New York City – New York – USA (by b k)
Consider yourself to be a bit of a Debbie Downer? A gloomy type predisposed to unhappiness, and there’s nothing you can do about it?
Good news: you may be only half right!
Psychologists agree that just 50% of our happiness is due to our genetic disposition. The rest is made up mostly by how we spend our daily lives, with a final 10% accounted for by the circumstances in which we live.
As the new year dawns, you can capitalize on that ‘blank slate’ feeling by making a few little changes to your day-to-day activities.
So roll up your sleeves, visualize your good intentions, and try tackling these nine scientifically-verified tweaks to shift your perspective 180 degrees.
Building up to your five-a-day last year was a great achievement for your body. But cranking it up to eight-a-day this year will be excellent for your soul.
Researchers at the University of Warwick discovered that within two years of making this change, your feeling of well-being can soar. Indeed, those who shifted from zero to eight fruits a day experienced an increase in life satisfaction equivalent to getting a new job.
Added bonus: your long-term health and happiness will also benefit. Chop it, squeeze it, blend it – just make sure you get to eight-a-day.
I don’t need to tell you about the pleasures of Facebook. But those dopamine hits that come with the little red dots do not last long: researchers at the Happiness Research Institute (well, who you gonna trust?) report that taking even a week off of social media can improve your happiness rating.
And those folk are based in Denmark, where they’re serious about fighting unhappiness.
See Also: Follow Your Bliss
Analysis of data from almost 18,000 18-65-year-old commuters over an eighteen year period showed that those who made the switch from driving to walking enjoyed improvements in health, happiness and concentration levels.
Even using public transport – with all its associated crowds and delays – will make you happier than taking the car. This is probably because you get to concentrate on your tunes, your book, or the folk around you, rather than gear-switching and road rage. Also, you have to walk a bit further to get to the bus stop or rail station in the first place.
If you travel too far to make ditching the car feasible, at least consider parking a little further away from your destination than usual and walking the last 10-15 minutes to work.
M ± SE = 43.9±10.3%.
Got it?
It doesn’t matter: that equation is just the long-winded way of describing how much more effective at work looking at pictures of kittens and puppies can make you.
Researchers in Japan were fascinated by the power of kawaii – that specifically Japanese form of exaggerated cuteness – so they decided to mount a trial to measure just what a difference the kawaii experience can make to your day.
The feelings of happiness and excitement that cute pictures evoke are apparently connected to the levels of what we can achieve at work. So next time you’re feeling unproductive, try typing ‘happiest puppy in the world’ into Google to feed a bit more energy into the system.
Recommended sleeping times are frustratingly arbitrary. One man’s refreshing seven hours is another’s rude awakening.
Wake up before you’ve got your fill of REM sleep – the type that comes late in the cycle – and you are actually interrupting the way your brain and hormones deal with the stress and anxiety of the previous day.
Scientists at the University of Surrey’s Sleep Research Centre agree: one extra hour each night can help you feel healthier and happier.
Vacations are a bit like Christmas: often, it turns out the anticipation was the most exciting part of the whole thing.
Science can now back this up. It turns out that the optimism and pro-active research involved in planning a vacation can actually be the most stimulating period of the process. Often, the homesickness, stress and false expectations of actually making the trip can make you quite unhappy. And as for returning to work at the end of it…
So even if you have no actual intention of travelling in the near future, don’t forget to dream. Keep a Pinterest board or scrapbook of places you’d like to visit, and talk with your partner about your big ideas for the future. And if it never comes off, well – maybe you already did the best bit.
See Also: 10 Wonderful Benefits of Traveling
You don’t need science to tell you that hugs feel good.
But lest you relegate your need for physical contact to the realm of ‘guilty pleasures’, here’s neurologist Shekar Raman, MD to tell you it’s okay:
“A hug, pat on the back, and even a friendly handshake are processed by the reward center in the central nervous system, which is why they can have a powerful impact on the human psyche, making us feel happiness and joy… The more you connect with others — on even the smallest physical level — the happier you’ll be.”
Happiness is tribal. It may be stating the obvious to say that spending time with a happy chum is likely to make you more happy: but the effect is bigger, and less intuitive than this. In fact, happiness travels along networks, so if the people you hang out with hang out with happy people too, you’re likely to feel the knock-on effects.
Try arranging a dinner party with your closest friends, and create a happy theme. Technically, this may make you a happiness vampire, but so what – you’re going to feed back into the system, right?
Music makes you happy. Pick a tune you like, and crank it up as loud as the neighbors can bear it in the morning – your dopamine levels will soar, and you’re off to a good start for the whole day.
