Aruna Gobalan's Blog, page 6

Pay it Forward: Kindness to Others May Be the Best Way to Help Ourselves

You can’t pay back, so you might as well pay it forward. Catherine Ryan HydeCatherine Ryan Hide’s book Pay it Forward is the story of a twelve-year-old, Trevor. Inspired by a school assignment to develop an idea to improve the world, Trevor decides to be kind to three strangers and then asks each of them […]

The post Pay it Forward: Kindness to Others May Be the Best Way to Help Ourselves appeared first on Partably.

It’s the People That Make the Place

It’s not the physical characteristics of a place the human connections that make the place.

The post It’s the People That Make the Place appeared first on Partably.

How To Combat Routine Fatigue Without Moving to Bali

If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine; it is lethal. Paul CoelhoIn his novel Veronika Decides to Die, Paul Coelho uses Veronika's story to highlight how living a life centered around routine without passion can be more detrimental to one's spirit and well-being than the perceived risks of stepping outside one's comfort zone. Coelho’s […]

The post How To Combat Routine Fatigue Without Moving to Bali appeared first on Partably.

Genius or Third Grade Crayon Scribbles: Is Everything Subjective?

Is everything subjective?  The balance between subjectivity and objectivity continues to be a central issue in philosophy.We see things not as they are but as we are. Immanuel KantThe Trolley Problem“The Trolley Problem” is a famous thought experiment in philosophy and ethics, introduced by philosopher Philippa Foot in 1967. Thanks to shows like the NBC […]

The post Genius or Third Grade Crayon Scribbles: Is Everything Subjective? appeared first on Partably.

Hedonic Adaptation: Chasing Pleasure on the Treadmill of Life

Hedonic adaptation, the tendency to quickly return to a baseline level of satisfaction, no matter what happens to us in life, is Mother Nature’s bait and switch. All sorts of life events we think would make us happier actually don’t, or at least they don’t for long. Nir Eyal. Over four decades ago, three psychologists […]

The post Hedonic Adaptation: Chasing Pleasure on the Treadmill of Life appeared first on Partably.

The Emperor Has No Clothes: Why Success Can Silence Honest Feedback

Hans Christian Andersen’s simple yet powerful tale The Emperor’s New Clothes about the power of truth becomes increasingly relevant to us as we age and achieve success. For those unfamiliar with the storyline, The Emperor's New Clothes is about an emperor obsessed with fashion. Sensing an opportunity to swindle the emperor, two con men pose as […]

The post The Emperor Has No Clothes: Why Success Can Silence Honest Feedback appeared first on Partably.

The Power of Quiet Reflection: Unlocking Your Inner Wisdom

The best way for mental clarity and insight in our busy world is through quiet reflection.Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. Anne Lamott.The DreamIn the early 1960s, Paul McCartney woke up one morning with a fully formed melody that had come to him in a dream. […]

The post The Power of Quiet Reflection: Unlocking Your Inner Wisdom appeared first on Partably.

The Magic of Brahma Muhurta: Why Early Mornings Matter

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep. Rumi. There are two sorts of people in the world—the reactive and the proactive. They epitomize very different approaches to life. The reactive ones are typically those who snooze their alarm six times before waking up, are always “too busy” playing a game […]

The post The Magic of Brahma Muhurta: Why Early Mornings Matter appeared first on Partably.

Heartbeats and High Stakes: The Trouble with Attachment

So, a few months back, I was in the audience at a theater, immersed in a series of Indian classical dance recitals featuring local students, mostly teens and young adults. Roughly an hour into the annual show, my Apple Watch buzzed with a "High Heart Rate" alert. To set the scene, my resting heart rate typically […]

The post Heartbeats and High Stakes: The Trouble with Attachment appeared first on Partably.

How to Get Back on the Bandwagon and Rebuild Lost Routines

Getting back on the bandwagon—whether it's resuming a diet, exercise regimen, a personal project, or any good habit that has slipped—can be challenging but is ultimately a rewarding pursuit.New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings. Lao Tzu Here’s a story I read in the comments section of an article in the NY Times: David had […]

The post How to Get Back on the Bandwagon and Rebuild Lost Routines appeared first on Partably.