In today’s information-overloaded world and always-on, staying focused throughout the day can be hard. Yet, we need our minds to be still, focused, and alert to achieve anything lasting. Many Eastern cultures that practice martial arts teach and embrace this way of being, including the Japanese, who call it “Zanshin,” which means “the mind with…
Why Spending Time Alone Makes You a Better Friend and Partner
Many people find being alone hard to endure, especially for extended periods. It can make people feel lonely and unloved. But there are many benefits from spending time alone when done in moderation and with intention. With these tips, you’ll learn how to schedule enough alone time to regroup and replenish so that you can…
Right Speech: Mastering the Art of Communication with Empathy (and why it matters)
With the rise of the internet and social media, people have become less empathic in how they communicate. Rudeness and deceptive language are common both in the online and offline world. One way to overcome this is to have a code of ethics that can keep us in check. The Buddhist teachings of Right Speech…
Hero Worship: The Problem with Putting People on Pedestals
Hero worship is “a feeling of extreme admiration for someone, imagining that they have qualities or abilities that are better than anyone else’s.” We tend to elevate people to this level because they are brilliant, beautiful, glamorous, or have a quality or talent that we value deeply. Hero worship can negatively impact all aspects of…
How Making Emotional Decisions Impact Our Outcomes (and how to do it right)
When faced with big decisions, some prefer to make a detailed list of pros and cons, while others check in with their feelings and prefer making emotional decisions. But there’s another aspect we fail to consider: how we process what we know. Decision-making is conventionally believed to be a logic-driven process. However, emotions drive most…
How to Find Balance Between Being Content with Striving for More in Your Life
When you think about your work, finances, social life, relationships, or the number on a weighing scale, where do you have to be to feel content in each area? You may have noticed that being content has a short shelf-life. It’s not easy to hold onto that emotion unless we intervene with deliberate thoughts about…
The Goldilocks Principle: How to Use it to Achieve Peak Performance
The Goldilocks principle is named as an analogy of “The Three Bears” and states that something must fall within certain margins and stay away from extremes for it to be “just right.” It speaks to the idea that we feel satisfied and at ease when things are balanced, not in excess or lack. The Goldilocks…
Fresh Start Effect: How to Use it Gain Momentum in the New Year
Making a “fresh start” isn’t just a figure of speech; it’s a psychological concept. It refers to the uplifting impact of specific calendar dates representing a new beginning. We perceive particular days with opportune times to metaphorically hit life’s reset button, revisit our goals, or create new ones. However, life resets are not always successful…
Chronos vs Kairos: Two Models of Time to Live More Fully
Time is constant, but how we perceive it varies. That’s why an hour spent watching our favorite Netflix show feels different from an hour stuck in traffic. To differentiate experiences of time, ancient Greeks had two words for it — Chronos and Kairos. By understanding the differences between Chronos vs Kairos, you can alter your…
How to Balance Spirituality with Practicality (and why it’s important)
The struggle to balance spirituality with practicality is a well-worn path. Ancient philosophers and scholars have spent countless years pondering both theories. The good news is that spirituality and practicality aren’t mutually exclusive. We live in both worlds simultaneously, so we need both. We can harmonize both aspects of life by balancing the needs of…