Mr. Freeman

Here is an awesome motivational video to start off the weekend. It's an animation done in Russian with subtitles at the bottom. Make sure to view it the second time to get the full meaning of the author's message. So go out there and commit something outside of your comfort zone. "JUST DO IT" "The Most Important - It's Not A Game!"

Keep your mouth shut about your goals and plans.

When you have some great aspirations in your life, shouldn't you announce them to your family and friends?
Isn't it good networking to tell people about your upcoming projects?
Doesn't the “law of attraction” mean you should state your intention, and visualize the goal as already yours?
Nope.

Tests done since 1933 show that people who talk about their intentions are less likely to make them happen. 

Announcing your plans to others satisfies your self-identity just enough that you're less motivated to do the hard work needed. 

In 1933, W. Mahler found that if a person announced the solution to a problem, and was acknowledged by others, it was now in the brain as a “social reality”, even if the solution hadn't actually been achieved. 

NYU psychology professor Peter Gollwitzer has been studying this since his 1982 book “Symbolic Self-Completion” (pdf article here) - and recently published results of new tests in a research article, “When Intentions Go Public: Does Social Reality Widen the Intention-Behavior Gap?”
Four different tests of 63 people found that those who kept their intentions private were more likely to achieve them than those who made them public and were acknowledged by others. 

Once you've told people of your intentions, it gives you a “premature sense of completeness.”
You have “identity symbols” in your brain that make your self-image.Since both actions and talk create symbols in your brain, talking satisfies the brain enough that it “neglects the pursuit of further symbols.”

 At first you might feel unable to hold all your goals and aspirations only to yourself, but you should try and do it gradually to see the most benefit from it. If you can't hold off telling someone your goal then try rephrasing it into a way that will not give you any social satisfaction or gratification. For example, instead of saying: "I've joined a gym and bought running shoes. I'm going to do it!" say something like: "I want to get into shape and become more fit, and if I slack off you should kick my ass or not talk to me for a while". That way you will be dissatisfied with your statement to a friend and will still be compelled to do your hard work to reach that goal later on.

Tips for getting a better night's sleep

I've been having some trouble sleeping for a couple of days, and so I've have searched for some sleeping tips. Here is what I've found form the National Sleep Foundation. Hope this helps other sleep-deprived souls out there as well

• Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule, including weekends. Our sleep-wake cycle is regulated by a "circadian clock" in our brain and the body's need to balance both sleep time and wake time. A regular waking time in the morning strengthens the circadian function and can help with sleep onset at night. That is also why it is important to keep a regular bedtime and wake time, even on the weekends when there is the temptation to sleep in.

OMGFacts - Facts with a wow factor in them

Another recommended entertaining website with some educational value added to it. Find out plethora of random facts and the background information on them. From sex to science, all of the facts are fun and interesting to read. OMGFacts, 

Here are some of the Top Facts from the website:

• Having sex can reduce a fever because of the sweat produced. 

Ten Most Thanked for Scientific Discoveries

Here is a list of ten most important scientific discoveries of the past century. Most of these are vital in our daily lives and are used to further advance our abilities and understand the universe. These discoveries range from medicine & physics to anthropology & archeology.

Bring the billboard to Life

A smart ad campaign to interest people in pursuing a career in public health. The interactive component of this billboard is that the viewer gets to "save a life" of a patient with a touch of hands (i.e. CPR). Just imagine walking into a bus shelter to wait for your daily commute and suddenly you hear series of long rapid beeps (that are usually indicative of a cardiac arrest), you turn around and press your hands against the wall as directed and in turn "save a patient's life". I'd consider that to be a pretty nice start of the day - saving someone's life at a bus-stop :D  Enjoy the video demonstration below.

via: YouTube

The 18 Rules For Living from Dalai Lama

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs:

•      Respect for self
•      Respect for others
•      Responsibility for all your actions

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

via: EveryDayMinimalist

MLIA - My Life Is Average

One of the most entertaining website about the average lives of other people, it contains the three things that are required to make someone's day.

1. Irony. 

2. Randomness 

3. True Life events.

Here are some examples from the website:

• Today, I found out my great grandpa worked on the Titanic and was granted free passage on the boat to America. On the way to the boat he hit a cow, while riding a bike, and missed the boat. Yes, my entire family's life was saved by a cow. MLIA