We are genetically programmed to look out for ourselves. Or more accurately, we are genetically programmed in ways that will protect our genes (and their future replication.) So it is not surprising that humans are prone to “assholeness.” On an individual basis, it is generally better for our genes to do whatever is best for […]
Laird Hamilton is a superman. I don’t just mean that in the sense of being my hero (although he is that.) I mean that he has superhuman capabilities, can do things that other people can’t, and is able to survive things that would kill most of us mere mortals. On a surfboard, he is faster […]
On a recent family vacation, I arrived to Bali wearing a green t-shirt with the “Biofreeze” trademark emblazoned across the chest. It was one of six t-shirts I had brought on the journey with the intention of leaving them behind at the end of the trip. To be clear, there was nothing wrong with the […]
Positive Psychology has a problem. This is difficult for me to say, as I am an enthusiastic proponent of positive psychology. I study the science. I apply it both personally and professionally. I write about it in my books, articles and blogs. And I teach it in my courses. But I have to admit, the […]
Tony Schwartz is an expert on human performance who has set himself apart from other productivity experts with his unique approach on “energy management.” For Schwartz, who is the founder of “The Energy Project,” productivity and performance are determined by how well we use (and conserve) our energy to maximize engagement and focus in the […]
In “One Simple Idea: How Positive Thinking Reshaped Modern Life,” author Mitch Horowitz traces the history of a simple idea that has pervaded human (and particularly, American) culture for centuries: We can create our reality with our thoughts. For Norman Vincent Peale, it was the “Power of Positive Thinking.” For Napoleon Hill, it was “Think […]
“Counterclockwise” was the name given to a research study from the 1970s (and later a book by the same name) by psychologist Ellen Langer in which she tries to turn the clock back for her research subjects. The subjects (a group of men in their 70s and 80s) were invited to a retreat where they […]
As a boy I was an avid reader and could always be found with my nose buried in one book or another. I remember one of my favorites, a book that I would read and re-read ad infinitum, was a collection of stories of the famed detective Sherlock Holmes, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. […]
“Small Choices Change Everything” —Tom Rath Welcome to 2014. In some ways, the transition from one year to another is fairly meaningless. You flip a page on a calendar and move on. You are the same person you were before. Yes, there is this cultural habit of establishing new goals or “resolutions” for the year […]
slworking2 via Compfight The way we typically talk and think about employee engagement may be all wrong. We tend to classify workers into categories: they are either engaged or not engaged. For example, an oft-cited Gallup poll identifies 7 out of 10 workers as being either “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” meaning they are “emotionally […]
