Bruce's Smorsasborg

 Interesting article in Times of India magazine Micro-joys, like savoring a cup of coffee, taking a quick walk in the sun or receiving a heartwarming message from a friend, do more than brighten a moment of your life. Research shows that they build resilience, reduce stress and compound into lasting mental-health gains in ways that grand achievements often cannot. We celebrate promotions, graduations and sometimes even major breakups with equal ceremony. But life’s emotional architecture is mostly built from smaller, quieter moments of positivity that accumulate over time. So while the celebrations give you something to look forward to, it’s the brief laugh with a colleague, the five minutes of morning sunlight on your face and the little check on your to-do list that does the essential work of nudging your current day forward. Both new and classic research suggest that these micro-joys matter more for day-to-day mental health than we give them credit for. They broaden attention, i...

 By Bruce Shawkey This article on the Google newsfeed: life-changing books that help you restart, reset, and rebuild your life Life can sometimes feel overwhelming, leaving us stuck in routines, doubts, or setbacks. Books have the power to inspire, guide, and transform our mindset, helping us restart, reset, and rebuild our lives. Here are eight such life-changing books that offer wisdom, practical advice, and motivation, equipping readers to overcome challenges, discover purpose, and take actionable steps toward personal growth and a fresh start - empowering us to rise, renew, and move forward with confidence. “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl In this powerful memoir and psychological exploration, Frankl recounts his experiences surviving Nazi concentration camps and introduces the theory of logotherapy - the idea that the search for meaning is the primary guiding force in human life. Through unimaginable suffering, he argues that even in the worst hardships, life ret...

 By Bruce Shawkey Good article on the 'net about the art and science of great conversation. Research shows even small tweaks to our conversational style can help us feel more connected and loved. 1. Have good topics to bring up To have a successful verbal exchange, you and your partner must have a topic. But few people give thought to this obvious fact. Consider your last dinner party: Did you spend more time thinking about what you’ll wear than what you’ll talk about once you get there? If so, you’re in good company. Research suggests that only about 18% of us prepare topics for conversations, and more than half fear that doing so will make our talks feel forced or artificial. But prepping topics doesn’t mean making a spreadsheet of talking points. It’s simply an insurance policy for the moments when the conversation loses steam. Research suggests that spending just 30 seconds to plan a few subjects makes conversations brighter — with fewer awkward transitions, conversat...

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." Henry David Thoreau was one of my heroes growing up (and still is) and this quote from "Walden" is one of my favorite because it speaks to self-reliance and not being afraid to spend time alone with one's thoughts and filter out all the "noise" from friends, relatives, and most recently, from Internet influencers, bloggers, and the current head bullshit artist, Donald Trump.  Henry David Thoreau (born July 12, 1817 – died May 6, 1862) was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher. He is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay "Civil Disobedience," an argument in favor of citizen disobedience against an unjust state. Thoreau's books, articles, essays, j...

Essay on Self Reliance There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till.... Society never advances. It recedes as fast on one side as it gains on the other. It undergoes continual changes; it is barbarous, it is civilized, it is christianized , it is rich, it is scientific; but this change is not amelioration. For every thing that is given, something is taken. Society acquires new arts, and loses old instincts. The civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet. He is supported on crutches, but lacks so much support of muscle. He has a fine Geneva watch, but he fails of the skill to tell the hour by the sun. ---------------------------------- Emerson w...

 By Bruce Shawkey This book, by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin (left) is often cited as one of the bibles for those looking to save money while not sacrificing the quality of life. Now that I am retired, the book is not quite as relevant as it used to be, but there are still some good tips for saving money, and they are seen below, with the occasional edit. 1. Stop trying to impress other people. Other people are probably so busy trying to impress you that they will, at best, not notice your efforts. At worst, they will resent you for one-upping them. 2. Don't go shopping. If you don't go shopping, you won't spend money. Of course, if you really need something from the store, go and buy it. But don't just go shopping. According to Carolyn Wesson, author of Women Who Shop Too Much, "59 million persons in the U.S. are addicted to shopping or to spending." About 53 percent of groceries and 47 percent of hardware-store purchases are "spur of the moment." ...