We normally don’t put up ads but this Dove one got to us.
Drop a comment if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the beauty industry.
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The Difference Between A Spiritual Problem And An Economic One
Here’s a neat article. Often times we’d like to blame all our financial woes on the economy, a bad boss, or some other reason. But hey, did we ever think it might be a spiritual problem?
The author of the article below gives some pretty good insight on what’s blocking us from sure success and offers up 3 questions to ask yourself.
Is Your Problem Economic or Spiritual?
By Jim Selman for the Huffington Post
My teacher and friend Dr. Fernando Flores was a candidate for the Presidency of Chile. In one of his speeches, he declared, “We don’t have an economic problem so much as we have a spiritual one… we’ve forgotten who we are… we lack a vision and purpose for our nation.” He dropped out of the presidential race, but this phrase has stayed with me. I think it is true of most nations, including our own.
There is a maxim that states, “A vision without action is just a dream. Action without a vision is a nightmare.” A vision provides a context, a ground of being for our lives. A vision is not a goal: it is the organizing principle for whatever goals we may have. A vision is a place to stand–the future as possibility–a place to “come from” in all that we undertake. Read the full article »
September 1, 2010
10 Movie Quotes Filled With Words Of Wisdom
Movies contain a lot of wisdom, sometimes even when there’s a car chase and an explosion going on. So we thought we’d compile some of our favorite movie quotes to give you a laugh and maybe something to think about 
“Every man dies, but not every man really lives.” — Mel Gibson from Braveheart
“You can lose lots of money chasing women, but you will never lose women by chasing money.” — Edward Herman in I Think I Love My Wife
“Nature is about balance. All the world comes in pairs: yin and yang, right and wrong, men and women. What’s pleasure without pain?” — Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
“For just one night let’s not be co-workers. Let’s be co-people.” — Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Read the full article »
The American Culture Of Overwork — Why We’ve Got It All Wrong Compared To The Europeans
Americans pride themselves on being hard working. We all love our rags to riches story and we find comfort knowing that the rich people have worked hard for their money.
But here’s the kicker. Germans on the other side of the pond are more productive, happier, take more holidays, and have a greater quality of life. So where did things go wrong?
Check out this article and you’ll be baffled. I’m thinking of packing my bags and moving to Germany right now.
“Were You Born on the Wrong Continent?”: America’s misguided culture of overwork
Germany’s workers have higher productivity, shorter hours and greater quality of life. How did we get it so wrong?
By Alex Jung for Salon.com
Since the start of the recession, the number of unemployed in the U.S. has doubled. Those who are fortunate enough to still have jobs are often working longer hours for less pay, with the ever-present threat of losing being laid off. But even before the recession, American workers were already clocking in the most hours in the West. Compared to our German cousins across the pond, we work 1,804 hours versus their 1,436 hours – the equivalent of nine extra 40-hour workweeks per year. The Protestant work ethic may have begun in Germany, but it has since evolved to become the American way of life.
According to Thomas Geoghegan, a labor lawyer in Chicago and author of “Were You Born on the Wrong Continent?: How the European Model Can Help You Get a Life,” European social democracy – particularly Germany’s – offers some tantalizing solutions to our overworked age. In comparison to the U.S., the Germans live in a socialist idyll. They have six weeks of federally mandated vacation, free university tuition, nursing care, and childcare. In an attempt to make Germany more like the U.S., Angela Merkel has proposed deregulation and tax cuts only to be met with fury on the left. Over multiple trips spanning a decade, Geoghegan decided to investigate how the Germans were living so well, and by extension, what we might be able to learn from them. Read the full article »
August 31, 2010
Rapping The Adventures Of Being In Quarantine — Proof That Anything Can Be Fun
This is just plain funny. It’s a rapper in quarantine, rapping his story.
Pretty good song, might we add.
Romantic Texting 101 — Funny Stats On What Will Get You That Second Date
Hilarious article and way too true. Here’s an analysis on what words work and what don’t when it comes to texting that first message to a potential romantic partner.
Drop a comment if you’ve got any funny dating stories or text message woes.
Exactly What To Say In A First Message
By Christian Rudder for OKCupid.com
Ok, here’s the experiment. We analyzed over 500,000 first contacts on our dating site, OkCupid. Our program looked at keywords and phrases, how they affected reply rates, and what trends were statistically significant. The result: a set of rules for what you should and shouldn’t say when introducing yourself. Online dating advice at its best. Let’s go:
Rule 1: Be literate
Netspeak, bad grammar, and bad spelling are huge turn-offs. Our negative correlation list is a fool’s lexicon: ur, u, wat, wont, and so on. These all make a terrible first impression. In fact, if you count hit (and we do!) the worst 6 words you can use in a first message are all stupid slang.
