Experiences are always better when we get to share them with others; even when the experience is an individual one, our instinctive response to a positive event or good news is to tell someone else about it. I heard recently that the reason for this is that recounting a good experience allows us to relive the positive moment. I’m sure there is truth to that, but I also think that life is simply better when community is involved. That’s certainly true for me when it comes to great internet findings: I enjoy them myself, but love them even more because I know I will be sharing them here.
This month’s link roundup is a long one, but I hope you’ll take the time to read the links I share, or at least those whose titles jump out at you. Lots of great stuff here. Enjoy!
Interest Span vs Attention Span // Anne Bogel
“It’s not our attention span that causes us to zone out when we’re bored; it’s our interest span. We don’t lose focus when we care about what we’re watching, or reading, or listening to. And, interestingly, the thing that’s most likely to hook us, to get us to care, is empathy.”
5 Strategies That Help Me Survive a Busy Life // Amanda Sanchez
“I’ve found when I do take time to connect, even with just ONE person each day, I think less about myself and my hardships and feel more easily uplifted by someone’s reciprocated kindness and interest in me.”
Family Vacations Serve as ‘Happiness Anchors’ for Kids Until They Grow Up // Jilliane E. Castillo
“Aside from making memories and being wise about where you spend, travel is better for family bonding. Where new toys, like screens and gadgets, put distance between family members, travel brings them closer together.”
The silent tragedy affecting today’s children (and what to do with it) // Victoria Prooday
“Could anyone imagine that it is possible to raise a healthy generation in such an unhealthy environment? Of course not! There are no shortcuts to parenting, and we can’t trick human nature. As we see, the outcomes are devastating. Our children pay for the loss of well-balanced childhood with their emotional well-being.”
To Make Better Decisions, Ask Yourself ‘What,’ Not ‘Why’ // Tasha Eurich
“Why questions draw us to our limitations; what questions help us see our potential. Why questions stir up negative emotions; what questions keep us curious. Why questions trap us in our past; what questions help us create a better future. Indeed, making the transition from why to what can be the difference between victimhood and growth.“
The Hardest Part of Everything // Emily P. Freeman
“All the work you’re doing towards that thing you’re doing, the tiny steps forward, the little bit here and there, the embarrassment of what feels like failure, the lack of recognition, the waiting and listening: it all counts. Nothing is wasted. But – and here is the hard part for me – there’s no guarantee you’ll be around to see the results, get the credit, or celebrate the outcome.”
Left and Right Brain — The Surprising Truth // Jack Milgram
“You can’t say that one side is more important than the other. The characteristics and activities of both the left and right brain are essential to human life. Any disorder in either the right or left hemisphere leads to significant trouble with coordination, thinking, or socializing.”
Let Go of the Learning Baggage // Shane Parrish
“Learning is necessary for our success and personal growth. But we can’t maximize the time we spend learning because our feelings about what we ‘should’ be doing get in the way.”
Here’s What Happens When You Live Life Without Fear For a Year // Stephen Rubino
“But doing what scares me is… scary. Problem is, if fear dictates your life, you miss out on all the best parts — and that yields FOMO, which is itself a fear. It’s a vicious cycle, and the solution seems to be ‘conquer your fears — even legit ones — by living fearlessly.'”
Summer Reading Guide // Anne Bogel
“This compact, user-friendly guide whittles the overwhelming array of readerly options down to just 30 titles: that’s 6 unique categories of 5 titles each—because a list of 5 great books is much more useful than a list of thousands.”
Kendra Note: Anne has fantastic reading taste and her recommendations are golden.I look forward to her Summer Reading Guide all year long!
Let me know which of these posts resonated with you; I’d love to hear your thoughts! And as always, if you’ve written or read something this month that you’d like to share with me, please leave a link in the Comments!