Being happy ain’t easy, and during the cold, dark winter days making an effort to exercise or socialize can be an intimidating prospect. With these bitesize cures, though, you can start to improve your general outlook – and prove to yourself that your natural gloominess is only half the story.
The post 9 Baby Steps To Happiness For The Naturally Gloomy appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
February 14 is a day for all lovers all across the globe. However, in Korea, the 14th of each month is very important for couples and lovers.
Let’s find out all the special celebrations happening every 14th of the month and Korea’s Valentine’s Year.
Januray 14 is known as a Diary day for Koreans. On this day, people exchange a blank diary with a loved one. If you receive one from your lover, you should write down your feelings and sentiments in its blank pages. You can also mention yearly goals, resolutions, and even annual tasks.
Valentine’s Day is virtually the same in every country. In Korea, however, it’s the women who buy gifts for the man. Women show their feelings by buying chocolates or roses.
White day is celebrated in the 14th of March in Korea. This day is an opportunity for men to pay back their female gifters. Men usually buy costlier and more expensive gifts like chocolates, jewelry, and other gifts that their partner likes.
April 14 in Korea is known as Black day. This day is for single folks who aren’t in a relationship. On this day, single people meet each other wearing black clothes. They eat a Chinese Korean dish called jajangmeyon. This dish is made of pork, vegetables and a very dark soyabean sauce. They celebrate this season as a disappointing day reminiscent of a funeral ceremony.
May 14 is Yellow Day. During yellow day, people exchange yellow roses or other roses with loved ones. Couples go to the cafe and restaurants and spend quality time with each other. It’s also a good day to be with close friends and family.
Kiss day is the favorite day of Koreans. It is the best way to express their deep love. Couples and lovers celebrate this day by kissing each other. Obviously it is the best day for the people who have deeply fallen in love. It is actually the best romantic day for couples.
Silver Day has a kind of engagement ceremony. On July 14, lovers exchange matching couple rings with each other. These rings are also called promise rings as they signify their commitment to each other.
Green Day is Nature Day. People meet and go to beautiful lush places to celebrate this day.
Green Day is one of the best times to have a family get-together. Families meet, eat, or drink soju while possibly wearing some green clothes.
September 14 is Photo Day in Korea. As you can guess, it’s a day for selfies and going to photo studios. Couples, in particular, have fun doing memorable photo shoots.
Families and friends go to photo booths or call professional photographers to capture these moments. Some go as far as having a photo shoot party. They prepare photo props and have their pictures taken.
October 14 is a special day for drinkers. During this day, couples and lovers meet to have a romantic wine party. They drink in public events or local bars.
Families and friends also get connected on Wine Day. They give a warm hug to the closest family members on this day.
November 14 is popular and one of the Koreans’ favorite days. Koreans celebrate this day by meeting each other at the cinema and watching movies. Some people stay at home, rent DVDs and pop their own popcorn.
also arrange to cinema settings at home. Some people rent their DVD rooms to cut the cost of movie ticket.
We end the year with a Hug Day. As you can guess, Korean people embrace the person they love. Couples meet to give each other hugs. Single people are not left out though and give their warm hugs to each other or to friends and families.
Do you have something similar in your countries, too?
The post Korean Valentine’s Year: 12 Romantic Celebrations Every 14th of the Month appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
Standing head and shoulders above the crowd, “the Mountain” dominates the of landscape Denali National Park and central Alaska. On clear days, Denali can be seen from as far away as Anchorage and Fairbanks. While clear skies are common in deep winter, with intense cold locking up moisture, summer skies are often cloudy. This photo taken in late summer shows Denali looming large. If you look closely, you can even see a moose on the tundra. Photo by Jay Elhard, National Park Service.
Most people know Bill Gates as the founder of Microsoft. He is the brain behind most of the computer technology that the world currently enjoys. The most important thing is to learn some lessons from his life.
Here are 9 powerful lessons you can learn from the success story of this great mind.
Some of the attributes you can draw from the life of Bill Gates is that he was competitive, smart and persistent. Bill is a person who had the drive to win. You should try to be the best you can be whatever it takes so long as you succeed in the long run. You cannot achieve your dreams unless you call forth a very strong desire to succeed.
Bill Gates is one of the most determined people on earth. He presents a person who would hammer his way until he got an ideal solution. Persistence calls for having a goal and fighting your way towards its accomplishment. The process can be very long and painful, but you have to fight your way through.
The parents of this great mind made a subscription to Fortune, and he took advantage to read a lot. You cannot become smart unless you read broadly. Bill Gates was a dedicated reader from his childhood. You will still find him writing about the books he reads on his website.
You can also get this advice from Warren Buffet. The best way to harness the power of knowledge is to read widely.
