May 2010 - Simple Strategies

2 Paths to Focus

Posted on May 13, 2010 by bhennessy

I had a small revelation yesterday: there are two paths to focus. One path requires constant vigilance against distraction. This path also demands great awareness, knowledge, and outlandish tenacity. This is the path we recognize as heroic. The other path gets less notice, less acclaim. Of those who follow this second path, you never see them trying. These are the “naturals,” it seems. Things come easy for them. But the second path requires a lot of work, too. The first path to focus makes your eye (or eyes) hurt. You strain to place all of your concentration onto one tiny speck. You squint and squeeze your eyeball. That speck could be a planet billions of miles away or it could be a subatomic particle. Both require massive, focused concentration. The person who achieves this concentration earns praise as a hero and hard worker. The second path to focus requires learning to eliminate everything but the

How to Be Happier

Posted on May 10, 2010 by bhennessy

Happiness is a choice; anger is a tactic. Anger will have to wait for a future post. This one is about happiness. So let me ask: would you do something that took less than a minute if that something would make you happier? Martin Seligman at University of Pennsylvania’s school of Positive Psychology has broken down happiness in more scientifically measurable components: Positive Emotion Engagement Purpose Other research has shown how to increase your happiness score. Before we discuss that, though, let’s dispel some notions. When we talk about increasing your happiness, we don’t mean eliminating the bad or troubled things in your life. What we mean is increasing the happiness. You can be happy despite your troubles—look at Job and Mother Teresa. Nor do we mean that you will rate yourself as “Hap- Hap- Happy!” if someone asks, “How you doin’?” Before you wander away, though, consider this: if you do this thing for

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