Watch this inspirational and humorous video from Neil Pasricha who uses the power of blogging to spread a little optimism each day about the awesome things that make life worth living. I love it! Raindrop on roses and whiskers on kittens…… This is a great presentation and Neil nails what’s important, yes—- we only have one life to live. Look around you, savour and value what is truly awesome!
Neil Pasricha never imagined that writing about the smell of gasoline, thinking it’s Thursday when it’s really Friday, or wearing underwear just out of the dryer would amount to anything. A self-described “average guy” with a typical 9-to-5 job in the suburbs, Neil started his blog 1000 Awesome Things, as a small reminder — in a world of rising sea levels, global conflict, and a troubled economy — of the free, easy little joys that make life sweet.
He certainly didn’t anticipate that his site would gain a readership of millions of people, win two Webby Awards (“the Internet’s highest honor” according to The New York Times), be named one of PC Magazine’s Top 100 Sites On the Internet, or become a place where people from around the world would come to celebrate the simple pleasures of daily life. His just released first book The Book of Awesome has become a #1 International Bestseller and The Book of Awesome 2 comes out in Spring, 2011.
This New Year’s as we reflect on our experiences with friends and family we might think about forgiveness, both given and received. Charles Griswald, professor of Philosophy at Boston University, outlined the complexities of forgiveness in his recent blog post in the New York Times.
What is forgiveness? When is it appropriate? Why is it considered to be commendable?
Griswald holds that ideal forgiveness is one where the offender admits their wrong-doing and takes steps to repair the damage. In taking such steps offenders are seeking forgiveness. So there is a two-directional relationship here between the forgiver and forgiven.
Stanford researchers have found that people think their peers are happier than they really are, and this distortion of reality makes people lonely and dissatisfied with life.
Getty Images
Scrolling through Facebook or mingling at a party, you might get the impression that other people’s lives are full of job promotions, exotic travel and successful relationships. We don’t often hear about the sad times they’re going through, and that can make our own emotional struggles seem worse.
But recognizing that our peers hit rough patches more often than we realize might mitigate our melancholy, according to a new study by Stanford university researchers link to continue reading
What an excellent presentation, I love this video. Take the time on this dreary Saturday, ( in Vancouver at least), to listen to this excellent talk from Dr. Brené Brown who is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past ten years studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. Brené spent the first five years of her decade-long study focusing on shame and empathy, and is now using that work to explore a concept that she calls Wholeheartedness. She poses the questions:
How do we learn to embrace our vulnerabilities and imperfections so that we can engage in our lives from a place of authenticity and worthiness? How do we cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection that we need to recognize that we are enough – that we are worthy of love, belonging, and joy?
Brené is a nationally renown speaker and has won numerous teaching awards, including the College’s Outstanding Faculty Award. Her work has been featured on PBS, NPR, CNN, and was the topic of two 2010 TEDx talks (Houston and Kansas City).
Brené is the author of The Gifts of Imperfection: Letting Go of Who We Think We Should Be and Embracing Who We Are (Hazelden, 2010) and I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t): Telling the Truth About Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power (Penguin/Gotham, 2007). Her next book, Wholehearted: Spiritual Adventures in Falling Apart, Growing Up, and Finding Joy will be released in 2011. She is also the author of Connections, a psychoeducational shame resilience curriculum that is being facilitated across the nation by mental health and addiction professionals.
