:32 pm
    A fad swept through corporate training and development during the last decade following top-selling books such as “Now, Discover Your Strengths” by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton and a parade of subsequent titles on “strengths-based development.” The strengths movement maintains that fixing weaknesses is a mistake because the only way for executives to achieve top performance is by building on strengths. Click here to read the article.

  • Research shows chronically ill may be happier if they give up hope

    Wayne Jencke
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:30 pm
    Holding on to hope may not make patients happier as they deal with chronic illness or diseases, according to a new study by University of Michigan Health System researchers. Click here to read the article.

  • First impressions

    Wayne Jencke
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:27 pm
    First impressions do matter when it comes to communicating personality through appearance, according to new research by psychologists Laura Naumann of Sonoma State University and Sam Gosling of The University of Texas at Austin. Click here to read the article.

  • DON’T BE HAPPY, BE WORRIED: SPORTS FANS NEED DOSE OF NEGAT IVE

    Wayne Jencke
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:15 pm
    For sports fans watching their favorite team play, the greatest enjoyment comes only with a strong dollop of fear and maybe even near-despair, a new study suggests. Click here to read the article.
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    Psychology Today: The Good Life

  • Still Not Happy?

    Ran Zilca
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:48 pm
    The quest for true happiness is perceived by many to ultimate goal of human existence. When asked what they wish for themselves, most people say that they would like to be happy. Everything else they wish for themselves is just means to an end. While happiness has always been a topic of interest and aspiration, its study, understanding, and the means to accomplish it recently has become a focal point of Western civilization. The reason is simple: we've done all that we can, and we are still not happy. Think about America in the late 60s: pink Cadillacs, suburban houses with lush lawns,…

  • What 100 Years of Research Tells Us About Effective Leadership

    Ronald E. Riggio, Ph.D.
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:13 pm
                What do we actually know about effective leadership?  One hundred years of research on the topic has led to some clear answers.  First, are leaders born or made?  The answer is both, but more made than born.  Leadership is a complex and sophisticated social role.  Although certain qualities do predispose some people to attain leadership positions and be better at leading, effective leaders actually hone their skills through experience, conscious self-development, education, and training. Second, does leadership training…

  • My Spouse Is Overweight

    Simon Y. Feuerman, Psy.D., L.C.S.W.
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:51 am
    When I was growing up there was a couple on my block. She was heavy and he was thin. My mother who never failed to notice anything, particularly weight, would comment: She is heavy, but he is thin. Periodically, we would run into them and my mother would repeat "she is heavy and he is thin." Appearances had great meaning to my mother, but she would never permit herself to say anything beyond that. As I got older I began to wonder about that couple. Did she want him to be thin and smaller than her? Did he want her to be heavy? If she died and he married someone else, would the next woman also…

  • Enjoy Your Emotions, Part II

    Thomas Scheff, Ph.D.
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:27 am
    My last column was mostly about two emotions, grief and fear. This column will concern two other emotions, shame and anger, and also another kind of stress, bodily tension such as illness and fatigue. Emotions and feelings are at core physical, rather than only mental. Sadness is the feeling we get when bodily preparations to cry are not carried out. In this view, crying is the orgasm of a state of bodily arousal: grief. The habit of controlling emotions by ignoring them turns out to be a huge problem. Over the long haul, unresolved emotional arousals can build up to the point of continuous…

  • Party Survival Tactics for Introverts

    Sophia Dembling
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:11 am
    My husband and threw a small party, a brunch, the other day. An introvert throwing a party? Yep. I'm not antisocial. I like seeing friends and offering hospitality. And in some ways, throwing a party is easier than attending someone else's. For one thing, when I need to check out of the chitchat, I can busy myself with hostess duties--refilling food or drinks, mopping up spills, general tidying. Plus, I usually know everyone at my own parties, which makes mingling less awkward for me.Still, a party is a party and I anticipated this party with the usual combination of pleasure, high anxiety,…
 
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    The Happiness Project

  • Try Fun, Quick Exercises to Boost Your Creativity.

    GretchenRubin
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:20 pm
    I’m working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone’s project will look different, but it’s the rare person who can’t benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday’s post will help you think about your own happiness project. One of my favorite resolutions, because it’s so much fun to keep, is Read at whim. Instead of trying to be very targeted about my reading, as I once tried to be, I let myself read whatever I want to read. The other day, at coffee with my blogpals Caren and Leah from the great site, Drinking Diaries, Leah…

  • In Which I Get Teary Reading My Own Book.