Bill was very curious when it came to studying everything in sight. However, he would concentrate on a single task at a time with a lot of discipline. You would find him sitting while clenching a marker in his mouth, rocking and tapping his feet, impervious to distraction. You cannot do this unless you have a lot of focus which comes with overcoming disruptions. You must appreciate the fact that it’s quite hard to do important works. The reason is that such actions require full concentration. You cannot carry out such assignments unless you overcome any distractions.
According to the reality checks of Bill Gates, you should stop wasting time in places where you have little chances for success. Make sure you give full attention whenever the right opportunity surfaces. You may have limited resources, and you should be careful not to waste them. Assess each opportunity that comes your way and only pick the right ones. You can gain some of these insights through reading widely.
According to Bill, we have the skill and the energy, and we have all it takes to seize the opportunity. Make the most of any opportunity that you decide to take. You should spare no effort because if you allow it to pass, it may never come your way again.
See Also: 7 Power Habits of Great Leaders, Business Icons and Inspirational Achievers
According to Bill Gates, they staged nightly competitions just to squeeze a submarine – a small section of code in a program that performs a particular task with very few instructions. You should aim to be as efficient as possible while reaching your goal. You can avoid wasting your resources by improving your processes to allow you take the shortest route to your destination.
The intensity of Bill Gates was virtually unstoppable. Steve Jobs had the same level of intensity, and that’s why he asserts that there is power in intensity. Bill states that you cannot build momentum unless you are intense. Therefore, you need to put your soul and heart into what you do. The lone survivor movie has a quote that explains that you can over do anything in life that is worth doing. You can never succeed unless you are intense in all you do.
Bill is a person who never wanted to lose a talented individual. He would do all it takes to retain his entire team. You need other people to stand with you because you can’t succeed alone. Therefore, your goal should be to find great people and put their skills together to build a great team.
See Also: How to Save Your Startup by Hiring the Right People
You can apply these lessons from Bill Gates if you want to succeed in life. However, you should remember to balance all aspects of your life. You should not get obsessed with your goal to until you forget other parts of your life. This approach will guarantee you true and lasting success.
The post 9 Powerful Lessons from the Success Story of Bill Gates appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
Lansing – Michigan – USA (by Kenneth Garcia)
💙 Gouraya sunset on 500px by Samir Bzk, Gouraya, Algeria☀ … http://ift.tt/2bMJejW
Some people wait their whole life to start living… don’t be one of them.
If you’re past the big 50 feeling jaded and lifeless. Concerned about the world. Concerned about your world. Your finances, relationships, health or work…
Reading this list should spark at least one change. Kick-start your life with a new challenge and then the reward.
Look for an idea that will set you off along a different path. Plant it like a seed and let it develop into a full grown life change.
1. Never think of yourself as too old. You aren’t.
2. Never stop learning. If you’ve stopped, consider the break as a “time out” and start again. Watch Ted talks. Read about all the fantastic technologies that are being developed at breakneck speeds: 3D printing, mapping the human genome, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, robotics and big data. Plus, all the other things we aren’t even aware of.
3. Write a bucket list of 50 things to do before you die.
4. Plan to visit 50 countries – even a fleeting visit will do.
5. Consider becoming a “roving retiree”.
6. Accept yourself. Accept that your youthful physical perfection is fading replaced by a more perfect complete person.
7. Take up yoga.
8. Move more. Our body wasn’t designed to sit behind a computer screen or slouch around watching TV.
9. Exercise regularly. It has many benefits – healthier body plus a healthy, active brain equals a more fulfilled life … more confidence and self-esteem.
10. Activate your mind. Play mind games. Do a crossword puzzle. Play chess or bridge or scrabble online.
11. Do fun things. Get your children, or grandchildren, or friend’s children to teach you a computer game. Try “Minecraft”, “Lego Marvel Superheros” or “Batman”.
12. Subscribe to a free online course. Anything that takes your fancy. Sites like Coursera, Udemy, Alison Khan Academy offer many free courses covering just about anything you can imagine.
13. Practice mindfulness … Be in the moment.
14. If you hate your job, then leave it. It doesn’t have to be tomorrow but start making a plan … Build an escape plan or Plan B. Be daring. Think an “El Chapo” Guzman break-out-of-jail style!
15. Start a business.
16. Clear away some baggage like so-called “friends”, limiting thoughts, physical stuff, ideas and relationships.
17. Become more spiritual. Practice or follow whatever suits you best.
18. Listen more. You’ve possibly become an “advice monster”. Arrogantly believing “been there done that, so I know what’s best for you”!
19. Don’t believe the news or opinions of other so-called “experts”.
20. Acknowledge that you are responsible for your financial well-being. Not your husband, your wife, your partner and especially not your financial advisor. You never know what the future will bring and you are going to have to live it.
