The Optimist Living
Happiness is a matter of choice, Harvard studies find
Choosing to be happy with whatever you do, strengthening your closest relationships and exercising to maintain your health are three essential keys to happiness, according to three studies with converging findings. Here is a list of bullet points with relevant data. Can you identify any actionable Read More...
Summer reading suggestion: The Monk and the Philosopher
Some books are worth bringing up time and time again. This thoughtful essay about The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life provides us with a great opportunity to revisit what remains a most compelling, intelligent—some would say enlightening—dialogue about Read More...
The power of thought shapes our physical world, including our bodies
Water constitutes about three quarters of the human body mass. Science shows that water is significantly impacted by thoughts, as observed in the varying shapes of frozen water crystals. The idea that science will soon be able to demonstrate that our bodies are deeply affected by our state of mind Read More...
5 tips to relax your mind before going to bed
A stressed-out mind in overdrive at bedtime is no recipe for a restful sleep. These five tips provide simple strategies to help give our thoughts a rest, and gently get ourselves ready for a truly restorative night. Think of it as your evening mental hygiene Read More...
8 tips for living a positive life
What if we grew up learning how to nurture a positive mindset, just like we were taught to wash our hands before a meal and to brush our teeth before bed? Most of us would enjoy better health and longevity, science shows. The good news is that it is never too late to start, or to start again and Read More...
University professor gives lesson in humanity
Ordinary heroes abound. They live with us every day, nurturing or restoring our faith in humanity—as the case may be—and teaching us something about ourselves in the process. One recent example is Sydney Engelberg, a Hebrew University professor in Jerusalem who did something both remarkably Read More...
Mind over matter: why cultivating a positive mindset is essential to health and well-being
There is such a thing as beating the odds thanks to a positive attitude, research shows. Here is a list of behaviors that have been found to be typical of healthy individuals in old age, despite poor genetic predisposition or exposure to toxic environments. Consider it a shopping list of healthy Read More...
Let us develop a healthy awe of water
We take water for granted, and how could we not? Most of us grew up surrounded by its abundant flow from faucets and sky. The Water Book by Alok Jha aims to tell us a very different story—one that is bound to crack open our awe and reverence for the extraordinary element that is water, from its Read More...
Public bench turns mundane moment into blissful break
What if our public spaces were filled with playful opportunities to take a happiness break and connect with strangers? This is the vision of artist George Zisiadis whose merry-go-round bench was tested at the Market Street Prototyping Festival in San Francisco last month. Watch the video and go Read More...
Raising flourishing adults in a world ruled by electronics
On average, children spend more time with electronic screens than they do in school, or engaged with any other activity. Electronics even compete with sleep. One consequence is that children are exposed to over a million messages a year that are geared to instant gratification—instant text Read More...