    GretchenRubin
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:56 am
    This week, I finished the audiobook for The Happiness Project. As I’d expected, it made me very happy to learn to do something new and to get a glimpse into the unfamiliar world of sound recording. It was also thrilling to learn that none other than Jim Dale had sat in the very same seat that I was using, when he was recording Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It took him three weeks! And they had top, top security. What surprised me most about the recording process was how emotional I became while reading certain parts of the book. I literally choked up and had to take a drink of water…

  • Fifteen Tips to Avoid Nagging.

    GretchenRubin
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:47 am
    Every Wednesday is Tip Day. This Wednesday: Back by popular demand...fifteen tips to avoid nagging. I've posted this list before, but I'm posting it again, because the issue of nagging is something that people raise with me frequently in discussions of happiness. It turns out that being a nag is just as unpleasant as being nagged -- so figuring out how to end nagging brings a real happiness boost to a relationship. But even though no one enjoys an atmosphere of nagging, in marriage, or any partnership, chores are a huge source of conflict. How do you get your sweetheart to hold up his or her…

  • "Learn New Skills, Ask Questions, Practice Yoga--and Only Travel Carry-On."

    GretchenRubin
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:52 am
    From time to time, I post short interviews with interesting people about their insights on happiness. During my study of happiness, I’ve noticed that I often learn more from one person’s highly idiosyncratic experiences than I do from sources that detail universal principles or cite up-to-date studies. I’m much more likely to be convinced to try a piece of advice urged by a specific person who tells me that it worked for him or her, than by any other kind of argument. Sometimes, in ways that I don’t really understand, I begin to overlap with people in blogland, to the point that I…

  • Some Counter-Intuitive Facts about Loneliness.

    GretchenRubin
    16 Nov 2009 | 11:05 am
    Sometimes people ask, “If you had to pick just one thing, what would be the one secret to a happy life?” The answer is clear: strong bonds with other people. If I had to pick one thing, that’s it. The wisdom of the ages and the current scientific studies agree on this point. On that subject, I just finished a fascinating book by John Cacioppo and William Patrick, Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection. The book underscores the conclusion that few things will challenge your happiness more than loneliness. Without thinking it through, I’d assumed that being lonely…
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    DaveShearon

  • Personal Productivity

    David Shearon
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:11 am
    As a lawyer and, therefore, a "trained" procrastinator, I have been interested in the change in my attraction to the idea of productivity since completing MAPP.  Basically, both the idea of setting goals and ways of better getting the work done to reach them struck me as offputting until just recently.  Most of my work seemed to be "just one more damn thing."  Now, as I have found my orientation changing more to being "pulled into the future" (Marty Selgiman's phrase), I also find my desire to be more productive going up.  Even hard and not intrinsically…

  • Positive Economics?

    David Shearon
    19 Nov 2009 | 8:21 am
    Is the "dismal science" dismal only because it's been too narrowly focused?  From Poverty to Prosperity: Intangible Assets, Hidden Liabilities and the Lasting Triumph over Scarcity looks to be a good read.  From the Amazon product description: What economists left out of the story were the positive forces of creativity, innovation, and advancing technology that propel economies forward. Economists did not describe the dynamic process that leads to new pharmaceuticals, cell phones, Web-based information services-forces that fundamentally alter how we live our daily lives.

  • Monthyl post up over at PPND

    David Shearon
    17 Nov 2009 | 4:27 pm
    My post at Positive Psychology Daily News this month is entiteld "'Positive' Psychology and 'Negative' Emotions".  True story about a recent teaching experience where some of the participants could spot my emotions, and why that was a good thing!

  • Army!

    David Shearon
    17 Nov 2009 | 4:24 pm
    The Army's providing some great training to help soldiers and their families.