Language like this is such a strong deal-breaker that correctly written but otherwise workaday words like don’t and won’t have nicely above average response rates (36% and 37%, respectively). Read the full article »
August 30, 2010
Meet The Man With The Most Perfect Life In The World — His Secret? The 12 Categories of Balance.
Success isn’t just about money or the number of friends you have. In fact it’s a fine balance between 12 categories. I want you to meet John Butcher. He has the most perfect life of anyone I’ve ever met. How does he do it? Well it comes down to thinking of his life within these 12 categories of balance.
Watch the video below. In it I introduce Jon Butcher and I explain the 12 Categories.
Correction: In the video below I mention that Jon’s company Precious Moments does 1 billion dollars in sales annually. I got the data wrong. It has done $10 billion over the last 30 years with it’s best year at $600 million.
John’s an awesome guy and I’m really happy to announce that part of his LifeBook process will be taught at AwesomenessFest. It’s an intense exercise but worth every second.
To get more info and to get on the early notification list for AwesomenessFest, head here »
Vote For The Top FinerMinds Tagline! 32 Hot Taglines Await Your Decision
First off, THANK YOU to everyone who submitted a tagline for the FinerMinds Tagline Search. We loved reading every single one of them so thank you so much for giving your suggestions.
Alright, after much deliberation we’ve finally whittled down 437 comments and over 500 different taglines. It was tough but fun work.
And now the time has come for you to pick the number 1 tagline. Drumroll please…
Which tagline best suits FinerMinds?
We’ll be announcing the winner of the Tagline contest next week so keep your eyes on the blog. If you’re one of the people short listed, keep your eyes on your inbox. We’ll be getting in contact with you.
And the Winner Gets 2 Tickets To AwesomenessFest (Worth $4000)!
The winner of the tagline contest will get 2 tickets to our December personal growth beach event happening on Costa Rica. It’s called AwesomenessFest.
This December 2 — 5 2010, on a beach in Costa Rica, I’ll be hosting Awesomeness Fest. We’re bringing together music + personal growth + fun and adventure. 300 people will be exposed to the hottest personal growth ideas of 2010. We’ll also bring in amazing musicians, bands, and some of the most incredible speakers in the field of personal growth. The event’s got a huge focus on bonding and team activities. The idea is that people who attend will form and create a whole new network of friends and contacts who can help them in their upward spiral of growth. The event is by invitation only and the ticket package we’re giving is worth $4000 (for you and a friend). That doesn’t include hotel or airfare but it’s pretty cheap if you’re coming in from North America.
Thanks again to everyone who participated. You all rock!
The “Ground Zero Mosque” — Super Heated Facebook Thread (What’s Your Opinion?)
A couple weeks ago I posted a slightly controversial issue up on the FinerMinds Facebook page about the “Ground Zero mosque” debate. If you haven’t heard about it, there has been a proposal to build an Islamic center where the World Trade Towers used to be. It’s not even a mosque. It’s more like a YMCA or a Jewish Community Center. And it’s 2 blocks away from Ground Zero.
I think it’s important that we as an interconnected humanity be aware and conscious of what’s going on in the world. That’s why I’m bringing this up and that’s why I want your opinions on it.
Check it out:
For the full thread of comments, head here »
We got 81 comments with some really strong opinions. But I don’t want to the discussion to end. I want your thoughts on this. If we don’t question, we don’t grow.
By the way. When Sharif El-Gamal, one of the organizers of this project was asked what would the building be used for he replied, “The community center will provide a place where individuals, regardless of their culture or background, will find a place of learning, arts and culture, and, most importantly, a community center guided by the universal values of all religions in their truest form – peace, compassion, generosity, and respect for all.”
August 27, 2010
12 Ways Celebrities Have Used Meditation To Help Them
Turns out, celebrities know a lot more than just fashion advice and red carpet wisdom.
Here are 12 different celebrities who tout the power of meditation and what they used it for.
Article by Jason Wachob for the Huffington Post.
12 Things Celebs Can Teach You About Meditation
One of the many great things about meditation is that there’s no one-size-fits-all formula. There are many different meditation techniques, many different benefits, and many different reasons why people meditate. Here are 13 celebrities who meditate, and 13 things we can learn about meditation from them.
1. Angelina Jolie
You can meditate anywhere and find it everywhere. “I find meditation in sitting on the floor with the kids coloring for an hour, or going on the trampoline,” said Jolie.
2. David Lynch
Meditation can help you can do amazingly creative things. (Have you ever seen Mulholland Drive?) How is David Lynch so creative? Lynch attributes his creativity to meditation, as he’s been practicing Transcendental Meditation for over 35 years.
3. Hugh Jackman Read the full article »
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