Jumpstart Your Dream Life

Now Is the Time to Start Fresh

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In 1918, a 15-year-old named Violet Harris decided to keep a diary. To prevent the spread of Spanish Flu, all schools, churches, and public venues in Seattle were closed until further notice. Her response to not having to go to school was that of pure joy: “Good idea? I’ll say it is!”

Despite the lockdown, the disease spread. Vi, as her family called her, heard news of her friend Rena when she went to return her umbrella. Rena’s father met Vi and informed her that both Rena’s mother and Rena were sick with the flu.

Eventually, they both recovered. Sometime later, Rena called Vi on the phone. When Vi asked her what it felt like to have the flu, Rena said, “Don’t get it.”

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5 Ways You Can Increase Your Intelligence, According to Science

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We often assume intelligence is fixed from birth.

If you’re born with it, you have it. And if you aren’t? That’s too bad. End of story.

Previously, neuroscientists believed that our brains were “fixed”. No matter what someone did, there was nothing they could do to change their brains. If anything, our brain functions would become worse over time.

However, more recent research shows otherwise.

But before we get to that, let’s answer the question: what is intelligence?

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Before You Judge, Seek to Understand

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Have you ever looked at something and thought, “That’s crazy!”?

Maybe someone paid exorbitant amounts of money to buy a jacket when you could have gotten something similar for a fraction of the price. Or a company launched a product that seemed so strange, so unlike anything you had seen before, that you wondered what they were thinking. To you, it seemed illogical, maybe even stupid.

But to them, it made perfect sense.

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10 Signs You Need to Let Go of Someone

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A strong social network is important to our well-being.

But what if components of that network fail us? What if instead of uplifting us, supporting us, and making us better, they make us feel worse and drag us down?

The obvious answer would be to cut those people out. Stop talking to them altogether. But sometimes the answer isn’t so obvious. There are gray areas.

Maybe a friend pushes you into doing things you’re uncomfortable with, but has a great sense of humor and is fun to be around. Or a partner is thoughtful and means well, but simply isn’t relatable. It’s hard to cut the cord for a number of reasons.

So when is it time to say goodbye?

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The Streisand Effect: Why Censorship Leads to the Spread of Information

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In 2003, Barbra Streisand made a grave miscalculation.

She attempted to sue photographer Kenneth Adelman for invasion of privacy. In the process of documenting the California coastline, he photographed her Malibu mansion. Adelman then included the photo as part of the California Coastal Records Project.

Adelman created the publicly available 12,000 photo collection in order to document coastal erosion. His aim was to influence government policymakers. No matter the intent, Streisand didn’t take kindly to the inclusion of an image of her home. She launched a $50 million lawsuit.

Before the lawsuit, “Image 3850” had only been downloaded from Adelman’s site six times, two of which were by Streisand’s attorneys. Afterward? Over 420,000 people visited the site in a month due to the resulting publicity.

As for the lawsuit, things didn’t go well for Barbra Streisand. The case was dismissed and Streisand subsequently had to pay Adelman’s legal fees totaling $155,567.

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4 Tips on Sending Effective Cold Emails

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Most cold emails that get sent out are pesky, irrelevant, or both. The busier the person, the more of these emails they receive. So when a cold email lands in a busy person’s inbox, that person usually ignores the message and moves on.

But there are exceptions. Once in a while, an email comes by that is interesting, relevant, and most importantly, compels the receiver to respond. Writing such an email is the key to opening doors for opportunities.

Over the past few years, I’ve drafted hundreds of emails from scratch. I’ve also received many emails containing a variety of messages, requests, and comments. While there’s been a large amount of trial and error on my part, I’ve started to notice trends on the types of emails that get bypassed and which ones receive a response.

Here are four tips to keep in mind the next time you send out an email:

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The Diderot Effect: Why We’re Still Unhappy After Buying What We Want

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One fateful day, Diderot’s world turned upside down.

No, he wasn’t laid off from his job. No, he wasn’t moving into a new apartment. And no, he wasn’t getting a divorce. In fact, he didn’t even realize at the time what was happening.

But before we get into all that, we need to answer the question: Who was Diderot?

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Where You Are Right Now Doesn’t Matter. Where You Are Headed Matters More

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In 1979, the deadliest peacetime disaster in New Zealand’s history occurred.

On November 28, a flight was scheduled for takeoff at 8:00 am from Auckland International Airport. The aim was to provide passengers with an aerial sightseeing experience that showcased breathtaking views of Antarctica.

An experienced guide would narrate as the plane dipped above McMurdo Sound, explaining various scenic spots and landscapes. By 9:00 pm on the same day, the plane would return back at Auckland, New Zealand.

Air New Zealand Flight 901 was not a particularly unusual air flight. There was, however, one minor exception: someone had entered a typing error in the coordinates, changing the route coordinates by two degrees. Although seemingly insignificant, these two degrees proved to be fatal.

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5 Ways to Sneak More Reading into Your Daily Routine

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What is the easiest way to absorb information, learn from others’ experiences, and escape to faraway places?

The answer is simple: read. Read, and you’ll be transported to worlds as extraordinary as the mind can conjure. Read, and you’ll glean more about a topic than you would otherwise.

That’s all well and good, but there’s just one problem. Time. Every day, we have a never-ending list of tasks, errands, and chores. As we get older, the responsibilities pile up, leaving little space in our schedule to read. Even if a book looks enticing, we put it aside until it can be squeezed in later.

While it can be hard to find a quiet afternoon, catching up on a book can be combined with regular routines to save time. Here are five ways you can sneak in that book you’ve been meaning to read:

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Empty Your Cup: A Zen Proverb on Accepting Feedback

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There is a famous proverb about a teacup. Although there are multiple versions, here is my favorite one:

Once upon a time, there was a wise Zen master. People traveled from far away to seek his help. In return, he would teach them and show them the way to enlightenment.

On this particular day, a scholar came to visit the master for advice. “I have come to ask you to teach me about Zen,” the scholar said.

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