  • IQ & Being Smart

    David Shearon
    5 Nov 2009 | 5:14 am
    This article at New Scientist provides a good framework for understanding some of the relationship between IQ and being smart.  Every time I teach about Carol Dweck's work on growth mindsets, I run into some push back from academically successful folks arguing that there really is an intrinsic, something-internal-to-me element in "smartness."  Of course there is, but as Dr. Dweck and this article suggests, we tend to overestimate it.  On the other hand, to the extent that the article suggests "rational thinking" is just IQ applied to non-intuitive situations, I…
 
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    So Be Organized

  • Re-Gift in Style

    SoBeOrganized
    18 Nov 2009 | 10:27 am
    This time of year sparks the age-old discussion of gift giving which invariably leads to it's cousin ..... re-gifting. What's your take ? Are gifts to be kept sacred forever ? Or does the thought alone count?When you receive a present," says Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, an interior designer in New York City and the founder of ApartmentTherapy.com, "your duty is to receive it and thank the giver -- not to keep the gift forever."I enjoy giving gifts, yet detest clutter. I would feel terrible if some-one cluttered up a part of their space on my account. Therefore I encourage proactive re-gifting…

  • Take the challenge : Buy a pen

    SoBeOrganized
    16 Nov 2009 | 3:16 am
    Here's a challenge .... buy a nice pen.Okay, that's not exactly it .... buy a pen and keep it in a great location where you can find it with ease. Then after using it, put it back in that exact same spot .... again and again and again.As you will find out it's not that simple. Really in life there is nothing wrong at all with having more than one pen. What is inefficient is buying a 40 pack of pens, not giving them a specific home and then when you need a pen in a hurry and can't find one hollering frantically ' Any-one seen a pen ?' If you keep up this habit for the next 30 days you will…

  • Very Soups

    SoBeOrganized
    2 Nov 2009 | 1:26 am
    It's cold out there. If your finances are as icy as the weather you can't afford not to incorporate Very Soups into your week. (Very simple, Very cheap and very healthy !). They can be made in the crock pots and greet you when you walk in the front door.Very Lentil Soup1 14oz bag dry lentils (soaked overnight if possible)1 chopped onion6 cups water10oz bag of baby carrots5 stalks of celery chopped2 tsp salt3 tsp cuminHandful of spinachAdd all ingredients together. Cook for 10 hours on low in crock pot.Very Minestrone Soup1/2 jar of marinara sauceCan of chickpeas or cannelloni beans1 onion…

  • Help ! My life is running me !!

    SoBeOrganized
    23 Oct 2009 | 11:14 am
    Hey folks - got a great question in my mailbag that applies to so many of us ........Q : Help ! My life is running me ! Give me pointers before I literally go crazy !! Mindy, New Zealand.A : We're all kinda frazzled in our own way so don't feel that you are the exception to the norm. You might just need to tweak a few areas.Here are 3 common reasons and solutions .... implement one a week for the next 3 weeks and you wont go crazy ..... you might even get really empowered.Reason 1) You're living in the 'now' instead of being one or two steps ahead.Solution 1) Take at least one hour a week to…

  • Waiting For The Perfect Storm

    SoBeOrganized
    23 Oct 2009 | 3:22 am
    What's holding you back from organizing your space ? You know how great you'd feel if your space was under control. Chances are you know exactly when. You say to yourself "I'll clean out that office one quiet evening when I have the energy and I have something inspiring to watch". Or "I'll round all the clutter up and decide whether to throw it out or give it away one quiet morning when the phone stops ringing and the baby is playing happily".Sounds to me like you're waiting for the perfect storm. Our busy lives rarely allow us those quiet moments.Instead of waiting for that magical moment…
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    Tough Guide to work

  • Top 10 approaches to enjoy work

    29 Oct 2009 | 2:29 pm
    Time to read this post: 6 minutesIt's time to take a position. Why do some people consistently love their work? After multiple degrees, hundreds of academic books & articles, years of interviewing people in their work, I want to summarize what actually works. For people who love their work, what is it that they do? What are their tricks? Their secrets? This may eventually turn something more than a blog posting. For now I want to share the ten most effective approaches that I have learned on my journey thus far.Three is the magic number. Most self-help books will tell you that there are…

  • Before you quit your job

    22 Oct 2009 | 8:30 am
    Time to read this post: five minutesAbout once a month, I get an email from someone at my company who is confused. They want to change career. They want to get a new job. Sometimes they are just done with work. Almost always they have decided they want their life to be different. But they don't know where to begin. So we get a coffee. We talk about how they feel, what they want, what their plan is. I thought that I would share the two big questions that they tend to grapple with. There are some useful resources and approaches out there and people seem to like them. Question one: What do I…

  • How to change a habit: the pedometer experiment

    11 Oct 2009 | 7:35 pm
    Time to read: 3 minutesOver the years, I have been to more than my fair share of corporate training courses. In general they are mildly interesting with one of two nuggets of information. The real problem is this: despite my best intentions, I rarely do anything differently when I get back to work. I want to. I plan to. But if I’m honest with myself, I always slip back into the old routine. That’s why I’m really interested when something comes along and actually changes my behavior.I had read that walking 10,000 steps a day was very beneficial to health. Some longitudinal study or other…

