The Science of Compassion

Turns out things in our environment can trigger feelings of empathy and acts of selflessness. NYTimes

The Benefits of Not Indulging.

From sugary sodas to cars to chocolate, moderation enhances our happiness. NY Times.

You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

Aaron Sorkin's commencement address at Syracuse University. Awesome.

From thepurposefairy, "15 Things You Should Give Up in Order to Be Happy."

And finally, from MarcandAngel, "What I Know at 62 That I Didn't Know at 24."

Two Kinds of People

"The Battle on Both Sides of the Religious Fence," from Single Dad Laughing

"I'm Christian Unless You're Gay"

This blog post from Single Dad Laughing is remarkable, and I hope to write a longer post about it eventually. For now, let me simply say that the notion that we can trace all of our troubles/conflicts back to our "desire to be better than" has been sitting with me for weeks; I just can't shake it. It strikes me as immensely profound.

"Feeling Felt"

In "The Brain on Love," Diane Ackerman takes a look at how both our maternal and spousal relationships can rewire the brain.

The Sixth Sense

Where does balance fit in the world of fitness, and what can we do to prevent its decline as we age? This Times article by Jane Brody tries to answer that question.

More on Happiness

And why we're not getting it. More from Cracked, here are "5 Scientific Reasons Your Idea of Happiness Is Wrong."

Life: An Instruction Manual

If anyone's qualified to write it, it's probably The Dalai Lama.

Balance

Another Marc and Angel post: this time, 12 things Successful People do Differently.

As an artist, I can identify with both of what are intended to be contrasting examples of a lack of balance in life. (#12.) Hrmmmm...

Happiness Habits

“I’d always believed that a life of quality, enjoyment, and wisdom were my human birthright and would be automatically bestowed upon me as time passed. I never suspected that I would have to learn how to live - that there were specific disciplines and ways of seeing the world I had to master before I could awaken to a simple, happy, uncomplicated life.”
-Dan Millman

Here are 12 Things Happy People Do Differently.