Feelings Don't Need Comparison

Dismissing your feelings because “others have it worse” is as misguided as downplaying your joy because “others have it better.”

Your experience or emotions need not be compared to anything to be valid.

The Big "Secret": Continuity of Practice

Never underestimate the power of small, consistent actions. In the fast-paced and instant gratification mode that we've become used to makes this advice very unsexy.

Just ten minutes a day adds up to 30 hours in six months. That time could bring you close to fluency in a new language, make you healthier, or help you break a stubborn habit.

Six months from now, you can be transformed. Or you could simply be six months older. The choice is yours.

Why Optimism is Useful

Yes, you're a realist to notice that the glass of water is both half empty and half full. The functional difference between optimism and pessimism is nothing more than the story we tell ourselves.

If we're convinced that failure is inevitable, it's only rational to give up. I've always considered myself delusionally optimistic. Apparently delusion has its merits.

Science now confirms what we've probably guessed all along: the story we tell ourselves matters. If we tell ourselves optimistic stories, some form of success is almost unavoidable.