10 Ways Gratitude Can Change Your Life & 4 Step Gratitude Plan Gratitude can motivate others, increase self-control, build social ties and more…plus 4-step gratitude plan. Gratitude is the new miracle emotion. Although gratitude has been around for as long as human beings, it’s only recently started to get the big thumbs-up from science. So here are 10 ways gratitude can change your life, followed by a quick 4-step plan to help maximise your own gratitude, whatever level you start from. There’s even a trick for those suffering from ‘gratitude burnout’. 1. Gratitude is different things to different people: amongst them could be counting your blessings, savouring what life has given you, thanking someone or wondering at the natural world. Whatever form it takes, one of the best known and most researched effects of practicing gratitude is it makes you happier. Participants in one study were 25% happier, on average, after practicing a little gratitude over a 10-week period. 2. Gratitude isn’t just about feeling better, it’s also about thinking better. 3. 4.
The Mental Pain Of Choice Psychology of Choice The agony of choice Freedom of choice China and North Korea are controlled and run by a dictator. From a Western perspective, it must seem terrible to be one of these countries. In today's society, we can label as our best 'consumer', almost everything is a free choice. As we age, will the choices we make more important and far-reaching to be. Barry Schwartz is this view. The more is the better? The more is the better, is ultimately a statement that does not go on. 1. 2. 3. 4. Research has shown that countries where freedom of choice is limited is, eg Denmark, happier people are.
10 Things to Do Before You Go to Bed Everyone is obsessed with how successful people start their day. And if you’ve decided to do something about the quality of your life, you’ll start working on developing a morning routine and trying different versions of it. But we seem to forget that what productive people – those who work each day to achieve what they want and have hacked so many areas of their life – do before they go to bed is as important. The evening routine is one of the most underestimated habits, and yet an absolute must when it comes down to changing how your day goes and whether you want to get stuff done. A nighttime ritual affects your sleep and the mood you’ll be in when you get up, and thus becomes the foundation of your whole day. It’s a wind down period and there are many things you can do at that time. Here’s what you can include in it: A walk. Go for a short walk in the evening. Asses your day. Every single night Benjamin Franklin took the time to make an examination of the day. Read. Meditate. Unplug. Journal.
PsychTronics 7 Things Happy, Healthy People Do Every Morning When you get up in the morning, think of what a priceless privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to learn, to love – and then make the day count! The morning is extremely important. It is the foundation from which the day is built. How you choose to spend your morning can be used to predict what kind of day you are going to have, and thus, what kind of life you are going to live. Each morning truly is a brand new opportunity. The happiest, healthiest people I know embrace this truth and use it to their advantage. 1. In other words, they start the day with love in their hearts and minds, and are truly appreciative of their life and all of its priceless idiosyncrasies. From the research and coaching Angel and I have done over the years, we’ve found that the more a person is inclined to gratitude, the less likely he or she is to be depressed, anxious, lonely, envious, or neurotic. 2. They know it’s a brand new day to start over and do something different. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Related
15 Ways to Identify Psychopaths How to Identify Psychopaths? Facts About Psychopaths Psychopath Test Here are the some interesting facts about the Psychopaths. 1. Most people get anxious in situations of discomfort-- whether it's being late for an appointment, feeling stressed, etcetera. 2. Yep, you heard us. 3. People who have known sociopaths have said numerous times that there is often something very attractive about them, be it physically or charismatically, and it has psychiatrists confused. 4. Sociopaths often have crazy eyes. 5. 1 out of 10 men are psychopathic. If you can count ten guys you know, then the chances are better than not that one of them is a psychopath. 6. Psychopaths and sociopaths often back out of plans last minute or say they are going to do something but then do the opposite. 7. According to science, psychopaths are really intelligent people. 8. 9. Sociopaths love "highs" of all sorts-- anything fleeting that makes them feel a rush of danger interests them. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Creating a Lovely Morning ‘When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.’ ~Marcus Aurelius By Leo Babauta When I wake in the morning, my mind slowly gathers, and I begin to move, the early morning light just starting to seep in. I have a glass of water, start the coffee, then meditate. Then I enjoy the coffee, a good book, and the quiet before the dust and din and steam of the day begins. This is my Lovely Morning, and I get an inordinate amount of pleasure from it. It wasn’t always this way: I used to wake later, rush through a grumpy routine before diving into email and work and errands and meetings. I was wrong. I’ll share them with you here, and if you begin to enjoy the peace of your mornings more, send a smile in my general direction. Wake a little earlier. A Lovely Morning isn’t something that just falls into your lap — it’s created consciously. ‘Waking up this morning, I smile. Creating the Wake Early Habit
The most popular 20 TED Talks, as of now UPDATED: To see all these talks at one click, check out our updated Playlist: The 20 Most Popular Talks of All Time. As 2013 draws to a close, TED is deeply humbled to have posted 1600+ talks, each representing an idea worth spreading. So which ideas have had the most widespread impact? Some fascinating things to notice on this list, if you’d like to compare and contrast it to the most popular talks in 2012, and to the list we shared back in 2011: Amy Cuddy, Susan Cain, David Blaine and Pamela Meyer are all newcomers to the list, with Cuddy’s talk storming to spot #5 thanks to you sharing it. But what really makes this list so incredible is the fact that it spans so many areas of interest, from education to happiness, statistics to creativity, tech demos to illusions. UPDATED: To see all these talks at one click, check out our updated Playlist: The 20 Most Popular Talks of All Time.