  • How to save time - Online countdown

    6 Oct 2009 | 8:44 am
    Time to read this post: 1 minute When I use the internet to do some quick research I frequently lose an hour. I start wanting to check a name or date on wikipedia and before I know it I am watching videos on hulu or reading the BBC entertainment news about day time TV shows I have previously not heard of. All this changed about a month ago when I starting using an online countdown. The idea is simple. Before I embark on a task, I set the countdown for the amount of time I would like the task to take. Or for when I would like the alarm to ring. Want to check out the football scores? OK I set…

  • Your story in ten sentences

    29 Sep 2009 | 8:20 am
    Time to read this post: 1 minuteOne Thursday afternoon in November, the former president of Harvard University and noted orator Edward Everett spoke to a large crowd. Critics thought his speech was "erudite, moving, and well-delivered". Given his speech was over 13,000 words, he clearly had a lot to say.As a former professor in Greek literature, Everett was masterful in his language. After more than two hours at the podium he wrapped up, "But they, I am sure, will join us in saying, as we bid farewell to the dust of these martyr-heroes, that wheresoever throughout the civilized world the…
 
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    Happier.com Insights

  • Join the happier.com Community on Facebook for a Chance to Win

    Andrew Rosenthal
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:03 am
    Join the happier.com community on facebook to meet other positive psychology enthusiasts, students, researchers and practitioners.  Become a “fan” of happier.com on facebook today, to join our community of happiness enthusiasts and for chances to win special discounts, prizes and opportunities. happier.com on Facebook happier.com is a personal trainer for your happiness. With more than a dozen tools and tests to help you measure, track and improve your happiness, you can trust the happier.com experts to help you reach your goals. Exclusive videos and a popular blog mean there’s…

  • Reminder: Tonight is a happierPhilly meetup focusing on practitioners

    Andrew Rosenthal
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:11 am
    Reminder: happierPhilly.com free meetup is tonight, focusing on practitioners.  Limited space is still available but we need to know if you’re coming, so please RSVP.  We’re at the Penn Bookstore. Click here to check out The happierPhilly – Happiness Group Philadelphia!

  • Dr. Parks-Sheiener answers: Why are happy people healthier?

    Dr. Acacia Parks-Sheiner
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:29 am
    Dr. Acacia Parks-Sheiner is an instructor in positive psychology, a researcher and a member of the Positive Psychology Practitioner Directory. Dr. Parks has taught a variety of classes on how to use positive psychology interventions, and she often gets questions from students and clients about what will work best for them. The happiness-health relationship isn’t magic – although some parts of it may be biological, a big part of why happy people are healthier stems from behaviors that come more easily to happy people. A study by Bob Emmons and colleagues found that people who…

  • Now Available: Positive Psychology Workbooks For Coaches and Enthusiasts

    happier.com
    18 Nov 2009 | 4:21 am
    By invited author Robert Biswas-Diener A quick look at the shelves in any major bookstore will convince you that positive psychologists have no trouble getting the word out about their exciting new science. Each year literally dozens of titles are published on happiness, meaning and living a better life. Because it is rooted in empirical study Positive Psychology has given the self-help market a much needed scientific makeover. One conspicuous hole in all this new information, however, is a more engaging way of presenting material. Reading books- even best sellers—is inherently a passive…

  • happier.com Hits the Road with Meetups and Experts in Philly, DC, NYC, Portland, LA, San Francisco and More

    happier.com
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm
    It’s a unique opportunity to meet people who share similar interests and get excited about positive psychology. I hope to be turning on more friends in the area to happier.com. - Patty Ferssizidis from happierDC Upcoming Meetups happierPhilly.com Philadelphia, PA: Thursday, November 19, 6:00pm.  A focus on practitioners: The best books, tests, and tools for coaches, consultants and happiness trainers.  With special guest, Coach Emiliya Zhivotovskaya, MAPP.  Open to everyone, with a focus on practitioners.  Register now. Click here to check out The happierPhilly – Happiness…
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    David J. Pollay

  • Discover Your True Path – Step Two

    David J. Pollay
    18 Nov 2009 | 1:32 pm
    Last week I called on all of us to take another step on our journey to discover our true path in life. Here was Step One – Learn By Observing Others. This week I want us to focus on how...

