Did you know that buying a new book can release the same endorphins as if you were having sex?
A recent study showed that purchases of material things give momentary highs, while purchases of experiences give more lasting highs.1 But whether they fizzle out quickly or linger longer, both give you the sensation of fleeting bliss.
A similar experience happens any time you’re attempting to make a personal change.
I’ve known people who are addicted to buying books yet they’ve read less than 20% of what’s on their shelves.… Click to read more
There’s been a lot of energy and conversation lately around the topics of lifestyle design and following your passion.
Some people will tell you that quitting your job and doing what you love is a panacea for all of life’s problems. It’s the cure for what’s ailing the stressed out, overworked, and underengaged human.
The truth is obvious: quitting your job will definitely not solve all of your problems. Just as finding your One True Love, or the One True Religion won’t magically make all of your problems go away either.… Click to read more
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Art Decker.
“Getting to know yourself” has become a billion-dollar industry. Self-help books have carved quite a niche out of it. Myers Briggs and countless others reap quite a profit every year from people like me who hope to “find themselves” by plugging some information into a magic formula and then expecting to look over to the other side of the equation to discover who we really are. But is it really that simple?… Click to read more
Your goals might have started out well meaning and inspiring, but somewhere along the way they turned into taskmaster-like tyrants. Running your life, making you feel inadequate; giving you a persistent feeling that there’s always something “more” you could be doing.
So you start to wonder… maybe I don’t really need goals. Maybe goals are the problem. Maybe I just need to accept things the way they are, right now. Then you might think…
Maybe I should kill my goals.… Click to read more
Comfort isn’t just physical—it’s a state of mind, and a dangerous one that makes it easy to stay put. When you’re comfortable, you’re not challenging the world around you or even engaging with it; you’re simply blending in.
A slight level of discomfort creates a completely different mindset, one in which you’re eager to move and create. You become inquisitive; you explore and invent. Your role shifts from passive observer to active participant.
Many of us have become so comfortable in our lives that we’ve forgotten exactly HOW to make ourselves uncomfortable.… Click to read more
