Jez Butterworth on writing a play about navigating the zero-sum world of opposing choices: He described it as a kind of psychological holding place as ‘nostalgia for the opposite.’ Holding two options in one’s mind simultaneously enables an emotional state—of freedom or evasiveness, depending on one’s view—in which Butterworth’s characters tend to reside. ‘The idea…
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From time to time, most of us suffer from a gap between what we say we do and what we actually do. This is especially true in everything associated with well-being: fitness, health, personal finance, and general self-improvement. We know we should exercise, but we don’t always want to. We know we should save, but…
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“Everything we need to be happy is easy to obtain.” -Epicurus I’ve long advocated that happiness is not entirely related to a feeling of a precise moment. Instead, it’s more closely related to the overall life we live, as well as the life we hope to have in the future. If you quit smoking, you…
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Right before the Thanksgiving holiday, our Unconventional Guides crew unveiled a new product to help people travel for less. But what did we miss?
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I remember a Christmas in which I spent the day entirely by myself. Strategy #1: sleep as late as possible. Strategy #2: fill up the day with as many things to occupy my time without feeling lonely. It didn’t work, at least not completely. I was sad and depressed for much of the day. I…
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And other ways of applying perspective. “Guy from Minnesota says it’s cold in the winter. Guy from Mexico disagrees, says it’s hot in the winter. Both have a hard time realizing they’re each right based on their own unique life experiences. They call each other idiots in the comments section of news article that has…
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From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: As you make progress toward a small goal, the bigger vision expands. Many people featured…
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From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: “All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other.” Most…
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From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: Some adventures should be shared. In studying quests, I heard from people who chose to…
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I’ve been thinking about this question recently (thanks, Danielle). There’s a lot of freedom in giving up on a matter of principle, so you can move on with your life. When at an impasse in a difficult situation, the freedom comes in saying “OK, whatever. Have it your way, but let’s stop the silliness.” Letting…
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From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: Misadventures produce confidence. At nearly every stage in my journey to every country in the…
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Before a big talk, I used to stress out for weeks. The feeling began with a sense of being unsettled (and not the good kind). I was anxious and unsure of how to resolve it. Finally, at least a few days beforehand, the talk took over my mind and became all I could think about.…
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From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: We are motivated by progress and achievement. It feels good to check things off. Lists…
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From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: Every day matters. The awareness of our mortality can help us focus. We all have…
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From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: Before Beginning, Count the Cost. In the early days of my journey to every country,…
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