  • Discover Your True Path – Step One

    David J. Pollay
    8 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    I believe we all have a right and responsibility to find our true path in life. We must discover our passion and what it calls us to do. When we are able to put our natural strengths, skills, knowledge, experience,...

  • Great news about the Law of the Garbage Truck™ (...and your story)

    David J. Pollay
    1 Nov 2009 | 7:00 pm
    I’m excited to share some news with you. And I’m grateful for your support. Last month I signed a book contract with Sterling Publishing (a Barnes & Noble company). My book, The Law of the Garbage Truck: Take control of...
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    Shrunken Mind

  • Positive Psychology - The Science of Optimal Human Functioning

    John Schinnerer
    17 Nov 2009 | 9:43 am
    Free teleclass Positive Psychology – The Science of Optimal Human Functioning 11/18/09 (Wednesday) 6 pm PST/9 pm EST with John Schinnerer, Ph.D., Author, positive psychology coach, speaker, amusing guy Simply call 212-461-5903 and enter Pin 3474#   Positive psychology is the scientific study of optimal functioning, the applied approach to human flourishing. The lessons of positive psych are appropriate for everyone [...]

  • The 5 secrets of happy families

    John Schinnerer
    6 Nov 2009 | 10:00 am
    This is a tremendous article from Parenting.com on some key ways to create and maintain a happy, thriving family - a difficult task in the best of times! Have a fantastic weekend! John Schinnerer, Ph.D. By Barbara Rowley, Parenting.comcnnAuthor = "By Barbara Rowley, Parenting.com"; if(location.hostname.indexOf( \'edition\' ) > -1) {document.write(\'October 28, 2009 -- Updated 1425 GMT (2225 HKT)\');} else [...]

  • Positive Psychology and Optimal Human Functioning - A Complementary Telecourse 11/18/09 at 6 pm PST

    John Schinnerer
    29 Oct 2009 | 10:24 am
     Guide To Self with Dr. John Schinnerer Optimal Human Functioning Via Positive Psychology 925-575-0258 John@GuideToSelf.com Dear Friends: I have been invited to conduct a training class at a speaking platform like no other and wanted to invite you to listen. The class is complimentary and you can listen to as many classes as you wish from the comfort of [...]

  • Old Beliefs About Depression Toppled in New Northwestern Study - Depression Largely Unrelated To Stress

    John Schinnerer
    28 Oct 2009 | 9:59 am
    From ScienceDaily (Oct. 27, 2009) — More than half the people who take antidepressants for depression never get relief.Why? Because the cause of depression has been oversimplified and drugs designed to treat it aim at the wrong target, according to new research from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The medications are like arrows [...]

  • Depression Gene More Likely To Express Itself In Western Culture Than In the East

    John Schinnerer
    28 Oct 2009 | 9:31 am
    NonWestern communal cultures keep biology from having its way with depression From EurekaAlert.org… EVANSTON, Ill. — A genetic tendency to depression is much less likely to be realized in a culture centered on collectivistic rather than individualistic values, according to a new Northwestern University study. In other words, a genetic vulnerability to depression is much more likely to [...]
 
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    Motivational Memo

  • Strength’s Assailant

    Peter Sinclair
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:04 am
    ‘That which does not kill us makes us stronger.’ Friedrich Nietzsche I once heard someone say that if you cannot find your name in the obituary column of the newspaper, it’s a great day. As I read some of the writings of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor from 161 to 180AD, I was astonished at his obsession with death. But then, even as I have studied the writings of Solomon in the Bible, he often addressed the issue of death with a similar concentration. But amidst this morbidity Friedrich Nietzsche briefly explains that although we think sometimes, because of the tough…

  • Courage Of Conviction

    Peter Sinclair
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:47 pm
    ‘Yes versatility! One of many admirable qualities you possess, but your courage of conviction stands alone as a refined strength!’ Written by Paul Stead in an email to Peter G. James Sinclair It is not my habit to share such intimate details with my readers, but I felt that the above statement could be something that could be of benefit to you. To receive such a comment from someone who had a profound impact on my life as a young man was both humbling and an honour. In my mid-twenties my life’s direction took a major shift when my brand new wife and I opened our home to…

