Pay Attention! (Your Body Will Thank You) - Freakonomics

We need to grip our anxieties head on and force ourselves to imagine what might happen if their vague catastrophic forebodings truly came to pass: what would happen to us if everything we are dimly worried about really came to pass? What are the real dangers? How might we still be OK, even if it all fell apart? Entertaining the most extreme consequ

This experiment — which is really just a form of meditation — gives us an opportunity to experience our emotional tension and witness that voice within us that wants to resist it. Because here’s the deal — that voice is living within you, me, all of us 24/7. It’s constantly telling us to avoid discomfort and tension. This is the voice that, when le

Our primitive brains have adapted to being in a constant state of freaking out. Even if we seemingly have it all, we tend to be way more fixated on protecting what we stand to lose.

Stress happens when something you care about is at stake. It's not a sign to run away - it's a sign to step forward.

But I’ve learned to mentally ask myself, “What is the positive of this situation?” “Okay, I’ll be late for a meeting. But what is the benefit to me? I get to relax and watch the birds for a moment. I’ll also spend less time in that boring meeting.” There’s almost always something positive. Even if you can’t come up with something positive, you can