Photo by Jude Beck on UnsplashSo it’s finally happening. You’ve managed to get the time off work, travelled to this wonderful destination, and you’re on holiday! All you want to do is enjoy the place, the special people you’re with, and this moment…. you’re just starting to relax into it and….. “Bing!” you find yourself thinking about work. Maybe something […]
Being Generous without being a Doormat
Last week I wrote about generosity and success – how givers are at both the top and bottom of the success charts. I mentioned that the successful givers differentiate themselves by taking a win-win attitude: they consider their own interests as well as the interests of the people they’re giving to.There’s more to say on […]
Does Generosity Create Success?
There are takers, matchers, and givers. Takers are people who are always out for their own gain. Matchers like to evenly match their giving and taking. Givers just give. How do you think they compare?According to Adam Grant, in his book Give and Take, the least successful are givers. Studies in the fields of engineering, medicine, […]
Double the Value of your Holiday!
We normally think of mindfulness as an antidote to the difficult things in life. But it’s also relevant when things are going well, for example on holiday. You see, our minds are wandering about 47% of the time. We pay good money to go away and get the finest experiences – the place, the weather, the food, and […]
Like some more Happiness?
Where does happiness come from? According to one study (Lyubomirksy, Sheldon and Schkade), it’s 50% genetic, 10% due to circumstance and 40% due to how we respond to circumstance. You obviously can’t do much about the 50% genetic component – although if other people seem happier, it may help to accept that they may just have better “happiness […]
Don’t Forget to Thank Your Mind
I was just out for a walk on the common. I’ve been working hard all week on a big project, and I’ve still got lots more to do. I was rather hoping to enjoy the sunset. But my mind had other ideas – it kept on thinking about the project. I kept saying “no” to those […]
The “Negativity Bias” – and how to overcome it
Human brains have a built in “negativity bias” – the brain pays more attention to bad news than good news. How come? Well, it’s a brilliant mechanism for survival situations. Think of it like this – if the good news is a particularly delicious pineapple, and the bad news is an approaching tiger, you really […]