When faced with multiple options, we often go to great lengths to make sure we make the right decision: 

We conduct an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). 

We consider opportunity cost: what is the balance of sacrifices and gains for each option? 

We seek advice from our gut to understand...

In 1999 Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris conducted a study that asked participants to watch a video of two teams passing around a basketball. The specific task was to count how many times people on the white team — designed by white shirts — passed a basketball (Fig. 1).

British Philosopher Alan Watts uses dance and music as analogies for life:

Unlike traffic where the goal is to get from A to B as quickly as possible, we don’t aim to get to a certain point in the room when we’re dancing.

We simply dance to dance.

Watts applies the same reasoning...

In the early 16th century Mercury was the go-to treatment for syphilis. Several centuries and plenty of research demonstrating Mercury’s toxic properties later, Mercury is now the antithesis of health.

In July 2015 the healthcare startup Theranos was valued at $10 billion and poised to revolutionize blood testing. By March 2018,...

“The punch line of life really is that you can’t become happy, you can only be happy” — Sam Harris, Neuroscientist

You are probably familiar with what it’s like to think if only:

I would happy if only I got that job.

I would be able to relax if only I solved this...

It’s important to understand that we all have bad days and that it’s okay:

Sometimes your projects will get hit with major road blocks.
It’s okay. 
Sometimes you will have frustrating encounters with a friend, colleague or customer.
It’s okay. 
Sometimes you will feel completely overwhelmed. 

It’s okay. Life happens. 

It’s important that we normalize bad days...

The rationale for empowering ourselves and others is the belief that we are able to act in a way that feels more aligned with our values and principles when equipped with the right combination of mindset and permission.

Some common ways to go about offering or receiving empowerment include: conversations, writing...

You really are free to reinvent at a moment’s notice:

You can choose to change your tone, say sorry, or back away moments after entering a heated argument. 

You can choose to acknowledge your mistakes moments after reflexively defending them. 

You can choose to speak up moments after determining that it might be...

Everyone has a unique perspective, which means that some of the ideas you choose to speak up about will inevitably be met with opposition. 
You might mistakenly see this opposition as problematic and think that subduing your voice is the best course of action:

Never mind, let’s just do it your way. 
Alternatively,...

Until you woke up this morning, there was really no guarantee that you would make it to today.

You made it.

Pause to celebrate that for a moment.

You will not get this day again and there is no guarantee that you will have tomorrow.

With this in mind, try to focus your finite...