Solving problems with arms folded
A scientific experiment shows some remarkable results. It seems that if you’re to solve a problem, you should instruct your body to look as if it’s solving a problem.
A group of students were instructed to solve problems with their hands on their hips, and another group of students to do the same with their arms folded. The group which had arms folded ended up with a higher success rate in solving problems.
The scientists believe this is because having arms folded is a classic problem-solving pose, and just doing it boosts our problem-solving abilities. It’s mental. Folded arms makes you feel like you’re solving problems, analysing data and so on. Hands on hips doesn’t.
The interesting thing about this, is of course that these results correlates with other findings showing that body language can influence your mentality - like smiling to be more happy, slouching to feel depressed and do badly.
It makes me think. What are the trademarks of happy or successful people. How do they look? What is their body language? Can we just copy that, and have a chance of being happy or successfull?
What do you think?
Subscribe to the comments for this postCourageous living, tolerance for possible failure
I read this post on Simply Stated : Life & Soul called Happiness tips from 1820: Still helpful that I really enjoyed. The first tip got me thinking. It was “Live as well as you dare”.
Now, what has courage got to do with living?
Maybe a lot. It is perfectly possible - in most western societies, at least - to live your life without ever making decisions that you are unsure of, or that are controversial, or which brings a little bit of uncertainty or maybe even fear into your life. It is not hard to get into the habit of living “as you are supposed to”. We don’t want to fail in any way, even though we may not know what failure would look like (that’s even worse!).
There are really no one who supposes anything, or who decides anything about how you should live, apart from yourself, of course. But still we all seem to make a lot of the same decisions, and we all seem to live similar lives. Why is that?
The reason is that choosing another path than the one that most of the people around you do, often makes you stick out. It’s like standing up in a crowd where everyone else agrees that the answer is YES, shouting NO WAY! You need courage to do that.
“Live as well as you dare” was a great tip in 1820, and it still is. You have to ask yourself: Do I dare to live better? Do I have the courage in me to change my life, to become happier with myself? Even though it means sticking out in a crowd, and even though it means risk and possibly failure.
Courage is a tolerance for possible failure, isn’t it?
Do you dare?
Start paying it forward
In 2000 Catherine Ryan Hyde wrote the novel Pay It Forward about the 12 year old who invents the concept of paying it forward. Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Joel Osment played in the movie. The idea is simple, and it will make the world a better place if you help in implementing it.
The concept of paying it forward is simple. It can be described as the opposite of paying something back. In Hyde’s novel the idea turns into a chain letter of positive and helpful actions.
Here’s how to pay it forward: Whenever you receive a favour that you really need, instead of paying back the favour, you pay it forward to three persons. You have to help out three other people with something that they really need. If people who receive help start paying it forward instead of back, good deeds will spread in the world.
What a great idea this is. To live by the philosophy of paying it forward, you have to be on the lookout in everyday life for people who need your help. This should preferably be total strangers, because we help our friends anyway, right?
It could be someone standing in front of you by the cashiers at the supermarket who has forgotten their money. It could be someone standing at the side of the road with a flat tyre. It could be someone who misses their bus and has to be somewhere in half an hour. It doesn’t have to be organ donor stuff, but almost everyone feels gratitude towards someone who lends a hand when they need it.
So to start a chain of forward payments, we’ll have to do something helpful to someone we don’t know. They may talk about paying you back somehow, or ask what they can do in return. Refuse taking money or anything like that. Introduce them to the concept of paying it forward. Tell them it would be better if they find opportunities to help three other strangers with something.
What if run into people who don’t feel gratitude, or don’t pay forward as intended. You will still have changed the world with the favour you extended to a total stranger. Sure, in a small scale only, but there can only be so many Gandhis or Mother Theresas in a population.
But we can all be of help.
(Also check out the Pay It Forward Foundation.)
The art of NOW
Have you noticed? A lot of the time we seem to be anywhere else but here and now. Why is that?
This moment is what’s happening. This is where you make the choices that counts, that will lead your life to where you want to go. So why do we move our focus back down to the past, or into the future? Because being here and now is pretty hard.
Focusing on the past - guilt and regret
Sometimes we concentrate on things we have done, or things we have done wrong. Maybe we hurt someone, or maybe we wish that we hadn’t taken a particular turn at a particular moment in time. But we did. We hurt people, or we took the wrong turn. Pondering on actions in the past is fruitless. But we keep lingering on the past as if we could do like Superman once did in the movie: Spun the Earth around the wrong way and turned back time. We are not superheroes, and we can’t turn back time. Guilt or regret are feelings that should remind us of the importance of action. Do something about it. Make NOW the past that you will think back on with pleasure and joy. If you regret not starting to exercise your abs five years ago, start NOW. If you feel guilty because you said hurtful things to a friend, call her and tell her how you feel NOW. At least do the right thing NOW instead of sticking your head in the sand of the past. Because that will never help. Only action today will.
