1: You might think joy would be an easy emotion to embrace, Kelly McGonigal writes in her new book Joy is a Risk Worth Taking.
“But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from the last decade of studying this emotion, it’s that for many people— even those who want more meaning, pleasure, connection, and hope in life—joy can be a hard feeling to trust.”
Why does this happen?
“Some … continue reading
1: “Joy is not, as many people believe, a frivolous or selfish emotion,” Kelly McGonigal writes in her new book Joy is a Risk Worth Taking.
“Nor is joy only possible when every aspect of life is going well.”
So, what is joy?
Kelly describes it as “the uplift you experience in moments that connect you to something that makes life worth living.” She adds, “It’s the flash of … continue reading
1: “I’ve only experienced joy a few times in my life,” Kelly McGonigal‘s eighty-year-old father said when she told him she was writing a book about joy.
She asked him what those experiences were.
“The first moment he shared happened in 1977, a few weeks after my twin sister and I were born,” Kelly writes in her new book Joy is a Risk Worth Taking. “My mom was … continue reading
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.
Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations.
At the end of each week, I’ve been sharing an idea from Tynan’s book Superhuman by Habit about how to install specific, positive habits into your life.
So far, we’ve covered:
1: What happens to your brain when you connect with someone or something bigger than yourself?
In moments like this, you experience “presence,” Daniel Coyle writes in his book Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment.
Lisa Miller, a psychologist at Columbia University, has spent years studying what happens in the brain during these deeper connections.
In one study, she tracked brain changes in twenty-seven people … continue reading
1: You and your friends are at a karaoke bar on a Friday night.
The moment has arrived. It’s your turn to hit the stage and grab the mic.
Picture yourself saying, “I’m excited.”
Will you sing better if instead you say “I’m nervous”?
2: “Many people would probably say no, because we presume that singing ability is a stable skill, dependent on factors like experience, interest, and practice,” Daniel … continue reading
1: Tynan thought mindfulness and meditation were “too wishy-washy and time consuming,” he writes in Superhuman by Habit.
When he tried meditating, he found it hard to keep his attention on his breath. His mind kept wandering, which left him frustrated and ready to give up.
But then he discovered something that completely changed how he saw meditation.
“If meditation were easy, it would not be as beneficial,” he writes. … continue reading
1: “It’s a shame that everyone else is an idiot,” Tynan writes in Superhuman by Habit.
Pause.
“Of course, it’s important to remember that to everyone else, you are the idiot.”
It all begins when we realize that being positive toward others is a habit we can develop.
Tynan tells a story about a disagreement he had with a cruise ship staff member after he felt he was charged … continue reading
1: What if the fastest way to make progress isn’t focusing on your bad days—but keeping score of your good ones?
Six months after suffering a concussion, Jane McGonigal was still living with postconcussion syndrome. “It didn’t heal properly,” Jane writes in her book SuperBetter: The Power of Living Gamefully.
The headaches “were bad enough that I was taking the maximum safe dosage of pain relievers almost every day,” … continue reading
1: How do you react when something bad happens in your life?
“Your knee-jerk reaction to bad events can be to only see, and to dwell on, the negative, giving you a biased view that can affect your mood and paralyze you from acting,” Tynan writes in his book Superhuman by Habit.
When you think about positive, healthy habits, chances are your brain immediately focuses on work and productivity … continue reading
