A Change of Heart Changes Everything
Did you know that briefly re-experiencing a cherished memory creates synchronization in your heart rhythm in mere seconds? It increases the release of healthy, energizing hormones, while decreasing levels of damaging stress hormones, and strengthening the immune system. HeartMath, an emotional physiology research institute, has also discovered that if someone has a coherent heart rhythm, it has a ... posted on Jun 26 2011, 16,000 reads

Why Is Humility So Underrated?
Generally we don't equate genius with being humble. If anything, we expect the opposite, and are pleasantly surprised when we find a counterexample. But this presumption is actually relatively modern. Ancient Romans believed that a genius was actually an invisible, divine entity who would assist a person in a creative work. In effect, this view positions a person as an instrument of their work, a... posted on Jun 24 2011, 4,818 reads

Why Gratitude Is Good
"Count your blessings," we're often told -- but what good does that do us? Plenty, according to Robert Emmons, the world's leading scientific expert on gratitude. After a decade of research, Dr. Emmons has found that people who practice gratitude have stronger immune systems, feel happier and more optimistic, and are more generous and compassionate. In this thorough article from Greater Good magaz... posted on Jun 20 2011, 79,501 reads

25 Reasons to Embrace Criticism
Criticism isn't always easy to receive -- and yet, it can be transformed into an opportunity for personal growth, emotional development, time efficiency, improved relationships, and self-confidence. This article shares 25 reasons to embrace criticism: "I realize criticism doesn't always come gently from someone legitimately trying to help. A lot of the feedback we receive is unsolicited and doesn'... posted on Jun 17 2011, 36,733 reads

The Neuroscience of Improv
How does an act of imagination happen? How does the mind create on command? Recent experiments have attempted to figure out the mystery behind this kind of creativity, from John Coltrane letting loose on a saxophone to Jackson Pollock dripping paint on a canvas. These are works made entirely in the moment -- their beauty is spontaneous. Researchers have found that before a single note ... posted on Jun 15 2011, 6,275 reads

The Most Vital Lessons for Starting Over
In his famous Lectures on Physics, Richard Feynman presented this interesting speculation: "If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generations of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words?" Fascinated by Feynman's question, Seed magazine posed a similar one to a number of leading th... posted on Jun 05 2011, 17,318 reads

The Art of Joy
Is artmaking selfish? In this interview, artist Gale Wagner reflects on art as a grateful response to fulfillment, as an expression of joy, and as a way of serving it forward. "We're so fortunate. Do you realize that a third of the world's human population isn't going to have fresh bath water or fresh drinking water? And look at this! I'm wasting it washing my car! The only antidote, I believe, is... posted on May 22 2011, 3,363 reads

How Aging is Changing
"The job of any doctor, Bludau later told me, is to support quality of life, by which he meant two things: as much freedom from the ravages of disease as possible, and the retention of enough function for active engagement in the world. Most doctors treat disease, and figure that the rest will take care of itself." In this in-depth New Yorker article, celebrated author Dr. Atul Gawande reflects on... posted on May 11 2011, 4,535 reads

How We Can Change Our Minds
The study of neuroplasticity is changing the way scientists think about the mind/brain connection. How can we use scientific discoveries linking inner experience with brain function to effect constructive changes in everyday life? How does the brain change as we influence each other? How can we re-shape our brain to become more open and receptive to others? New evidence is showing that the mind c... posted on May 07 2011, 21,305 reads

Our Mentors Are Where We Are
Have you ever heard the phrase, "Wherever you go, there you are"? The same could be said for our mentors. Shannon Cutts spoke to a crowd of several hundred students at Truman State University about body image and eating disorders. The truth she shared with students is that most of us simply don't have time to stop and analyze all of the messages that come at us each day. Most of us don't even have... posted on Apr 16 2011, 4,633 reads