Our minds have a private soundtrack running all the time. It’s the soundtrack of our inner voice, the one that we often converse with. It’s hard to keep track of these conversations. We don’t know when they start and end, who’s doing the talking and who’s listening. The inner voice is powerful, though, both in … Read more
From the time we wake up until we go to bed, there is one thing we all have to do over and over again. Make decisions. What to eat, what to wear, where to go, what shows to watch. Some of these can be difficult choices and a drag on our brain cells and time. … Read more
Cricket, for the uninitiated, is a sport—a bat and ball game with rules and formats that can take years to explain (and play, if you ask me.) In some parts of the world, though, cricket is sacrosanct—even more so than religion. It isn’t surprising then that a trending hashtag on Twitter recently was #chokers, an … Read more
Most people don’t realize this, but the number one thing that keeps them from pursuing their dreams and ambitions is their self-doubt—their lack of confidence in their own abilities. While positive thinking alone cannot make us successful, getting rid of the negative self-talk can make the road to accomplishment easier to navigate. A tale of … Read more
The 2021 Nobel prize for medicine was awarded to two scientists, David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian, who independently worked out the impact touch and temperature have on the body’s nervous system. Turns out, our sensory system is quite complicated and well evolved. A core part of their research was on the subject of pain—a universally … Read more
“Don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions” is a common refrain we hear from managers. One of the most sought-after skills in the workplace, or for that matter, life in general, is the ability to solve problems. Often though, we fall into the trap of coming up with brilliant solutions by solving the wrong problem. … Read more
What separates us from our primate ancestors is our ability to think (hopefully intelligent thoughts.) But that comes at a price—we don’t just think. We overthink, thanks to our monkey minds. Our thoughts are constantly shifting, swinging, vacillating, like monkeys from one branch to the next. Here’s the 64,000-dollar question: Is the monkey mind a … Read more
There are three categories of people in this world: rule followers, rule benders, and rule-breakers. I firmly belong to the first camp—the followers, the kind who would rather not color outside the lines. You draw lines; I’ll stay well within them. You tell me what is and isn’t acceptable, and I’ll do my best to … Read more
Trivia for the day: A memomagnetist is someone who collects fridge magnets. Of all the things you could collect, I suppose fridge magnets aren’t that wacky because they can serve as constant reminders for essential life lessons. Especially lessons we need to remember but tend to forget. Such as this one: “This too shall pass.” … Read more
Is it impossible to teach an old dog new tricks? I researched this question a little too literally. It led me to a quote from an actual dog trainer, an obedience training director at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA.) “Any dog can be trained. With some, you just have … Read more
You notice a suspicious lump on your neck, and before long, you’re overthinking your estate plan and whether the kids are going to be okay. Does that sound familiar? The world we live in is full of uncertainties. It can leave us frozen, unable to function. But putting our lives on hold while waiting for … Read more
The sun is guaranteed to rise every day (at least for the next few billion years). Sadly, we are not. The realization that we could have more decades behind us than ahead can be unnerving. The antidote to that is to go to bed fulfilled each day, knowing you did at least a few things … Read more
“Simplify your life” is not a directive to live a life of deprivation. You don’t have to turn into an ascetic and give up on all that you enjoy. It means you stop creating complexity out of simplicity. To keep it simple just means you let go of things that don’t matter to focus on … Read more
If you’re feeling a little too smug or perfect, I have the perfect antidote for you. Simply head over to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website to check out some statistics on material and waste, and recycling. I kid you not; those numbers are strong enough to burst any bubble of righteousness we … Read more
Picture yourself at the beach. It’s crowded, but you manage to find a quiet spot. You settle in there comfortably with your eyes closed, tuned to the sounds of the crashing ocean waves. Then, a group of boisterous teens decide to set up camp near you, taking up the only other quiet spot on an … Read more
A NY Times article published sixty-six years ago, almost exactly to the day, ran this rather blasphemous-by-today’s-standards headline: “Queen keeps figure trim by walks and willpower.” The content that followed the headline was equally sacrilegious, describing measurements that should really be the subject of private conversations between the English Monarch and her seamstress. The piece … Read more
Nala, a house cat, started to act weird. She frightened other nearby cats and also stalked the quiet, old dog. She tugged at curtain rods, dismantling them, and chewed bits of the sofa. Nala’s behavior worried her owner, who then took Nala to a cat behaviorist (yes, an actual occupation.) The cat psychologist analyzed Nala’s … Read more
When he was 16, Einstein performed a thought experiment. He wondered if he could outrun a beam of light. Granted, Einstein’s visualizations were lofty, unlike the fascinations of most 16-year-olds I know—Nintendo Switch lite, Hollywood makeup mirror, DIY mochi kits. Einstein’s single thought experiment changed the course of human history in the 20th century. We … Read more
When a 3-year-old falls down and expects her already multitasking mother to come running to her, it’s adorable. A 30-year-old (adult-child) who expects people to go to her rescue every time she has a bad day isn’t a cute look. It is a sign of self-entitlement. A rapidly progressing ailment in our society. The cure … Read more
Ever have the hollow feeling of getting to bedtime and not having much to show for your day? We all go through times when it’s easy to get lost in the rigmarole of life. One day turns into another and another and another, and before you know it, you hit another milestone birthday and wonder … Read more