9 Essential Skills Kids Should Learn
"Unfortunately, I was educated in a school system that believed the world in which it existed would remain essentially the same, with minor changes in fashion. We had no idea what the world had in store for us. And here's the thing: we still don't. We never do. We have never been good at predicting the future, and so raising and educating our kids as if we have any idea what the future will hold i... posted on Mar 10 2012, 188,739 reads

The Power of Introverts
"Do you enjoy having time to yourself, but always feel a little guilty about it? Then Susan Cain's "Quiet: The Power of Introverts" is for you. It's part book, part manifesto. We live in an era that values its extroverts -- the outgoing, the lovers of crowds -- but not the quiet types who change the world. In this engaging interview Cain discusses what it really means to be an introvert, the valu... posted on Mar 06 2012, 22,043 reads

The Power of Metaphors
"When Pablo Picasso, the Spanish artist, was a schoolboy, he was terrible at math because whenever the teacher had him write a number on the chalkboard, he saw something different. The number four looked like a nose to him and he kept doodling until he filled in the rest of the face. The number 1 looked like a tree, 9 looked like a person walking against the wind, and 8 resembled an angel. Everyon... posted on Mar 04 2012, 49,631 reads

Competing with Love
"I had a hard time with most of my subjects, especially math. One day, after looking at my grades, my father had a heart-to-heart chat with me. He said, 'The way to crack your subjects is to fall in love with them. When you start loving what you are learning, it will no longer look like work. Everything will fall in place after that. Just fall in love.' I was in sixth grade around then, and decide... posted on Mar 03 2012, 19,957 reads

The Sweet Spot between Doing and Being
Activity balanced with rest: it's the way all of nature works, a beautiful reminder that everything is in ebb and flow. Our own bodies follow natural patterns, recuperating every night and preparing for the next day's action. With music as well, the structure imposed by notes inherently depends on the unstructured space supporting it. As a culture, though, we give more importance to creating notes... posted on Feb 28 2012, 30,303 reads

Top 5 Regrets of the Dying
Author and songwriter Bronnie Ware shares: "For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives. People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learnt never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomen... posted on Feb 23 2012, 263,174 reads

7 Habits of Mindful Eating
"The rhythm of life is becoming faster and faster, so we really don't have the same awareness and the same ability to check into ourselves." These words from an unexpected source: a Harvard nutritionist. Dr. Lilian Cheung, with Nobel Peace Prize nominee Thich Nhat Hanh, co-wrote 'Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life.' "That's why mindful eating is becoming more important. We need to be coming back ... posted on Feb 20 2012, 17,576 reads

Valentine's Day Wisdom
"We've heard it said that this day -- which once belonged to a legendary saint in whose wake loving deeds flowed like a river -- was hijacked so many years ago by corporations looking to cash in on a beautiful state-of-the-heart technology. They who strode in preaching a catchy new religion: I love therefore I buy. And maybe we bought it. At any rate we've been blaming them ever since. Why give th... posted on Feb 14 2012, 6,317 reads

Waking Up to the Life We Have
"You know we really don't have any other choice but to be present to the life we have. We think we do, you know, we dream of everything from constructing pyramids, to conquering Mount Everest, to making millions -- to all kinds of things -- but the truth is that other than being fully present and caring and giving our best, we don't have a lot of control. So I found myself back in life, where I ha... posted on Feb 11 2012, 9,109 reads

Redefining What it Means to Grow
"As we all grow in our lives and careers, it's normal to expect a raise every year. Why? Because it's a signal of growth. Growing is good -- not growing is downright un-American. You didn't get a raise? You're not growing? Well then you must be no good. But why only 1 way to measure growth? If I get a 10 percent raise next year but eat less healthy food, spend less time with close and extended com... posted on Feb 10 2012, 15,856 reads