Jumpstart Your Dream Life

Give Thanks: Gratitude Makes You Happier, Healthier, and More Popular

By

What does it mean to “give thanks?”

Well, it depends. It depends on who, where, when, and how.

If you were around in October 1621 at the Plimouth Plantation, you might have been part of the “First Thanksgiving”. Here, the Native Americans and Pilgrims came together to celebrate the first harvest in the New World.

The settlers had struggled the previous winter due to a lack of supplies and food. Many had starved or became ill and died as a result. Yet, a number survived. Massasoit, leader of the Wampanoag tribe, had given the colonists food to get through their first winter.

[Read more…]

You Are Capable of Change, You Just Need Your Brain to Believe It Too

By

Your brain becomes fossilized with age.

At least, that’s what they say.

In order to be classified as a fossil, a specimen usually has to be over 10,000 years old. When you consider this, comparing aged brains to fossils isn’t exactly a flattering metaphor. Fossils are hard, lifeless remains of what once was a thriving being – and that’s exactly what your brain becomes with time.

But it starts even earlier than that.

[Read more…]

The Beauty Behind Mosaics: Lessons On How to Create Lasting Work

By

Recently, I stepped into a mosaic shop.

All sorts of mosaics were on display: historical scenes, religious symbols, buildings, animals, and replicas of well-known paintings. Some were glossy, while others were matte. Some were black and white, others vibrant.

But when I saw the mosaic making demonstration, one thing was clear: creating mosaics from scratch is hard. From inception to the final touches, a lot of thought, planning, and labor goes into creating each individual piece of work.

I had always wondered how mosaics were created, so it was interesting to see the process laid out (more on that later).

But first, where did mosaics come from?

[Read more…]

Do You Consume or Do You Create?

By

When you gaze at a painting, are you the one admiring it or are you the one putting on the final touches?

When you watch a video, are you the one pointing and criticizing, or are you the one making the edits?

When you see what someone else did, do you wish you did that, or are you figuring out how to replicate the steps they took?

It’s easy to let things come to you, like a gust of wind that blows in your direction. It’s much more difficult to produce things. Anything you create and show to the outside world will get exposed to harsh elements, such as criticism, shame, and doubt.

Still, it is something you must do if you want to achieve anything.

[Read more…]

How to Thrive in an Environment that Doesn’t Support Your Goals

By

You are the product of your environment.

The environment we live in influences, and in some ways, reflects who we are. Similar to how our bodies reflect the foods we eat, the places we visit and the people we meet reflect the way we think and believe.

Being raised in an inner-city neighborhood means you’ll likely live in the same neighborhood as an adult, while growing up in a middle-class area is a strong predictor of your future lifestyle. It’s difficult to escape the chains in which we are bound.

So how do you thrive in an environment that doesn’t support your goals?

The Count of Monte Cristo

In Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo, the protagonist Edmond Dantès is set up for a promising future. He’s soon to become captain of a ship, newly engaged, and popular amongst his peers. However, his perfect life is about to take a turn for the worse.

[Read more…]

5 Great Reads for October

By

October evokes images of colorful leaves, dropping temperatures, and pumpkin spice lattes. But it’s also the perfect time to catch up on books that might have been too heavy for the summer.

Since Halloween is the biggest event of October, the question that comes to mind is: What does the word “scary” mean to you?

While we quickly think of ghouls, zombies, and vampires, scary can reach far beyond characters found in horror films. Maybe scary means being taken away from everything you know, or continuing on a path you don’t want to go down. Maybe scary is getting a visit from your landlady.

[Read more…]

Expand On What Works: How to Generate Multiple Income Streams From a Single Idea

By

“There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they’ll take you.” – Beatrix Potter

Since the publication of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, the Peter Rabbit series has sold over 150 million copies in dozens of languages. Countless children have grown up reading the charming adventures of Peter and his friends.

What many aren’t familiar with is the story behind the series.

Beatrix Potter was born in 1866 in London. She and her younger brother grew up under the influence of their artistic parents, who enjoyed nature and spent their summers in the countryside. The two siblings were surrounded by many pets, such as rabbits, mice, frogs, and lizards.

[Read more…]

20 Things You Need to Stop Doing Now

By

“You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you’ll escape one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present.”
― John Green, Looking for Alaska

Once in a while, we sit down and try to figure out what we need to start doing. We ponder our past actions and their results, where we are right now, and what we should do next.

While these are logical steps to take, we neglect the fact that putting more things into our lives means we have to take out other components. After all, we only have so much time and energy in the day. And in order to make space for what we want to do, we need to discard our bad habits first.

[Read more…]

7 Ways to Reignite Your Creative Spark

By

“Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swamps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists.. it is real.. it is possible.. it’s yours.” – Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

In the beginning, there is always a spark. All endeavors start off fresh, exciting, and full of possibilities. Unfortunately, sparks vanish just as quickly as they are ignited.

Rejection discourages attempts at anything new. Criticism keeps us from stepping out of convention. Inner fears kill any creativity we might have had.

The good news is that, with care and focus, we can learn to create again. By practicing and developing our sense of spirit, we can step outside the bounds set by both ourselves and others. By incorporating various practices, we can rediscover concepts and ideas.

[Read more…]

Lessons from Voltaire on Finding Purpose in Life

By

Few philosophers have made so great an impact on French philosophy as Voltaire. Born in 1694, Francois-Marie Arouet spent his early years in Paris, France. He was educated in the classics by Jesuits at the College Louis-le-Grand.

After finishing school, he wanted to become a writer. His father, though, wanted him to follow in his footsteps and become a lawyer. To appease him, Arouet pretended to pursue law while he wrote.

Arouet became popular amongst his peers for his satire and wit. Unfortunately, these same attributes soon landed him in hot water. After mocking the government, he was imprisoned in the Bastille for nearly a year. When he was released, he decided to adopt the name “Voltaire”.

[Read more…]