To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization, and at present very few people have reached this level. ~Bertrand Russell

When you come home, tired and stressed, the last thing you want to do is think. You want to relax and cut loose. For most people that means zoning out in front of the TV or joining friends at the bar for some chemical stimulation.

Is this really the best way to use free time? Are all intelligent pursuits draining and tedious?

No. The feeling of discovery that accompanies learning is rejuvenating and empowering. When you succumb to laziness and fill your leisure with mindless activities, you’re sacrificing your most valuable possession — your individuality.

Read the rest of this article »

Not long ago a reader emailed me with the following question:

I have a goal and I am working towards it. But, I am lacking something and I feel that is MIND-SET. Could you guide me to create a strong MIND-SET?

This is a difficult question to answer. The appropriate mindset depends on the situation. In competitive situations, an aggressive mindset is needed to defeat opponents. In cooperative situations the opposite is true — a passive-compliant mindset is necessary to put group needs first.

These opposing mindsets are the reason that strengths often double as weaknesses.

Read the rest of this article »

1. Speak a little less, listen a little more

Most people get tremendous pleasure from speaking about themselves. But, here we have to be careful; if we always speak about our achievements or tribulations, people will get fed up with our egoism.

If we are willing and able to listen to others, we will find it much appreciated by our friends. Some people are not aware of how much they dominate the conversation.

Read the rest of this article »

As the world becomes increasingly digital, writing becomes more important. This is especially true for non-writers. If you work in an office, the majority of your communications are made with text by email or IM.Whether you like it or not, your ability to exchange ideas, collaborate with others, and ultimately succeed, hinges on the ability to write effectively.Earlier this week, K. Stone laid out a process to help you write faster, better, and easier. To follow up, here are 10 timeless tips to help you improve style and substance, straight from the pens of humanity’s finest authors.

Read the rest of this article »

Note: These guidelines should be rigorously followed, even if you are taking a language course.

Learn a Foreign Language

1) Spend the time!

By far the most important factor is how much time you are immersed in the language. The more time you spend with the language, the faster you will learn. This means listening, reading, writing, speaking, and studying words and phrases. This does not mean sitting in class looking out the window, nor listening to other students who do not speak well, nor getting explanations in your own language about how the language works. This means spending time enjoyably connected to the language you are learning.

Read the rest of this article »

If you are a writer, you’ve probably wished that you could write faster, better, and easier. I have too. I’ve been writing for many years now and I’ve found some tricks that help. They just may help you too! Everyone has their own system, but sometimes learning about another person’s system can flip a switch that enables you to improve your writing.

This system is about being organized and prepared. This will allow your ideas to flow at their fastest rate. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they will flow at lightning speed, but I think you”ll find this allows them to flow at their maximum speed.

Read the rest of this article »

You’ve probably heard that anger is bad, that you should always be in control, and that emotion should never be shown.There seems to be a global conspiracy against anger: we should all ‘keep cool’, ‘stay in control’, and somehow ignore the bad driver who nearly caused a fatal crash or that terrible argument with your partner.

And that’s very wrong.

It all starts from misunderstanding the natural role of anger. Let’s make things a bit more clear…

Read the rest of this article »