Improve your life

I have these two blogs that i read lately, so I was thinking to share them with you all.

First is Farnam Street - a blog about mastering skills, and second is Brain Pickings - about the meaning of life.

Enjoy!

Business, life, inside and out, and maybe a bit of self importance

"If I am in a boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and the boat is in trouble, who do I want in that boat with me? Those are the people would hire."
- Jim Crupi -

If i am dreaming of becoming an entrepreneur and owning my own company, and as we know that a quality of a person is easily to determine by the quality of their questions, not of their answers, then this is the question to ask yourself before you start.


"Hold on to what is good,
Even if it's a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe,
Even if it's a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do,
Even if it's a long way from here."
- Pueblo Prayer -

And we need to hold on not only to the good men and women from our life, our friends, but to everything else that will help us grow too. Because in the end, like some Olympic performer said, all that we accept in our life need to help our boat to go faster.


" I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in."
- John Muir -

To conclude for today, going out, travel the world and learn about new, amazing things are just another reason to start the most important journey, within ourselves. Because without this journey, we are lost into the immensity of one unfriendly universe, and within the scale of time, we are only one pale blue dot. We, as the Earth, like Carl Sagan brilliantly put it in words.

Have a perfect December!

About fear, best version of life ever and listening to intuition

One interesting lecture for tonight. Quote: "2015 is the best year in the history of humankind. Why everyone if fearing everyone? Who is interested in cultivating this atmosphere of fear and distrust?"

You want to know more? Check this link.


"Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you. "
- Parker J. Palmer -

We are learning how to react  to different stimuli from the time we are born, and then, for the rest of our life. Reacting is good, and we need to react fast and decisive. But it this completely true? Or maybe it is another alternative, a parallel universe where we listen to a different way of rationing, one based on intuition and the language of the heart? If you already looked in Malcolm Gladwell's books, you know that all the research pointed out that our intuition is incredible accurate. If only we want to learn how to use it.

Priorities

"Things don't have to change the world to be important." said Steve Jobs. A very interesting study was done, asking children under seven and elderly over 70 what are the 3 most important things in life. Most of the answers pointed towards family, pets, kindness, passions and health. Interesting stuff, right? What are the most important 3 things in your life?

How to become more positive in just one month

1. Get more positive reference experience
2. Spend time outside, in nature, in order to avoid being inside all the time.
3. Stop seeking approval, do not worry about others' disapproval of your actions, take responsibility for what you want to do and do it.
4. Take yourself less seriously, ignore your worries, anxieties and confusions if they are related to a possible future.
5. Exercise. Do not be lazy, have a weekly routine and stick with it. Mood elevation, happiness hormones and many other benefits adds up to the physiological ones.
6. Eat healthy. Do not eat like an automaton, think about, improve the quality of your meals, make a strategy when you are doing your weekly shopping.
7. Track your progress. When you start this month of personal improvement, take a new notebook and write in it daily a detailed report of your efforts. You motivation will increase dramatically after one month when you will read and see the progress.
8. Meditate of just take time for yourself, when you watch the clouds, contemplate the river or something similar. Silence is good also, I will post a short text about it soon.

How to live a happy life! - Hint

Did you ever heard of Ann Marie Roepke and her concept of post-ecstatic growth

Quote: "While past research suggests that people experience positive psychological changes after adverse events, little is known about psychological changes that happen after positive events. Adult participants (N = 605) went online to complete a new self-report instrument measuring positive psychological changes linked to positive events, changes that I provisionally call post-ecstatic growth. Factor analysis indicated that this growth happens in four domains: deeper spirituality, increased meaning and purpose in life, improved relationships, and greater self-esteem. Participants were particularly likely to report growth after events that evoked feelings of inspiration and meaning, and events that led them to see new opportunities."

She is also assisting in positive gaming research with Dr. Jane McGonigal, Rose Broome, and the rest of the team at SuperBetter Labs. (I already wrote about this here and here!)