Can Goals and “To-Do” Lists Actually Lead to Self-Sabotage?
According to a LinkedIn survey, 11 percent of 6,500 professionals said they regularly complete their “to-do” lists. Meanwhile, less than two-thirds actually create a list in the first place. Do you use lists, and are they helpful? All this time, have we been led astray on how important of lists are to our success?
Entrepreneur, weightlifter and travel photographer James Clear writes how goals ultimately reduce the level of individual happiness because one winds up not feeling good about themself until or unless that goal is accomplished. Clear goes on to point out how goals can often become huge burdens. It makes total sense if you’re hard pressed to complete your to-do list and reach big goals rather than changing your perspective or process. It’s like dieting. I’ve often heard from people who have been fighting to lose weight that when they finally achieved their goal it wasn’t because they went on a diet. They stopped “dieting” and they changed how they ate instead.
Similar to what Clear explains in his article, the focus ought to be on the practice and not on the performance. When you’re goal oriented it truly does become about how much you do, how much you get done and how much you acquire in order to have to feel good about yourself. Your self-esteem and, often, mental health rides on items being checked off your list rather than on the actual accomplishment. Read the rest of this entry »
Are There Mental Health Benefits to Joining Facebook Groups?
Small and large companies aren’t the only ones that bank on the convenience of the Internet. Obviously some of us who refuse to camp out in front of Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and any other stores opt to spend our money online to avoid the crowds. But as Cyber Monday has come to a close, some of us enjoy the comfort and convenience of the Internet for other reasons.
Everyone has a bad day, but some of us struggle with the lack of that “happy” gene more than others. According to a Huffington Post article by Michael Sigmen, approximately half of our happiness is linked to our genetic make up. How close are you to genetic happiness?
Wow, half is quite a chunk of our happiness pie, leaving the leftovers to be fractioned off to environment, circumstances and/or traumatic life events. If depression is more than a chemical imbalance and is actually deeply ingrained in our DNA, then what can we actually do about it?
The Internet is used for a number of reasons, only some of which have to do with viral marketing. Social media sites allow for individuals as well as organizations to connect with people from all over the world and share their individual brand. But behavior on these sites can run unchecked, which have literally given both social media and the Internet a bad rap. Lyrics posted on Facebook threatening to not only kill his wife but also kindergarten kids landed wannabe rap artist Anthony Elonis in jail for 44 months. Privacy, freedom of speech, an increase in social isolation, and a host of other number of issues arise when discussing social media and the potential negative ramifications. Read the rest of this entry »
Do Blog “Likes” Reflect Writing Quality?
I write because it’s what I do and have always done. As a child, and without thinking, I used to carry a pen and a note pad everywhere I went. The words always just flowed forth. Even as an adult, for the longest time I had notebooks and notebooks of written material I saved that dated back to elementary school. The notebooks were so old the pages bled and eventually the words were unreadable. At that point I finally had to realize that they were too old and I needed to part ways with literally a large box. When I was in the second grade, I recall my mother’s voice and how she used to insist that all of her children ought to be a doctor or a lawyer. Writing wasn’t the path to success or big money, she reasoned. Read the rest of this entry »
Happy Thanksgiving
The Bottom Line
Let’s try to be thankful for all that we do have and not just because of this one day a year where we fill up on enough turkey to put us to sleep. You don’t have to look too far to find something to complain about or something you don’t have. It’s easy to see what we lack and harder to count our blessings. And the blessings worth treasuring are not monetary, but the loved ones that are in our life whether they are family or close friends. There’s a lot to be grateful for and it usually begins at home.
Law and Injustice in Ferguson: Wilson Walks
I would think that if Darren Wilson were to be indicted then he would have been arrested by now. In paraphrasing, that’s basically what CNN news anchor Don Lemon explained based upon a couple of interviews conducted just minutes before the grand jury announcement, and it definitely made sense. This racially charged tragedy has definitely stirred a deep feeling of injustice and not only for those in Ferguson, Missouri. When it comes to race, things can often become complicated, especially for those of us who are mixed ethnicities. Some of us American mutts face more peculiar looks and questions than others who look more like one obvious ethnicity.
Justice is supposed to surpass race. It’s not just an ethical issue but also one that questions our moral integrity as a society. I believe the grand jury’s decision is unfair and I am not remotely comfortable with it. At the very least, as one who is unable to check just one racial box, it’s undeniably frustrating. I am often asked to pick between the options of “two or more races – not Hispanic,” “Hispanic” or Asian — but where’s the choice for Asian and Hispanic? How can it be in the U.S. melting pot that there isn’t a box for “two or more race including Hispanic?” And why does Hispanic even need to be specified? Some job applications allow for a “two or more races” box to be checked and leave out the “not Hispanic” part. For the most part, most job applications expect individuals to choose one ethnicity. If you are more than one race, you must choose one over another.
I am not sure how my ethnicity qualifies or disqualifies me from having the necessary skill set, education, and experience required to do a job. But, this is just one minor personal annoyance when having to deal with this touchy topic. People just hate talking about race.
The Bottom Line:
Officer Darren Wilson killed unarmed Michael Brown, shooting him six times. If Michael Brown was intimidating as Darren Wilson claims and was acting out or not cooperating with instructions. Why wasn’t a stun gun or other non-deadly methods used instead? Especially for someone who was unarmed? Prosecutor Robert McCulloch (who has been rumored to be extremely pro-law enforcement) made the bizarre, long and drawn out announcement. Where he proceeded to sound as if he was trying to justify how the verdict was decided. If this were a case involving two random individuals, someone would have been arrested by now. But, since it involves someone with a badge, it looks like the “evidence” shows that Officer Darren Wilson will get to go back to his job and his everyday life. Meanwhile, a grieving family and a community suffers through the loss of an innocent life gunned down.
What made the grand jury decide to believe some witnesses and discount others? Perhaps it’s true that those in law enforcement really do serve and protect their own. No, I do not agree with the riots, looting, and violence taking place that’s burning down the Ferguson community. However, I personally have family in law enforcement in New York and regardless I still honestly believe that justice was not served.
Writing With Hope 