Comedian Michael Jr. will tell you that the secret to comedy is also the secret to life: “Instead of trying to get, find an opportunity to give.“ When he shifted his mindset from getting a laugh to giving an opportunity for laughter, his comedy career (and his life) changed. Comedy In comedy, there’s the setup …Read More
Category: Education
Can you learn to be happy?
Arthur Brooks teaches a course on happiness at the Harvard Business School. He teaches how to be happy and how to make those around you happy. Why would happiness be important in business? “According to the best research available (which we will read in this class), to be a successful leader, you need to understand …Read More
Think Again ~ Adam Grant
Why do some groups seem to thrive with conflict while other fall apart? If you are like me and occasionally suffer from being too agreeable, then all conflict is bad. I fearfully shrink away from argument and think that the situation will self-destruct. They will think I’m a terrible person. Task Conflict vs. Relationship Conflict …Read More
River Rising: Fake News and Clickbait
“What do you think of this?” she passed me her phone. The text message showed a smart link to an Internet article with the picture of an official making an announcement. “I don’t know,” I said, “Did you read it?” “Yes,” she said. Her voice anxious. “What did it say?” “I only read the message. …Read More
Qigong for Balance ~ Mantak Chia
According to Mantak Chia, an internationally celebrated master of inner alchemy and Qigong, the key to good health, longevity, and even abundance, is balancing the positive and negative energies that exist both within us and in nature. Ideally, if we can achieve balance — internally and with the natural world — our body, our life, and all of our existence …Read More
The Game of Propaganda
“Every one of us is exposed to propaganda techniques every day. They’re designed to persuade us to accept ideas, buy propositions and products, or spur action. Parents and teachers use them to guide behavior. Advertisers and media sell us stuff. Religious leaders use them to inspire (and fill collection plates) and, of course, politicians rely …Read More
Story Factor ~ Annette Simmons
“People don’t want more information. They are up to their eyeballs in information. They want faith—faith in you, your goals, your success, in the story you tell.” ~ Annette Simmons, The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence, and Persuasion through the Art of Storytelling The objective thinkers are looking for cold hard facts, bullet points, and numbers. …Read More
Equal Protection of the Laws
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any …Read More
Asian American Storytopia
A Message from Asian American Storytellers in Unity (AASIU): Last year, when the world shut down and anti-Asian violence increased, a group of Asian American storytellers began meeting weekly to provide support and friendship to its members. From this beginning, Asian American Storytellers in Unity grew into a collective whose mission is to promote and …Read More
Why incompetent people think they’re amazing
“We don’t know what we don’t know.” Beginner’s Mind When I first discovered the art of storytelling performance, I had beginner’s mind. Here was my process: Pick a story that I like. Learn the story. Tell it. I relied on “natural talent.” Vocal variety, facial expressions, and gestures came naturally to me. Other skills had …Read More