21. Start learning about your finances. Understand what you are told. Understand that the people who are providing you with information have been described by Nassim Taleb as “experts who are not experts”. They suffer from group think and run with the herd … with your money!
22. Take a good hard look at your life. Are you stuck in a rut? Take a short trip out of your comfort zone.
23. Be grateful for all you have.
24. The world is not limited to your neighbourhood. Explore more.
25. Rejuvenate your creativity. It may have hibernated waiting for a spring to bring it alive.
See Also: Top Tips On Training Your Brain To Be Creative
26. Find something you love and pursue it.
27. Ignore the voices of naysayers (and the monkey on your own shoulder) as you consider your newfound freedom.
28. Become an authority on something you love. You don’t have to be a 10,000-hour expert. Just an “expert” who has studied 3 books and knows more than 80% of people. Remember: In a kingdom of blind people, the one-eyed man is King.
29. Acknowledge all the things where you are “better than most people”. Where YOU are already the one eyed man!
30. Accept that you’ve still got a lot of living to do. You are aged 50 In the western world where the average life expectancy is another 35 years for women and 30 years for men. For most people, this will be longer than your working life up to then!
31. The only barriers to your dreams is your thinking, “whether you think you can or think you can’t.”
See Also: 5 Barriers That You Need To Cross To Achieve Success This Year
32. Find a mentor. Find someone you look up to and respect. Find that mentor who will support you. You don’t have to do it all on your own.
33. Ask for help.
34. Don’t live your life for someone else. Not your husband or wife or partner. Not your kids and definitely not your friends. As James Altucher says “choose yourself”.
35. Realize that life is not all about money and possessions.
36. Don’t make excuses for where you are in life. You are there because of the best choices you made.
37. Keep on dreaming big. Life can start at 50.
38. Surround yourself with positive, supportive people. You are the average of the 5 people you spend your time with. They don’t have to be immediate friends, they could be online groups, mentors or coaches. For me, sitting here in the Philippines, I have online friends like Ramit Sethi’s Accelerator Group and Jon Morrow’s Serious Bloggers Only.
39. Never give up. Whatever life has dished up in the past, you don’t have to accept that’s your future.
40. Don’t put it off. There is time. There are choices. There are options. Don’t procrastinate. If you want to do it, you’ll find a reason. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.
41. Nothing happens until something moves. Don’t waste too much time inside your head. Only action gets rewarded. Take the first step.
42. You don’t need certificates or credentials. If you want knowledge, study for knowledge and not pieces of paper.
43. Forget about planning for retirement and start planning for life. Traditional retirement is a redundant concept that went out of fashion with defined benefit pension schemes. If you have one of these, beware. Many are insolvent and there will be many more in future.
44. Acknowledge that you have a lot to give. With the many things that you have experienced, you can help a lot of people.
45. You can always get better. You might not compare with the best, but there’s only one of them anyway.
46. Giving is better than receiving. Remember “sow so shall you reap”. Develop a “how can I help you” mentality.
47. There will always be someone stronger, prettier, cleverer, richer, poorer, weaker, uglier than you so just be the best you can be. But never put yourself down. Never believe you are worthless.
48. Never say never. It’ll come back to haunt you.
49. Read 50 Shades of Grey. For anyone whose relationship has turned a bit “grey” and lost its sparkle.
50. Identify your cognitive biases. There are many and we all have them. Recognise them, acknowledge them and combat them. A tiger can’t change his spots. But we’re lucky, we aren’t tigers!
51. Don’t rely on the government to look after you. The government is made up of millions of self-serving bureaucrats who have far bigger problems to solve like their own pensions, their legacy, their own stuff, to be worried about you. Your best guarantee is to be independent. Be fine without them.
52. Develop a “Plan B”. You never know what the future will bring.
53. Do something for 50 people. Small, big, time or money, kind word or deed. Then make it a habit.
54. Acknowledge that you teach people how to treat you.
55. Decisions are not binary. There are many choices – occasionally take a risk.
56. Connect with 5 school friend you haven’t seen or heard of since leaving school. Try Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn
Be positive. Be the best you can be. Be humble, be healthy, be grateful. There will be good times and bad, obstacles and opportunities. Be aware, be vigilant.
Make your mark. You owe it to the world.
The post 56 Challenges To Kick-Start Life After Fifty appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
If we look at the exterior of this home, the first things to come to our attention are the lines of its modern style and the materials out of which it is built – black stucco concrete, metal, and glass. But it doesn’t end there. In its interior, the decoration follows the same modern inspiration as the exterior. The living room is spacious and abundantly illuminated, with white walls and..
The post Robert Maschke Architects Design a Little Big House in Cleveland appeared first on HomeDSGN.
Sig Nordal 