In October 2017, Einstein’s ‘theory of happiness’ was sold at an auction in Jerusalem, for more than $1.5 million. It was a message written on a piece of hotel stationery in the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, in November 1922. Einstein wrote this as a tip for the bellboy as he supposedly had no change in his pockets at the time. He told the bellboy that it might become more valuable than a regular tip — he was so right about this. The message read:
“A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.” …
I was on the phone with my mom the other day, when she mentioned she seemed to have lost her Facebook. She sounded upset and stressed.
“What do you mean you’ve lost your Facebook?”, I replied, baffled by what I’d heard, “You can’t lose it. It’ll be on your phone, maybe you’ve removed the icon by mistake”.
“No, it’s not there. I’ve checked. I’m telling you its gone, I’ve lost it somehow”, my mom was clearly panicking by this point, “Was it my fault, did I do something wrong?”
“Don’t worry, we’ll figure out what happened to your Facebook”, I said as I tried to calm her down. I asked her to recall what had happened while I assured her it wasn’t her fault, and that there was nothing wrong with her cellphone. …
Have you ever come across situations where you hold yourself back from doing things you’re passionate about? Where you tell yourself you’re not good enough, that it isn’t even worth trying because you’ll fail, no matter what.
Seems familiar, doesn’t it? I know I’ve been there, and it feels awful.
Why do we restrict our potential? What causes us to have self-loathing tendencies and be overcritical of ourselves?
I was reading Robin Sharma’s book, The Greatness Guide 2, in which he discusses ways to reach the next level and achieve world-class success in personal and professional lives.
In one of the chapters, he talks about not letting your invisible fences hold you back from being remarkable. He suggests that you observe your invisible fences, question, and challenge them. This, in turn, would enable you to live an effective, successful, and a fulfilled life. …
How often do you come across situations where boys are told to toughen up? How often do you hear things like “Boys don’t cry” or “Stop crying like a girl!” or “Don’t be a cry baby”?
Way too often, I’ve come to realize, and it bothers me.
We live in a society where boys are forced to live up to the stereotypical expectations of masculinity. They’re supposed to be tough, brave, and almost impassive, where any sign of emotional vulnerability is seen as a weakness — something that needs to be fixed.
We tell boys who are more emotionally open and expressive, particularly about sad emotions, that it’s not okay for them to be vulnerable. …
A few days ago, I watched a video where three centenarians talked about how they felt being more than a hundred years old. They described their most valuable lessons and regrets in life.
One of the gentlemen, Clifford Cozier, said something that stuck with me. He remarked, “I don’t have many failures. If I’m making a cake and it fails, it becomes a pudding.”
This seemingly simple statement has a much deeper meaning if one mulls over it. …
Grocery shopping is easy. You make a list of things you need, go to the store, get everything mentioned on your list, get some extra stuff that wasn’t on that list for some reason, pay for them, and you’re done.
Voila! Simple, isn’t it?
Yes if you’re going yourself. Not so much, if you can’t go and you leave this to your husband. Then it becomes difficult, painstaking, daunting; you name it.
Men, husbands, in particular, have a very short attention span. I recently read that men stop listening to their partners after just six minutes of talking. …
I’m rarely bored alone; I’m often bored in groups and crowds. — Laurie Helgo
When I was in middle school, one of my teachers sent a note in my diary asking my parents to meet her. She’d written that she wanted to discuss something about their daughter.
I was super stressed and anxious. Firstly, I had no clue whatsoever about why my parents were summoned. Secondly, I didn’t know how to deal with their reaction and subsequent interrogation.
After that meeting, I waited for my punishment — for whatever it was that I’d done, but it never came. In retrospect, my parents were anything but angry or annoyed. It made things even more confusing for me. …
Everybody despises lies and deception. We don’t like it when somebody calls us a liar because we’re told telling lies is bad. The concepts of right and wrong and morality are ingrained in our minds from an early age.
So why don’t we emphasize the importance of being honest with ourselves? Is it because we don’t consider lying to ourselves technically a ‘lie’, or that we think we’re always forthright with ourselves.
We try to deceive ourselves all the time, and the lies we tell ourselves, do us more harm than we realize. …
Every parent wishes to raise a decent and virtuous child. We strive to provide them with the best of everything, associating it with the love we have for them. But…
Being the eldest among my siblings, I’ve always been the responsible one. I’m an introvert, and I come across as very reserved and quiet, but those who know me well would suggest otherwise.
I completed my ACCA and worked in Finance, Accounting and Auditing jobs before I chose to become a stay-at-home mother. I live with my husband and two lovely kids, a daughter who’s thirteen, and a son who’s nine years old.
I’ve always been fascinated by words and writing and wanted to write myself, but I couldn’t get myself to do it because I feared judgment. …