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What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Weaker

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Weaker
Friedrich Nietzsche, the German philosopher, famously said: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." This notion found life beyond Nietzsche's--which is ironic, his having been rather short and miserable--and it continues to resonate within American culture. One reason is that suffering, as Freud famously recognized, is an inevitable part of life. Thus we have developed many ways to try to ease it--one of which is bestowing upon it transformative powers (another is by believing in an afterlife, of which Freud disapproved; still another is cocaine , of which he was, for a time, a fan). Another reason is that American culture, born of trauma and imbued with a hopeful can-do ethos, wants to believe this idea, finding it self-affirming. Another reason we think trauma may be transformative is that we see variants of this process around us. Now it is true that, in an evolutionary sense, those who survive a calamity are by definition the fittest. Do not thrive on adversity As do we.

10 simple ways to save yourself from messing up your life - Stepcase Lifehack Stop taking so much notice of how you feel. How you feel is how you feel. It’ll pass soon. What you’re thinking is what you’re thinking. It’ll go too. Tell yourself that whatever you feel, you feel; whatever you think, you think. Adrian Savage is a writer, an Englishman, and a retired business executive, in that order. Read full content

Revenge of the Introvert After ten years as a psychologist practicing psychodynamic psychotherapy , I reclined on the couch of my own analyst feeling burdened by my chosen work. After a day of seeing patients, I was drained. I had been trained to listen at many levels—words, emotions, unconscious disclosures—and I took all of that in and sorted it out in my mind. I was good at helping others discover and pursue what they wanted out of life. But at day's end I had no resources left to do it for myself. Then I heard myself say: "I don't like being a therapist." Suddenly I felt free, loosed from expectations that never fit. As a card-carrying introvert , I am one of the many people whose personality confers on them a preference for the inner world of their own mind rather than the outer world of sociability. Over the past two decades, scientists have whittled down to five those clusters of cognitions, emotions, motivations, and behaviors that we mean by "personality" factors. Introversion in Action

Best Bodyweight Exercises for Weight Loss | Get Fit and Lose Weight | MotleyHealth® Bodyweight exercises are a great way to help you lose weight. They also help to burn belly fat fast. They combine a cardiovascular workout with a muscle building workout, so burn fat while you are exercising out and also increase your metabolism as a result of muscle development. Bodyweight exercises are considered to be very “old school”, they are still promoted in martial arts classes, military fitness training and strength training for dance, sports and many other activities. Circuit training exercises are often part of a weight loss and fitness plan. One of the best things about a bodyweight workout is that you can perform most of the exercises with no equipment at all, so whether you are at home, in a hotel room, in the park or office, you can exercise when you want. The Bodyweight Exercise Routine This simple routine will work your whole body. When performing a bodyweight circuit you should exercise with intensity to maximise fat burning. The Bodyweight Circuit Exercise Instuctions

10 Websites To Help You Kick Your Smoking Addiction (and Improve Your Health) Not surprising, when you consider that’s the stumbling block for many an addiction”¦ smoking included. The benefits of quitting smoking are too many ““ from increasing your energy to lessening your medical bills. And of course, making life just a bit easier for the passive smokers. Perhaps I am compiling this list of the 10 websites that can help someone kick the smoking habit in vain. The defenses of an addicted smoker are unassailable if not insurmountable. QuitNet QuitNet says it’s one of the largest communities of smokers and ex-smokers with more than 60,000 members from across the globe. Smokefree U.S residents can use the free anti-smoking aids like the online step-by-step cessation guide or the telephone hotlines and the LiveHelp chat service (courtesy National Cancer Institute). Stop Smoking Center The site says that you have four times the chance of quitting compared to going at it alone. Quit Smoking Counter The site is a blog that explores ways you can quit smoking. WeQuit

40 Ways to Let Go and Feel Less Pain “If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.” ~Ajahn Chah Eckhart Tolle believes we create and maintain problems because they give us a sense of identity. We replay past mistakes over and over again in our head, allowing feelings of shame and regret to shape our actions in the present. Though it may sound simple, Ajahn Chah’s advice speaks volumes. There will never be a time when life is simple. Let Go Of Frustration with Yourself/Your Life 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Let go of Anger and Bitterness 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Let Go Of Past Relationships 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. Let Go Of Stress 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. It’s a long list, but there’s much left to be said! Photo by Katie Romanova

10 Life-Enhancing Things You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less It usually takes us much longer to change our moods than we’d like it to take. Here are ten things you can do in ten minutes or less that will have a positive emotional effect on you and those you love. . See it online at Oprah.com . This is a deeply moving segment that may be the best ten minutes you've ever invested in front of a computer. . . . The experience will fill you with fond memories and perhaps make you a bit wistful for days gone by. . . Then spend that time just holding each other. Studies show that hospital patients who can see a natural body of water from their beds get better at a 30 percent faster rate. Shake, twist, and jump around. Sadly, many people measure happiness by how long the experience lasts. Dr.

Why Winners Win and Losers Lose post written by: Marc Chernoff Email We all want to be winners. Here are a few ideas on why winners win and losers lose. Losers fail once and quit. What did I leave off the list? Photo by: Yasin Hassan If you enjoyed this article, check out our new best-selling book. And get inspiring life tips and quotes in your inbox (it's free)...

How To Train Yourself To Be In The Mood You Want Dec 27, 2010 When you have major changes going on in your life, or you’re just frustrated about where you are, it’s easy to get trapped in a cycle of depression, bad moods and frustration. I know, I’ve been there … and when I’m not careful, I still get there more than I want to. But when I’ve had a particularly hard time, I hit these moments where I’m in a foul mood, or I’m just feeling paralyzed, and I’m just stuck. I’m going to outline the framework that I’ve been using successfully to really get myself resourceful and motivated (and in a better mood) when I’m feeling stuck. First Up: Using A Framework to Escape From Paralyzing Emotions When we feel bad, it’s hard to “feel good” again. The reason for this is that steps take the emotion out of our situation and give us direction to simply act. You can call these verbal step-by-step tools anchors if you want, because they’re ways to anchor your emotional state to a time where you knew what to do and you felt prepared. Think about it. Dave

Eight (harsh) Truths That Will Improve Your Life... They say life is what we make of it. By the end of this post, I hope to have helped you decide whether that statement is true or not. There is no doubt that life has its ups and downs. However, how we deal with them can sometimes make all the difference. Some of these lessons may be old-hat for you. 1. Friends will always come and go in your life; even though I'm back in the UK now, all my friends are in university around the country and not exactly in meeting distance. Important Lesson: There are an abundance of amazing people out there for you to meet and build relationships with. You won't always get what you want in life: people are going to be late, people will let you down, items you want won't always be available. Important Lesson: Don't look for happiness in material possessions and if things don't go your way, learn to accept them. Important Lesson: Not everyone is always going to like you, and that's fine. 4. 5. As the saying goes - "Only those who are asleep make no mistakes".

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