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Gratitude vs. Materialism and more…

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Gratitude vs. Materialism
Does anger follow the laws of thermodynamics?
Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't.
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Gratitude vs. Materialism

by Christine Carter

Ah, November. Though remnants of Halloween are still underfoot (damn those plastic spiders—they get me every time), Christmas carols playing in the grocery store can mean just one thing: The holiday season has begun.

The holidays are a mixed bag—happiness-wise—even for the most Martha Stewart-y among us.

They are ripe for deep joy (more on that later), but rampant materialism and excessive busyness fuels stress, anxiety, and the perils of sleep deprivation.

November, though, contains the seeds of holiday happiness. The gratitude we cultivate with our children this month can neutralize some of the pitfalls of the holidays for our kids and ourselves.

First, the bad news: The holiday season brings with it boundless opportunities for unhappiness.

Cultural messages about the holidays are typically materialistic. Amped-up advertising tempts us and our children at every turn. (Yesterday, I found one of my daughters going through the recycling, pulling out catalogs I'd tried to...

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Does anger follow the laws of thermodynamics?

by Seth Godin

I have no idea what caused the guy in front of me in traffic to be having a bad day.

Maybe he has a stressful meeting coming up, or his butler burned his bacon at breakfast. Maybe he's having trouble paying his rent, or his industry is under siege. All I know is that he's weaving in and out, giving people the finger, and yelling at other cars, all at the same time.

Unlike cupcakes, anger isn't conserved.

If I have a cupcake and I give it to you, I don't have a cupcake any more. But if someone who is angry gives you their anger, now you both might have it.

You've seen it too many times before. Someone is afraid, untethered, or just upset about something that happened long before you walked into the room. Unbridled agita is dumped on you, spittle flying, eyes wide, personal invective unfiltered. Just feet away, the angry person is saying "here" and dumping vitriol in your direction.

All connection gets severed; any chance for positive engagement seems long gone. The...

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Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't.

by Positively Positive

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