  • Finding Your Hot Button

    Peter Sinclair
    15 Nov 2009 | 5:50 pm
    What’s your hot button? What inspires you? What keeps you up at night? What are your dreaming about while you’re wide awake? Have you discovered it yet? Without finding your hot button, you could possibly die of frost bite – or send everyone around you to sleep. We were born to push our hot button. We were born  to add value to our family, our friends and our world. We weren’t born to be put on ice. We were born to be red hot, to be ablaze with a burning passion and a fiery desire to make a significant difference every single day that we live here on planet earth. So…

  • How To Live An Expansive Life

    Peter Sinclair
    11 Nov 2009 | 9:35 pm
    An expansive life begins first in your mind. In order to live big, you first think big. Every action in your life will be in direct response to the thoughts that are meditated upon in your mind on a daily basis. That is why it is vital that you spend a portion of each day feeding that voracious part of your being – namely your mind – with nutritious mind food. So what food should you feed your mind? Well, all of us have different mind metabolisms, but I will share with you what I do, and maybe something of what I share with you may guide you to find the food that will lead you to…

  • The Optimist And the Pessimist

    Peter Sinclair
    11 Nov 2009 | 12:08 am
    The world is clearly divided between those who choose to see the best, and those who see the worst. Napoleon Hill once wrote, ‘Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit.’ He was definitely an optimist. An optimist calls a half-filled glass half full. A pessimist will declare it as half empty. An optimist sees a pile of bricks and envisages a castle, whereas a pessimist will only think of the hard work ahead. The mouth of an optimist is positive and uplifting. The tongue of a pessimist is negative and critical. So…
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    Hearts & Minds

  • Swine Flu, Personal Relationshps and 2012

    Walter E Jacobson, M.D.
    15 Nov 2009 | 11:56 am
    I read an article (http://bit.ly/rY2Q3) about swine flu vaccines containing mercury and other adjuvants that can cause multiple sclerosis, lupus, and other debilitating illnesses. The article discusses how the makers of the vaccines are doing studies to prove safety but are using vaccines in the studies that do not contain mercury and the other adjuvants, which means they are fudging data to fool people into thinking their product is safe, so they can sell their snake oil with no consequences (people damaged by these vaccines cannot seek legal recourse.) The article also exposes the fact that…

  • Warning Signs at Fort Hood and in Relationships

    Walter E Jacobson, M.D.
    7 Nov 2009 | 5:36 pm
    A psychiatrist goes postal. I’m not surprised. As a psychiatrist and a keen observer of the descent of our society over the past 40 years or so, it is clear to me that all things are possible. People are capable of acting out their conflicts and aggressions in all sorts of spectacularly outrageous and deeply disturbed ways, which demonstrate a severe lack of insight as well as mind-boggling self-destructiveness. These days, anybody has the capacity to go postal at any time. We might as well get used to it and not be surprised by it, because being surprised could be hazardous to our…

  • Be Happy Now

    Walter E Jacobson, M.D.
    31 Oct 2009 | 3:27 pm
    Medication may make you less depressed but it won’t make you happier. It is a band-aid that covers wounds but never truly heals them. There is no magic pill that will bring us happiness. But that doesn’t mean that the situation is hopeless. The truth is that we have the power to make ourselves happy regardless of what is going on in our lives. Happiness is a choice. Symbolize it, if you wish, with the image of an electric switch. When the switch is turned on, we’re happy. When the switch is turned off, we’re unhappy. Therefore, the key to happiness is knowing how to…

  • Obama Or Bust

    Walter E Jacobson, M.D.
    28 Oct 2009 | 9:25 am
    I do my best to avoid discussing politics in my postings but it seems to me that relationships and self-improvement will be something of a moot point if our country goes down the tubes. So here we go: Those opposing health care specifically and President Obama in general seem to be the same people who put our country in the toilet in the first place by allowing greed, self-interest and incompetence to reign supreme with no checks and balances. These people are either inept or corrupt. So why do we keep supporting them? They obviously don’t have our best interests at heart. If they did,…

  • Thoughts About God

    Walter E Jacobson, M.D.
    25 Oct 2009 | 11:10 pm
    Does God really pick and choose who lives and who dies? Is He “up there” somewhere with a huge tote board keeping score of who’s been naughty and who’s been nice? Does He really decide to give one person brain cancer, to have another person get hit by a bus, to have a third person get mauled by a lion or raped by a psychopath? Is that what God does? Does God really listen to everyone’s prayers and decide which ones to act on and which ones to ignore?:  “Sorry, Mr. Franklin. I feel for you, but I’m not going to cure your prostate cancer because…
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