Magical Mornings: How to start your day with more creativity, serenity, and insight — Better Humans Each morning our return to waking life is marked by a unique mental state. In those first minutes of our day, our minds are in an estuary between the dream world and 3rd dimensional consciousness. Like an aquatic estuary, it’s ripe with nutrients and lifeforms that you can’t find anywhere else. This in-between state of the mind can be used for greater creativity, serenity, and flow. For many years I squandered these golden minutes. Like an engine, or a muscle group, your mind runs a lot smoother if it’s allowed to gradually warm up. Inversely, going from sleep to mental sprinting can send the nervous system into Fight or Flight mode. Meditation has become quite popular in the business world for it’s ability to train the mind towards clarity of thought. Hypnotists do their work by getting subjects to enter lower frequency brain waves states. By paying attention while waking up, we can bridge the gap between waking life the creative unconscious. I started doing Morning Pages 292 days ago.
What Does Your Handwriting Say About You? What Does Your Handwriting Say About You? graphology Graphology is the study of handwriting, especially when employed as a means of analyzing a writer's character, personality, abilities, etc. How you write can indicate more than 5,000 different personality traits. In the medical field, it can be used to refer to the study of handwriting as an aid in diagnosis and tracking diseases. size large letters You are out-going, people oriented, outspoken & love attention. small letters You are shy or withdrawn, studious, concentrated and meticulous. average You are well-adjusted and adaptable spacing between words wide spacing You enjoy your freedom and don't like to be overwhelmed or crowded narrow spacing You can't stand to be alone. slanting No Slant You don't let your emotions get the best of you. Slants to the right You are open to new experiences & enjoy meeting new people. Slants to the left You tend to keep to yourself and generally like to work behind the scenes. shape of the letters Rounded letters Open
The 10 Most Important Questions You Can Ask Yourself Today Email At the end of the day, the questions we ask ourselves determine the type of people we become. When you’ve been running a successful personal development blog and life coaching business for the better part of a decade, one thing becomes crystal clear: Everyone has the same basic wants and needs. No kidding, over the years Angel and I have gotten to know thousands of people of different ethnic backgrounds, from different cities and countries, who live at various socioeconomic levels, and trust me, every one of us basically wants the same things. Think about it. So what kind of questions might you ask instead? What is worth suffering for? Your turn… At any given moment, life is filled with unanswered questions, but it is the courage to seek these answers that continues to give our lives meaning. So with that said, which of the questions above hit home the most? This article was co-written by Marc and Angel and Mark Manson, and inspired by Mark’s insightful work which can be found here.
5 Questions to Simplify Your Life During the Holidays By Leo Babauta For many people, the holiday season is the busiest, most complicated, most stressful time of year. Holiday parties, gift shopping and wrapping, decorating, travel plans, end-of-the-year projects, planning for the new year … these are all added on top of your regular business. And life before the holidays was already pretty busy. So what can we do to simplify? Yes, it’s possible — with some willingness to change. One method to go about this is to ask yourself a series of questions. Here are the ones I’ve found useful: What are you striving for? Letting go isn’t easy, because if it’s in our lives, that means we’ve already said yes, have already decided its important enough to be in our lives. Simplicity requires asking these tough questions, and then learning to let go.
12 Little Habits that Stole Your Happiness Last Year This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change. Are you tired of dealing with the same type of headaches and heartaches over and over and over again? Seriously, it’s time to purge some bad habits as we begin a New Year. Remember, you ultimately become what you repeatedly do. Sticking exclusively with what you already know. – When you stop learning you stop living a meaningful life. Afterthoughts As I’ve mentioned before, if you’re struggling with any of these points, know that you are not alone. The bottom line is that it’s never too late to take a step in the right direction. The floor is yours… What stole a little too much of your happiness last year? Photo by: Marcus Related