Focusing on the future - worry
A lot of the time we concentrate too much on the future, as well. We worry about what will come. Our minds keep going over stuff that might go wrong, or what some people might say. We cannot stop time, and the future will be today someday. We know that we usually seem to find a way to deal with what we are up against in our daily lives, whatever they are, but that doesn’t stop us from worrying about it in advance. Think how much better it would be if we could free ourselves from worrying.
We really should. Prepare for an event as well as you can, and you will be there in the best way possible. If you fail even when fully prepared, then it wasn’t meant to be - no need to worry. If you know you will succeed if you prepare well, then prepare well and succeed. Don’t worry. Just be prepared. Do something NOW instead of worrying about something in the future.
The art of NOW
Realize that there is nothing you can do about your past but try to correct your mistakes NOW. Realize that there is something you can do about your future, but you should do it NOW. NOW is what really matters, always. It always was, and it always will be. Ask yourself: What can I do NOW to not regret this moment in the future? What can I do NOW to fully prepare for the future? What can I do NOW to look back at this moment later with joy?
Then do it. It sounds easy, but it’s hard. It’s hard becuause it’s an art. Decide to start practising the art of NOW. When should you start?
What do you think?
12 ways to be really unproductive
You’ve got your to-do list and work hard to get through it during the day. Here comes the weekend, and maybe now you’ll have enough time. But wait. Why not do something unproductive instead?
Here are twelve ways to spend the weekend in a really unproductive way:
- Sleep
Naturally. Try sleeping somewhere else than your bed or where you usually sleep. Maybe it feels different. - Look out the window
We don’t do this enough, I’m sure. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee, and just sit by the window and stare at people walking by, trees swaying in the wind, or rain trickling down the glass. Or something else that might be kind of interesting. - Listen to music
When was the last time you listened to a record. I’m sure you have had music on your stereo lately, or played your Ipod while jogging, but did you really listen? Now is the time. Pick a CD that you allready know is great. - Read crap
Often we feel that we should read National Geographic or something that’s at least vaguely useful. This weekend don’t. Read comics instead. Or anything that is just entertainment. - Surf the web aimlessly
Maybe you do this a lot allready at work? But try to let the winds of the web bring you to new places, find out what it’s about, then leave without bookmarking. - Hum and whistle
Sit in a chair or take a walk and hum a nice little melody to yourself. Or whistle loudly. Do not care if anyone stops and stares. Secretly they really envies anyone who hums or whistles. - Daydream
Think. Not to solve a problem, but just to go places in your mind. Think about something that brings you joy. What would you do if you won a lot of money? What if you were invisible and could go anywhere? What if? - Take a bath or a shower
Let water embrace your body and spend a lot of time doing it. It feels good and you will end up clean. - Spy on people
Follow random people around and hone your skills as a spy or private eye. Try not to freak anyone out, though. Be subtle. They shouldn’t notice you. - Undress
Take off all your clothes and walk around naked at home. You may want to turn up the heat first. Might be odd if you live with someone. Then again, maybe not. - TV-marathon
People nowadays watch a lot of TV, anyway, but try to watch something that you usually wouldn’t. - Your suggestion here!
Positivity spreads like wildfire (and so does negativity)
Have you ever stood in a room full of people trying to sort out a problem or to get to a conclusion of some sort. Suddenly everyone notives a frustrated man at the back who is complaining loudly about whatever. Did you notice how his negativity seemed to spread among the people, like rings on water. I have seen it many times.
Both positivity and negativity are sometimes like virus. They spread through the air, infecting anyone who comes in their way. But while positivity and smiles make people happy, negative feelings can only drain us of energy and make us feel down.
And yet it is so easy to complain and grumble. There are always faults to point out, mind you. No one is perfect, so finding where someone made a mistake should be a piece of cake. Soon you will have persuaded the whole room that everything is wrong and somebody has to take the blame.
It’s much harder to smile and point out positives. But when you do, the effect is often the same, only in a good way. You can actually ignite a fire of positivity and good emotions by being happy and showing it, saying something nice to someone, or emphasizing all that is good about your situation. Like wildfire, you can watch positivity spread in a group of people.
You can even try to fight negativity with positivity. That gives people an option. They will understand that they don’t necessarily have to give in to darkness and join The Cult of Painting Everything Black.
So arm yourself with a smile or two, and go out to fight negativity where it exists. We will win!
If this doesn’t move you, you have a heart of stone
Ani Choying Drolma is a Tibetan nun who sings beautiful, traditional mantras. She’s the spokesperson of a school for girls in Tibet, and when I hear her voice I feel like crying. I don’t know why, but she moves me intensely. My advice is to hook your computer to your stereo, or use good headphones for this:
Discover the secret ingredient in brain health
You may have heard that there are certain factors that are important when it comes to the health of your brain. Here’s a new one: It’s love.
