theburiedlife:

Happiness Tips: 5 Things You Need To Know About Your Pursuit Of Joy

1. Know That Human Beings Are Extremely Bad At Forecasting Happiness
When you are bursting to buy that shiny, new car, know that the happy high you’re experiencing is a fleeting one. In fact, Dobelli says that jubilant sensation you get from a big, material purchase will only last for up to six months, so buy wisely. “Be very careful,” Dobelli warns, “generally, things do not make us happy, experiences, tasks, challenges and projects do.” In other words, try to rid the desire for instant gratification - some things are worth the wait. 

2. Remove The Notion That ‘Life Is A Dance’
“If you live like there’s no tomorrow, you’ll be in jail five minutes later,” Dobelli laughs. The author says it’s important to plan — doing the hard thing now will make life easier in the long run. “Forget that carpe diem thing,” he suggests, and realize that life takes effort, planning and forethought to be excellent. Don’t let this tip get you down, spontaneity lovers — the chapter this ideology comes from is titled “Live Each Day as If It Were Your Last — but Only on Sundays.” There’s room to let your plans fall by the wayside: Doing so may seem like an oxymoron, but you’re best scheduling unplanned days for once a week.

3. Stop Following The Herd
We’re hard-wired to copy our peers; it’s a habit we developed thousands of years ago when, if you saw your fellow caveman running from a sabertooth-tiger, it was wise to play copycat. In modern times, however, Dobelli says we benefit from straying from the pack: The action forces us to be more confident in our own decision-making. “Following the herd is very dangerous,” Dobelli says. “The more we observe other people displaying a behavior, the more we think that behavior is right — and that’s absurd.” Trusting your gut, and removing the influence of other’s from what you decide is right, will get easier over time — you just have to keep at it.

4. Limit Your News Consumption
Dobelli is an advocate of unplugging: He says rather than keep an eye on a steadfast Twitter feed, it’s more productive to read books and long-form articles that will educate you on the bigger picture. The specific details that come from breaking news, like how long a storm lasted, are “not relevant to your life,” the author says. Instead, invest your time learning about definitive concepts and events. Think you’ll be accused of living under a rock? “I’ve never missed a beat,” says the author. You’ll hear about the news from your peers, he assures, but will still be in control of curating the way you consume it. Removing yourself from the clutter of the details will leave room for what really matters — and what’s worth spending your brain power on.

5. Don’t Get Overly Caught Up In The ‘Present Moment’
“Be in the moment” has become a pervasive mantra of those who subscribe to healthy and mindful living. But being present encapsulates both what you can and cannot see, Dobelli explains, and the latter is the part most people forget about. “We tend to be overly enthralled by the things that are here, and we don’t have a sensor for the stuff that is missing,” he says. Don’t pigeonhole your day; instead, be cognizant that while things are happening before your eyes, things are also happening beyond them. It’s a vague philosophy, but reminding yourself to be less egocentric can help remove the wasteful thoughts that come with being too ”now”-minded.

-The Huffington Post

Originality

In my opinion, “Rat Rods” are original. They are custom classic cars that have a beater quality purposefully designed into them. No two cars are exactly alike because each builder has his or her own personal taste in what should be on the car, so there are always unique variations and modifications made to the car. 

Frankenstein vs. Staples

Mary Shelley’s quote “I beheld the wretch-the miserable monster I created”  relates to Staples’ essay in the sense that they are both about how people view a person. Staples is considered a threat by society because of his stature, skin color and the racial stereotype that is associated with him. The same can be said for Shelley’s quote. Frankenstein was an ugly thing to look at and people were terrified of him, and that was based on appearance alone. 

I was in third grade, and I remember Mike getting stuck in a snow tunnel we had made. We used to build the tunnels in the back of the “blacktop” and one day we made a small one. Mike thought he could fit through it, even though we all told him he couldn’t. So he started going in, head first with his arms back at his side. He got about half of his body in before it narrowed too much for him to continue. He started freaking out and the teachers put hats around his face so it wasn’t laying in the snow. Next, the janitor came out with a pick ax to break the tunnel apart because we built it so well. After that, all the guys hated him for about a week because that’s all we’d do at recess and he ruined it for us for the rest of that year and the next year as well. 

think-progress:

Q: Should the Boy Scouts of America rescind its ban on gay members and leaders?

GATES: Absolutely.

Q: …Why?

GATES: Because it’s 2013.

appl33ater88:

gaymarriagerightorwrong:

In this video Rick Santorum explains how he feels about marriage. He states that just because something is wrong or sinful does not mean we should make it illegal. I agree with him 100 percent!

As a politician Rick Santorum needs to stay away from either extreme, accepting gay marriage or rejecting it, because it will narrow his potential voters. Throughout this interview by Piers Morgan, Santorum argues that, on a political level, gay marriage should not be restricted by the government. His audience are the voters that havent decided which candidate to vote for and he is trying to appeal to them as best as he can. I believe he tries using logic, an appeal to logos, to convince them he is right.