Epicurus agreed, albeit in slightly more poetic phraseology: Of all the things that wisdom provides for living one's entire life in happiness, the greatest by far is the possession of friendship.
Although people sometimes assume that the happy are self-absorbed and complacent, just the opposite is true. In general, happiness doesn't make people want to drink daiquiris on the beach; it makes th...
Intentions, also known as action triggers or if-then planning. If ________ happens, then I will do _______. With if-then planning, we try to plan for every habit challenge that might arise, so we don’...
You can choose what you do; you can’t choose what you like to do.
We are happy when we are growing.
W. H. Auden articulated this tension beautifully: Between the ages of twenty and forty we are engaged in the process of discovering who we are, which involves learning the difference between accidenta...
Things often get harder before they get easier.
Then I wonder if some people need a coach more than a therapist, I said, thinking of Obligers.
The days are long, but the years are short...
The Strategy of Scheduling, of setting a specific, regular time for an activity to recur, is one of the most familiar and powerful strategies of habit formation
Second Splendid TruthOne of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy.One of the best ways to make other people happy is to e happy yourself. p 147
Remember, the reason to clear clutter is because, somehow, that clutter is diminishing your happiness. If you don’t care, don’t bother.
Obligers may find it difficult to form a habit, because often we undertake habits for our own benefit, and Obligers do things more easily for others than for themselves. For them, the key is external...
Nothing is more exhausting than the task that’s never started, and strangely, starting is often far harder than continuing.
Nietzsche wrote, All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking, and his observation is backed up by science; exercise-induced brain chemicals help people think clearly. In fact, just stepping o...
My Current Habits Am I more likely to indulge in a bad habit in a group, or when I’m alone? If I could magically, effortlessly change one habit in my life, what would it be? If the people around me co...
It’s a Secret of Adulthood: What we assume will be temporary often becomes permanent; what we assume is permanent often proves temporary.
It’s a Secret of Adulthood: I give myself limits to give myself freedom.
It’s a Secret of Adulthood: I can’t make people change, but when I change, others may change; and when others change, I may change.
It isn't enough to love; we must prove it.