Numerous resources on the web, like, Brain Health on alz.org (Alzheimer’s Association), Top Ten Tips for a Healthy Brain on Ultraprevention.com or Tips for a Healthy Brain on Aarp.org all share important facts about the health of your grey matter. As the importance of having a well functioning brain inside your skull hardly can be under-estimated, it’s easy to understand that you need to know about them. To sum up, here are the accepted facts on what your brain needs to stay in good shape:
- Excercise, challenges, new ideas and environments
- A healthy and safe environment
- A healthy diet
- Sleep and rest
- Social activity
- A positive attitude
Excercise, challenges, new ideas and environments
As you get older, parts of the brain that is not in use will stop working. But then again, it is possible to wake up new areas. It is important to give your brain stuff to do, things to think about, learning something new. Challenge your brain to make it more active. Look for any activity or environment that stimulates you mentally.
A healthy and safe environment
Wear a protective helmet when you perform potentially brain-dangerous activities like riding a motorbike. The skull is a cup which content you don’t want to spill. Protect your head.
A healthy diet
Your brain is what you eat. Your brain will thrive on antioxydants found in colorful fruits and vegetables. Avoid obesity by staying clear of too much white sugar and white flour. Think about your weight and your brain will benefit. Eat fish to increase your intake of healthy fats (omega-3) that your brain needs.
Sleep and rest
Allow for your brain to cool off after an intense day at the office by getting enough rest. Get enough sleep at night, too. It isn’t absolutely clear why sleep is important to the brain, but it doesn’t rest completely, as you know. It dreams. And dreaming are probably the brain’s way of maintaining itself and a way to process information gathered during the day. Because it happens, it is probably very useful.
Social activity
People with good social networks seem to live longer and stay healthier than the ones that have poor social networks. This is especially important in the later years of your life. You also have a lesser chance of developing dementia – probably because constantly communicating and ”acting socially” gives your brain a great workout often.
A positive attitude
Learn to think positive and manage stress effectively. Depressions are bad for your brain. Self-efficacy, our sense of self-worth, can be trained, and it will be good for you.
The secret ingredient
All of the above are well known ingredients to a healthy brain. But while studying the brain of aging rats, Dr. Marian Diamond, almost by accident, discovered another important aspect. She found that german rats in similar experiments lived longer, and tried to find out why.
I returned to my laboratory determined to see how we might get our rats to live longer. Was there something missing in our experimental design? I began to reflect on conversations and observations I had had with groups of older folks around the country. It was clear to me that many were not getting enough attention, enough “TLC,” enough “random acts of kindness.” Sure, they had their television sets, they had adequate food, but where was the nurturing, the love? That I didn’t see. I mentioned to my technician that we were going to add an ingredient to our experiments: love.
Successful aging of the healty brain by Marian C. Diamond.
The results of adding love to the science of aging brains in rats were successful. By petting the rats, the scientists were able to extend the life of the rats, and make their brains healthier.
Dr. Diamond has proved that your brain will benefit from love and nurturing. ”Love conquers all”, states the well respected neuroanatomist, and she knows because she proved it in her laboratory.
Now go out and save a brain with love!
Stuff you don’t need to worry about anymore
Lift those needless fears off your shoulders. Read about 9 things to stop worrying about right now on Msnbc.com and Vitality Buzz’s 7 bonus things that you don’t need to worry about either.
The health myths that are revealed to be unfounded by Msnbc are:
- That you should drink eight glasses of water each day
- That stress turns your hair grey
- That reading in poor light ruins your eyes
- That coffee is bad for you
- That you should feed a cold and starve a fever
- That fresh is always better than frozen
- That eggs raise your cholesterol
- That you get colds from being cold
- That lipstick can make you sick
Bonus things to stop worrying about
Always nice to stop worrying. Here are some bonus things that you don’t need to worry about either:
- Having a lazy day. On the contrary; having an off-day once in a while, with more emphasis on yourself, can only be beneficial, at least if you don’t do it EVERY day
- Telling your boss exactly what you think. If he’s a good boss, he will want you to.
- Making mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, and you need to be aware of that.
- Werewolfs, vampires and zombies. They simply don’t exist. Really.
- Something you said or did to someone that you wish you hadn’t. Don’t worry. Apologize.
- The future. Worrying about it doesn’t do anything to it. Acting on how you want the future to be, can.
- How it’s going to end. You know how it’s going to end. What’s there to worry about? It happens to everyone.
In fact; why worry at all?
Reader feedback
What do you worry about? What don’t you worry about? What should we worry about?
Chopping flies and putting down colors: A meditation resources list
There has been kind of a meditation theme on this site for a few days. Let’s wrap it up for now with some pointers.
More easy meditation techniques
An Easy One Minute Meditation (Buzzle.com) Check also the Related articles sections on the bottom.
Find Peace and Comfort in the Age of Anxiety (About.com).
Here and Now Meditation and then some more techniques (Meditationiseasy.com).
Easy Meditation Through Active (Coloring) Meditation and Zen Driving Meditation for Busy People (Articlesbase.com).
Meditation you pay to learn
The Transcendental Meditation (TM) Program
Books (hold cursor over title for visualization)
The Book of Secrets by Osho
Wherever you go, there you are
Videos
Sogyal Rinpoche explains What meditation really is. Just listening to his voice is fantastic, and he’s funny, too.
David Lynch on meditation:
The meditating warrior (wonderful and inspirational animated short film):
