The Daily Brainstorm

Registration is Open for The Simple Self-Confidence Course

from The Daily Brainstorm — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 02:15:57 -0900

By Barrie Davenport

You asked for it. And now it’s here.

Back in the fall, I sent a few questions to all of my readers asking what personal development issues would most interest you for a course. The resounding response was self-confidence.

Along with Erin Falconer of the mega personal development blog Pick the Brain, I have created a 4-week interactive course on just that — how to improve your self-confidence, simply. It’s called Simple Self-Confidence, and it runs from March 3-30.

The course includes articles, videos, podcasts, case studies, a workbook, an interactive forum, live webinars, and several guest experts. You will walk away from the course with specific skills and techniques to use for the rest of your life.

This morning, February 27, at 9:00...

Cut the Comparisons: 3 Ways to Embrace Your Unique Path

from The Daily Brainstorm — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:34:00 -0900

By Steven Aitchison

A few weeks back, I checked a book of short stories out of the library—a book which had won many prestigious awards.

Over the next few days, I read those stories whenever I got a chance, snatching moments out of my day when I probably should’ve been bathing my kids, or washing dishes, or ironing shirts. The stories, the language, the subject matter—it was all just so gripping. What a gift this writer had.

After I finished the final, climactic story in the volume, I flipped to the end of the book to learn more about the author. I expected the silver-haired, well-lined face of an Ian McEwan or Margaret Atwood type. Instead, I was shocked to discover...

Can You Summarize The Challenge of Happiness In A Single Sentence?

from The Daily Brainstorm — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:01:00 -0900

By Gretchen Rubin

Partly as an intellectual discipline, partly for fun, I often push myself to answer tough, conclusory questions, such as "If you had to pick just one thing, what's the key to happiness?" or "What are the ten most common myths about happiness?"

The other day, I asked myself: If I had to state the central challenge of living a life of happiness, in a single sentence, what would it be? This sentence, I decided, would be a good candidate:

As Flannery O'Connor observed in a letter, "Accepting oneself does not preclude an attempt to become better."

How about you? What's your suggestion for a one-line summary?

* On the BMW Guggenheim Lab, Jon Cotner writes about the Spontaneous Society, a walk he leads through New York City neighborhoods, in which participants...

A Simple Path – To the Present Moment

from The Daily Brainstorm — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:51:00 -0900

By Alex Blackwell
“Life is available only in the present moment.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

I want to soak up every single second.

Last night’s middle school choir and band concert gave me the opportunity. Hundreds of parents gathered in the school’s cafeteria to hear their children. My youngest daughter, Emily, sings in the seventh grade choir.

I arrived a few minutes before the performance started. The cafeteria’s tables were stacked in the corners. Folding chairs filled the space the tables once occupied. In those chairs sat the hundreds of parents – but not one chair sat empty. I know better to arrive late.

I took a program and scanned it. Emily’s choir was the second-from-last group. With no place to sit, and at least 45 minutes to wait, I decided to wander the halls. It’s fun to scour the...

Practicing Happiness

from The Daily Brainstorm — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:49:00 -0900

By Jerry Kolber

One thing I have heard a few times on Krista Tippet's show on NPR called On Being is that happiness is a practice. This idea inspires me and me gives me hope that we can all be happy. It also highlights the fact that our society is confused about how we achieve happiness. We are silly to think we can find happiness without practicing it, as if you could get in shape without exercising.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama says that all beings want to be happy and that this is good. However, there is some confusion in our society about whether the pursuit of happiness is indeed a noble thing. Some of the confusion stems from the notion that seeking happiness for yourself is selfish. Once we get past this hang-up, we often encounter even greater confusion about how to seek happiness.

In...

Relationships, Non-Internet Connections, and Bold Living

from The Daily Brainstorm — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:16:00 -0900

By Tess Marshall

Life is all about relationships.

My grandson Henri turned three in December. Children that age are adorable, curious, and wonder-filled.

A month ago, my daughter began sending two minute videos of him at breakfast, a few times a week.

They brought me so much joy that last Saturday evening I decided to pack and leave for a week of face-to-face family time or "my Henri fix!"

By Sunday afternoon, I was stealing kisses and hugs. We fill our days with squealing and laughter. We play hide-and-go-seek, and visit the cows and horses that are part of the agriculture department at Michigan State University.

I bath him in the evenings and enjoy the smell of his baby shampooed hair and squeaky clean skin.This...

How to Find Love

from The Daily Brainstorm — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:48:00 -0900

By Barrie Davenport

“A strange passion is moving through my head. My heart has become a bird which searches the sky. Every part of me goes in different directions. Is it really so that the one I love is everywhere?” ~Rumi

Are you searching for love?

Perhaps you are single or perhaps in a committed relationship. But you long for love.

I think one of the loneliest places is to be in a relationship in which you still long for love. When you are single, wishing for love is acceptable because you are unattached. When you are in a relationship, it is assumed by most people around you that you dwell in love. But that’s not always true. You may know this yourself.

Either way, a desire for love is one of the core principles of our existence. And the desire is not...

Cycling in the Rain

from The Daily Brainstorm — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:20:00 -0900

By Tammy Strobel

I rolled back into Portland on Thursday, last week. I’d been away for a few weeks because of my dad’s illness and when I came back into town the rain welcomed me home. I’m always amazed by how quickly my body adapts to different climates. For example, my folks live in Red Bluff and the climate is warm. It doesn’t rain that much and the winters aren’t very cold.

Over the last few weeks, I’d gotten used to the warm, dry weather. So yesterday, the idea of hopping on my bike in the pouring rain didn’t sound appealing. But I was anxious to see friends. We’d made plans for a Sunday brunch at a little coffee shop called Crema.

Even though I didn’t want to get on my bike, I had a blast on the ride and it made me feel a whole lot better; especially after spending two...

Raise Your Expectations, Let Go of the Outcome

from The Daily Brainstorm — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:26:00 -0900

By Leah McClellan

A lot of unhappiness or lack of peace stems from discontent with the way things are.

Surprise, surprise.

Your job sucks. Traffic isn’t budging—again. Your husband forgot it was his turn to cook dinner or your wife forgot it was hers. Your child’s school grades are beyond disappointing, and your long-planned island vacation was so bad it wasn’t worth the hassle it took to get there.

Why not just accept all things as they are and get happy already?

It’s an intriguing idea, but here’s the catch: If we truly accept things as they are unconditionally, the world as we know it will come to a grinding—messy—halt.

If you somehow get happy with a lousy job, you won’t bother to find a more challenging, more interesting, or higher-paying position.

If you simply...

Som Tum, Green Papaya Salad

from The Daily Brainstorm — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:31:00 -0900

By Christine Gilbert
Som Tum, Green Papaya Salad

This dish requires no cooking and is very fast to make… if you have green papayas (unripe papaya). But green papaya is very similar to cucumber, so if you wanted to make a spicy cucumber peanut salad, you could probably modify this recipe.

2 cups shredded fresh green papaya
6 cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons dried shrimp (optional, if you like the salty fishy taste)
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
4-6 fresh Thai chiles, remove stems
3-4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Prep:

Use the flat side of your knife to crush the garlic. Crush the chillies too. Then chop them all up — roughly. (This recipe really calls for a mortar and pestel but...