 | Always be looking for new ways to enrich your life |
| One problem I notice a lot is people stomping over the same ground all the time. They find a few things they like, or that reward them, then they just keep trying to wring out every last drop of juice from those sources. |
| How your identity can hold you back |
| We all have this picture inside our heads of who we are. And let's face it, for most of us, we're probably a little bit more generous than reality warrants. Who doesn't secretly believe that they may be a little smarter, more attractive, and more moral than those around them? |
| It's okay to be afraid |
| We all get scared sometimes. It's just part of us to feel a little fear from time to time. Even silly things that we feel adults shouldn't be afraid of sometimes just get us all anxious. This is perfectly normal. |
| Be aware of your competing desires |
| Theodore Dalrymple is an interesting writer who often has keen insights into the emotional turbulence within us all. He's a doctor and psychiatrist who spent many years practising in a hospital and a prison in a deprived area of England. As he had to deal so much with those at the bottom of life's heap, he witnessed many of the tragedies that face us all at their most raw. |
| Don't be an emotional wimp |
| Life isn't always easy. We all know that. Whether you're in the British royal family, or a peasant in Africa, the world is going to throw all sorts of difficulties your way. Of course, some people have a harder time of it than others, but none of us gets through life without facing some pretty serious challenges. |
| Look up from your navel every now and again to marvel at the beauty and glory of the universe |
| Let's face it, most of what we humans obsess over is pretty pathetic. The smallest insult can have us fuming for weeks, the tiniest inconvenience seems overwhelming, and our little problems fill our heads as if we were the most important person that was ever born. |
| Sometimes, irrational behavior can be explained by attention-seeking |
| Why do people do so many things that are so obviously stupid? Why do they take drugs, commit crimes, ruin good relationships, and spend money they don't have? |
| What to do when you've made a life-shatteringly bad decision |
| Let's face it, despite our often high opinions of ourselves, we're all human really. There's not a person on this planet who hasn't made an incredibly stupid decision at some stage that's had life-changing consequences. You'll certainly make such a dumb call yourself some day, as will I and everybody else. |
| Concentrate on the future |
| We all have miserable events happen to us in life. Believe me, I’ve had my share too. |
| A lot of bad behavior is just negotiation in disguise |
| Go to almost any shopping center, anywhere in the world, and here's something you're likely to see - a child throwing a temper tantrum. |
| Difficult choices can paralyse you, if you let them |
| When I was just getting started out on my career, I landed a good job doing technology work on a high-profile project for a large compay. Some people were impressed with the work I'd done while based in England, so they decided to send me out to Singapore to set things up for the project there. |
| Learn the skill of resilience |
| I saw a very interesting TV documentary a couple of weeks back on the issue of happiness. It was asking what makes us happy and what makes happy people different from those who aren't. |
| What's the worst that could happen? |
| Sometimes, I have dreams that I'm being chased. Often I'm not even really sure what it is that's pursuing me. All I know is that I'm running away from something that's right on my tail - just about to catch me with terrible consequences. |
| Learn how to overcome the weight of consistency |
| The natural world can be a scary place. Fire, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes affect people in a way that often seems random and dramatic. Our ancestors had to deal with sicknesses they didn't understand, predators they didn't hear coming, and accidents they couldn't recover from. |
| Give yourself plenty of breathing space |
| I come across people all the time who find themselves in desperate situations. Their finances are ruined, their relationships are disastrous and their careers are overwhelming. They've built their lives on top of a giant house of cards, and all it takes is one minor setback to make the whole thing come tumbling down. |
| 101 suggestions for squeezing more fun out of life |
| Life can sometimes seem like a real drag. The work, worry, stress, chores and general boredom can really get you down. Going to the gym, watching TV and surfing the web are all okay, but often when it comes to having real fun they just don't cut it. |
| Don't justify bad deeds by comparing yourself to others |
| There's a psychological trap which pretty much everyone is in danger of falling into at some time or another. It's a mind-trick we use on ourselves to justify deeds we're not proud of. We simply compare ourselves to others who've done something worse. |
| How to deal with rejection |
| During your life you're likely to experience a large number of rejections. People you're attracted to won't like you, jobs you want will be denied to you, invitations you make will be declined, and things you produce will be snubbed. Whether you like it or not, it's inevitable, so the best thing to do is form a strategy to deal with such rebuffs. |
| Don't buy into the "no fear" bulldust |
| Okay, stand back and hold your breath. I'm about to question one of the quasi-religious commandments of personal development. It's the one that says fear is all bad and should be overcome. That the aim of life should be to "live without fear", usually followed by some blather about love being the opposite of fear. |
| Don't forget to live a little sometimes |
| Modern Western culture is obsessed with the benefits of hard-work. Sometimes, it seems to consume our lives. We put in all sorts of hours improving ourselves and our financial situation in order to "get ahead in life". |