Understanding we are Worthy, Capable, Connected, and Called to Adventure for a more Joyful and Resilient Life
Lately I have been thinking about how it is actually possible to fail your way to success. I used to view failure as a liability, but I am starting to view it as a strength. Here's why. It seems that it's actually possible to fail our way to success. Sometimes we feel like failures indicate… Continue reading How to Fail Your Way to Success
Can play make us whole? Friedrich Schiller thought so. Schiller wrote the book On the Aesthetic Education of Man in the 1700s. And his argument is that play makes us whole as humans. This is perhaps an unusual claim, but his ideas are surprisingly relevant to us today. Here’s a bit of context on Schiller’s… Continue reading Friedrich Schiller on Why Play Makes Us Whole
Recently I learned some important lessons from Paige Zen on the value of play during hard times. First, let me tell you a secret: I think play can save the world. Or at the very least, I think it is one of the main things that saves the world. I believe this and have since… Continue reading Paige Zen on the Power of Play in Hard Times
Play is just as important for adults as it is for kids. Does that claim strike you as strange? It strikes a lot of folks this way. After all, many of us feel like play is the domain of little kids. But a lot of us feel that when we get older, we must leave… Continue reading Why Play is Important for Adults, according to Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi
Hope is powerful. And hope is the birthright of everyone. But sometimes it is hard to have hope. Hope is the conviction, in spite of contrary-seeming evidence, that things will somehow turn out well. And it is the related belief that no matter how bad things seem to be, they can change for the better… Continue reading How to Kindle Hope in the New Year
Is encouraging positivity helpful or harmful? Positivity is a buzzword in recent years. In fact, you have probably heard people recently urging you or others to be positive, to focus on positivity, or to strive to be happy. Philosophers and other thinkers and writers have long explored how humans can be more happy. For example,… Continue reading Is Encouraging Positivity Helpful or Harmful?
Most people have heard the old phrase, “Cleanliness is next to godliness", but I would like to coin a new phrase: Playfulness is next to godliness. And I believe this second phrase is closer to the truth. And believe it or not, I’m not the only one who thinks playfulness is next to godliness. I’ve… Continue reading Playfulness is Next to Godliness
Did you know there is actually a virtue of playfulness? It's called eutrapelia. If you are like a lot of people, you probably think of play as belonging to the arena of childhood. You might even think—and you would be right—that play is essential for healthy child development. However, if you are like a lot… Continue reading Aristotle on Eutrapelia, the Virtue of Playfulness
Sometimes we feel bad about the path we are on, and we want to create a new path for ourselves. But we feel discouraged and don’t know how. We might not like the path we are on for a variety of different reasons. For example, perhaps we feel like we are not a very good… Continue reading When We Want to Create a Different Path for Ourselves
Positive thinking is a relatively familiar concept. Some people love positive thinking, and some people hate it. But I think there is something better than positive thinking; it’s resilient thinking. Before I explain what resilient thinking is, let’s look at positive thinking and some of its advantages and disadvantages. What is Positive thinking? Positive thinking… Continue reading Better Than Positive Thinking: Resilient Thinking