When the world is scary, find comfort in the teachings of philosophers who knew how to handle a crisis
We often think of philosophy as a bookish pursuit or perhaps as the lifestyle choice of bearded old men living ascetically in caves. But Stoicism — an ancient school of philosophy famously practiced by the likes of Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius — is for the real world, and as we face the coronavirus pandemic, its teachings feel distinctly relevant right now.
When the future is scary and we don’t know what’s next, we can find comfort in the wisdom of those before us, those who’ve endured famine, plague, and natural disasters. …
You can’t get back the time you spend worrying
Have you ever said words to the effect of If only I knew then what I know now?
You’re not the first person to express such thoughts, and you certainly won’t be the last.
Many of us are convinced that if we could go back in time and have a chat with our 20-year old selves, then we could absolutely kill at adult-ing and beyond.
A lot of growth occurs in our 20s. Yet, at 20, we convince ourselves we know everything we need to know and we’re ready to nail it.
It does beg the question, though, what would…
The half-baked hollowness of pop-psych
Self-help is big business and one of the titans of the industry is Tony Robbins. The man has been in the business for the better part of four decades. His guru journey started when he was just 17. Yet, he says “I am not your guru” to the world, the same title of the Netflix documentary about him. A bold claim from a man who has spent over 40 years telling people that he effectively is their guru… isn’t it?
The Ugly Side Of Self-Help
This documentary opens with a haunting scene. A young man explains to a large crowd that he is suicidal and…
Overused advice that rubs us the wrong way
We have all been in situations where someone has sat us down and offered well-meaning advice. It might be well-meaning, but well-meaning does not mean helpful. It crosses into unbearable territory when it’s an annoying, unhelpful piece of advice that has no bearing on your situation.
Sometimes the impact is greater than the intent, and no matter how true someone’s intentions are, meaningful advice doesn’t contribute anything positive to the situation. If we’re being honest with each other, we all have our opinions on cliché pieces of advice that should be retired, never to return.
What’s for you won’t go by you
This advice originated in Scotland…
There’s a book for everyone
What makes a shitty person? It’s a complicated question and you would likely receive a variety of answers if you were to ask around. There tends to be a common thread, though, and that is a lack of kindness and compassion. Shitty people are selfish. They’re liars. They gossip. They tear others down.
They’re prone to blaming others for their shortcomings or mistakes. They’re impolite and rude.
Sometimes they’re just mean. A lot of things go into making someone a shitty person and it’s easier than you think to slide into those bad habits without realizing it.
In your quest for conviction and strength of purpose
Michelle Obama and retirement are not concepts you would expect to find in the same sentence! From interviewing National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman to teaching children about ‘the excitement of food’ through her Netflix show and consistently being a beacon of good sense amid all the chaos, there seems hardly anything that the former First Lady of the United States can’t do.
And yet she revealed in a recent interview that she was seriously considering heading towards a retired life. Michelle Obama, formerly Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, was an extraordinary woman in her own right long before she met a…
Time spent with family is worth every second
“Nothing else matters so much as long as you can come home and be with your family.” — Patrick Dempsey
Humans are social creatures and we need a strong support network to navigate the world. Your family is a built-in support network ready to draw from when you need it. Your siblings are your first best friends. Your parents are the safe space you run to after you scrape your knees, get a bad grade, experience the loss of your first love, or miss out on your first-choice college.
If you zoom out slightly and include extended family, your cousins…
Don’t trade in your authenticity for approval
“I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity.” — Julius Erving
It’s never been easier to become famous than it is today. With the rise of the internet and social media, there are layers to fame that didn’t exist 30 years ago. Where once you had to rise to the dizzying heights of red carpet award premiers and award shows to land on a cover of a gossip magazine, now?
Well, even a large TLC family lands on People to announce the arrival of yet another child. There are teenagers making millions…
How to spot a shitty person
You already know plenty about the dangers of toxic people in your life, but have you ever stopped to consider that you might be the toxic person in someone else’s life? Yikes! That stings. You know exactly how it feels to come across a family member that leaves you feeling drained. You’re familiar with encountering a colleague that seems to have it out for you and wants to drag you into all the drama.
Or a neighbor that’s particularly difficult about anything and everything if it involves you. Perhaps it’s a friend that wears you down every time you chat…
Warning: meditation may cause the following side effects
The physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits of meditation are often discussed in the media. Most people are aware of how the mindfulness practice of meditation helps you feel grounded, calm, self-aware, and balanced. There is considerable clinical research to support these claims, as well.
As with most things in life, however, the benefits of meditation aren’t without a downside. Though relatively little research has been done on the minuses of meditation, one major study on the experiences of dozens of meditation practitioners was published in the journal PLOS One (Public Library of Science) in 2017. …
