6 Habits of Highly Empathic People
"If you think you're hearing the word 'empathy' everywhere, you're right. It's now on the lips of scientists and business leaders, education experts and political activists. But there is a vital question that few people ask: How can I expand my own empathic potential? Empathy is not just a way to extend the boundaries of your moral universe. According to new research, it's a habit we can cultivate... posted on Aug 25 2013, 231,224 reads

Balancing the Brain Toward Joy
You might call her an "evangelist for a balanced brain": Twelve years ago, at the age of 37, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist and spokeswoman for the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center, had a stroke that traumatized her left hemisphere. After eight years of recovery, she recounts her experience of losing a former life and opening up to another of deep presence and laughter... posted on Aug 21 2013, 44,616 reads

Can You Learn To Control Your Mind
Why should we control our minds? The wisdom of the ages and now, modern neuroscience, shows that "a human mind is a wandering mind and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind." On the other hand, being in the "flow", or being completely present to the moment, is linked to greater happiness. And achieving this state of mind isn't as ambiguous as one might think. It simply involves effectively controlli... posted on Aug 15 2013, 61,926 reads

Gretchen Rubin's Search for Happiness
"Are you happy? Could you be happier? Gretchen Rubin was already "pretty happy" when she asked herself these very questions. In search of the answers, she started her own pursuit of happiness, which eventually became a New York Times bestseller titled, The Happiness Project. She has now written a second book, Happier at Home, based on the idea that the home is the foundation of happiness. Knowledg... posted on Aug 13 2013, 24,354 reads

Manic Nation: Why We're Addicted to Stress
How many of us have gotten that excited sensation when our smartphones beep with a text or notification of an email? And perhaps like an involuntary reaction we sometimes reach for our phone to check the new message, even if in the middle of a conversation with a friend. In this informative and thought-provoking account of Dr. Peter Whybrow's work, we learn about the fascinating findings of neur... posted on Aug 11 2013, 24,972 reads

The Illusion of Control
"Control is one of humankind's greatest illusions. Let's face it -- even with all the information available and expansive educational preparation -- unexpected events often interfere with our plans and our best efforts to control an outcome or an event (and even ourselves!). And what happens to us, to those around us, and to the teams and organizations we lead when things get disrupted?" Find out ... posted on Aug 09 2013, 35,089 reads

5 Tips for Integrating Mindfulness In Daily Life
Research shows that most people spend up to 50 percent of their time in their heads - a tendency that does nothing to increase our happiness and in fact has been proved to be detrimental to it. Instead of being habitually consumed by thoughts of the past or of trying to control the future, mindfulness is a way of engaging with the present moment. It's a mode of being that helps increase clarity a... posted on Aug 02 2013, 228,116 reads

Rise up. Be your own guru.
Too often, we live our lives in a sort of buffered silence, fearful of venturing out into this, the most beautiful part of our being. This is your life, and it is a life that is as of yet, undiscovered. You decide your destiny. And, you choose who you will be in each day. Lean into the bliss of your own discovery. In this piece, "Good Life Project" founder, Jonathan Fields, provides his insight on... posted on Jul 31 2013, 42,278 reads

The Keys To Self-Acceptance
Self-criticism is so common that it is often taken for granted. It is the voice that urges you to stay up late to get work done, and then scolds you for not getting enough sleep when you feel tired the next morning. This pattern of self-criticism leads to misery more often than motivation. Self-compassion, on the other hand, has been associated with happier, more optimistic, and more productive li... posted on Jul 21 2013, 69,507 reads

The Morality of Meditation
Meditation is a hot trend in the arena of mind-improvement. Mounting evidence that the practice can boost memory, creativity and IQ has attracted mainstream attention. "But gaining competitive advantage on exams and increasing creativity in business weren't of the utmost concern to Buddha and other early meditation teachers. As Buddha himself said, "I teach one thing and one only: that is, sufferi... posted on Jul 07 2013, 39,800 reads