How to Read People

Let go of the past. Let go of your regrets. Take stock of your life and focus on the here and now. The past is the past. The future shines ever so bright! You shouldn't regret your mistakes so long as you learned from them. Sometimes, our biggest failures end up being precisely what we need to grow as individuals. Don't let them impede your progress. Don't allow them to obstruct your path toward bigger and better things. Life goes on. Keep your head up. Stay positive. As hard as it may seem right now, things will get better. And just because you had a bad experience -- whether a relationship that went sour or a short-lived job that didn't fit your skills or temperament -- doesn't mean history is bound to repeat itself. Things can get better. Things will get better. Such experiences sharpen our judgment. The most painful experiences, in fact, supply us with the most strength and fortitude. Shed your mind of negative thoughts -- ones that do nothing ...

I came across the following quote on Facebook earlier today: "Fifteen years ago, the internet was an escape from the real world. Now, the real world is an escape from the internet."  The quote is attributed to Noah Smith, a professor of finance. What Smith is essentially saying is that we seem to "live" digitally now more than we do the traditional way. It makes perfect sense. If you're like me, you probably communicate more with friends and family via email, text, WhatsApp, or social media than you do in person. You're likely shopping more online than you do at brick-and-mortar stores. And you're probably watching movies more frequently through services like Netflix than at the movie theater. While there's no question the convenience the internet affords us has made our lives easier in myriad ways, it's also made human interaction much more impersonal. If you'd asked me in the 90s whether relatives and friends would someday wish ...

As satisfying as the feeling of completing a project or getting a pat on the back from the boss may be, being overworked is never a good thing. It means you have less time for the things and people you value in your life. If you're under a great deal of stress, you may be suffering from sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression, and other health issues. That's why it's always best to work smarter rather than harder. Assess your work day and see if there's any way you can reshuffle your tasks/agenda so as to give you a little breathing room. Maybe you could use a temp or assistant, or perhaps you can ask your boss if he or she can cut back on the number of jobs being thrown your way. And if you feel that all the extra work merits a promotion or pay increase, let your supervisor know. You may very well be rewarded handsomely for the extra time you're putting it, but you won't know for sure until you broach the subject. At the end of the day, employers really ...

Spend your spare time the way you like -- not the way you think you're supposed to. Do the things you enjoy -- not the ones you feel you ought to enjoy only because society expects you to. If reading, writing, painting, fishing, fixing cars, admiring nature, museum hopping, going to a baseball game, shopping, dining, traveling around the world, or simply watching TV does it for you, go for it. If you don't want to party, don't do it. If you don't want to drink, stand your ground. If you don't want to have a kid or pet, whether now or ever, don't feel compelled to do so just so that you can fit in with the animal lovers or mothers-of-three at work. Many people -- even close friends -- will try to pressure you into doing things that go against your nature or may even make you uncomfortable. Don't succumb to such coaxing. If they can't take no for an answer, they're not real friends. You have a right to do as you wish in your free time. Do...

Overthinking isn't bad when you're ruminating about something that's generally positive: how lucky you are to have such a wonderful family, the material you want to have down cold for tomorrow's finance exam, the ideal place to propose to your girlfriend. In other words, thinking deeply pays off when it's something that induces positive emotions in you. You imagine yourself succeeding in whatever it is you're aiming for. You're focused on what you have rather than what you lack. If you're consumed with thoughts that breed negativity -- from how stupid you were for turning down that date to how sure you are that you're going to bomb the presentation this afternoon -- overthinking can have an adverse effect on your physical and mental health. It can lead to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and other detrimental conditions. It's a fine line to tiptoe. Indeed, we should all strive to adopt a "half glass full" mentality. I don...