The Optimist Living
People who read are more creative and live longer
One study found that people older than 50 who read books for 30 minutes daily lived an average of 23 months longer than non-readers or magazine readers. The practice of reading books creates cognitive engagement which improves lots of things, including vocabulary, thinking skills and concentration. Read More...
Goodbye Stephen Hawking: What we can learn from the late, great genius
Stephen Hawking was more than just a visionary and a genius. He was a man of great humor whom we can all learn from, whether it be about the stars or about own lives. Here are 17 of Hawking’s most inspirational quotes that will have you dreaming of the Read More...
Here’s why you should consider taking a sabbatical
If you’re feeling burned out at your job, you may need to take more than a two-week vacation to get yourself back to feeling good. What you may need instead is a sabbatical. A sabbatical is a break from work that usually lasts between a couple of months to a year, and it can really work to boost Read More...
5 ways to freshen up your mindset this spring
The symbolism of rebirth and new life that is synonymous with the beginning of spring holds true to your state of mind. Take this time to assess where you are in your day-to-day routines and mindsets, and decide what’s working and what’s not. Once you create this awareness, you can replace the Read More...
The simple trick to becoming a genius
If you were to form a surface-level impression of Leonardo da Vinci, it would be hard to come to any other conclusion other than that he was a genius. Plain and simple. And that conclusion would indeed be right. But was he born a genius? Not necessarily. The key to Leonardo da Vinci’s genius was Read More...
This is the best way to handle difficult people
Recent research from a team of German scientists found that exposure to stimuli that cause negative emotions—the same kind of exposure you get when dealing with difficult people—causes massive stress responses. Whether it’s negativity, cruelty, the victim syndrome, or just plain craziness, Read More...
This is the best time of the day to drink coffee
When do you drink coffee in the morning? Are you one of those people that rolls out of bed and stumbles over to the coffee machine, or are you someone who waits until the morning is well underway? According to science, drinking your coffee at different times of the day can increase or reduce its Read More...
Why you don’t have to read so much news to be informed
Instead of reading up on what everyone is already talking about, futurist Richard Watson has different method for being informed. He utilizes what he calls a smart information filter—a net that captures what’s happening and what really matters without making you a slave to information of Read More...
Addicted to sugar? These healthy snacks will help satisfy your sweet tooth
We all know about the negative effects of sugar, and yet, it can be so difficult to stop eating it. Luckily, there are a few healthy low-sugar and no-added-sugar snacks out there that can satisfy your sweet tooth. Whether you like savory or sweet, these are the 6 best snacks for anyone trying to Read More...
Cognitive bias: The 18 mental mistakes people make when doing business
The human brain is capable of incredible things, but it’s also extremely flawed at times. Science has shown that we tend to make all sorts of mental mistakes, called “cognitive biases”, that can affect both our thinking and actions. These biases can lead us to extrapolating information from Read More...