Step One: You have to put in the effort. Matthew McConaughey had to work hard at being cool. To get people’s attention in Hollywood, he couldn’t just let a fancy red sports car do the work. He had to be fun and engaging. Before McConaughey was an actor, he was in film school. But he realized […]
The Secret to Long-Lasting Love
Dopamine is a natural chemical associated with feelings of pleasure. It’s closely connected with the experience of falling in love, because dopamine is released in reaction to promising surprises and unexpected events. But there’s a downside. As you get to know your partner better, the dopamine doesn’t flow quite so easily. It may seem like […]
How Did Jay-Z Turn Things Around?
When Beyoncé released her album Lemonade in 2016, the world waited to see how Jay-Z would respond. She wrote the album to vent her feelings about her husband’s infidelity, a subject that can be taboo. To many people’s surprise, Jay took full responsibility for his actions. He had evolved into a man who can to express his feelings and take […]
What Is Stephen King’s Secret?
Horror writer Stephen King likes to compare writing to telepathy. When you read a book or watch a movie, you are seeing it through your eyes, but also through the writer’s eyes. It’s a meeting of the minds. King first learned this principle in childhood. One year, as a kid with a terrible ear infection, […]
A Pop Star’s Secret Struggles
Mariah Carey is one of the most successful recording artists of all time. But there was a time in childhood when she didn’t believe that she was worthy of being alive. Carey’s experiences with racism marked her since she was a little girl. In kindergarten, when she was tasked with drawing a family portrait, her […]
What Is Warren Buffett’s Secret?
Warren Buffett’s company Berkshire Hathaway has the most expensive publicly traded stock in history. How did he reach that height? One step at a time. Buffett’s investment philosophy ranks patience, rationality, and honesty as the highest virtues. He says that a quickened pulse is a cause of major mistakes—and even self-delusion. Slow and steady wins […]
What Did the President Know?
It’s difficult for reporters to get clear information on President Trump’s thoughts because he avoids hard questions. But Bob Woodward had something that most journalists don’t get: access. Over 17 surprisingly frank interviews with the president, Woodward gained deep insight into the way Trump’s mind works. When Woodward’s book Rage came out last month, the world was […]
How to Break Free
Glennon Doyle was tired of trying to pretend that she was the person who others wanted her to be. She didn’t want to reconcile with the husband who had cheated on her. She didn’t want to follow her marriage counselor’s advice. She didn’t want to write the memoir that her readers were expecting. So finally, […]
What Are the Molecules of Emotion?
You know that the mind and the body are deeply connected. But did you realize that the way we feel—our emotions—aren’t necessarily dictated by the mind? For a long time, scientists believed that the brain was the control center for human emotions. But then they learned that emotions are also conveyed through informational substances like […]
Every Sale Is the Same
With economies around the world shaken by the effects of COVID-19, making a sale is more challenging than ever. What distinguishes stellar salesmanship from mere survival in any competitive field is the realization that every sale is fundamentally the same. Unsuccessful and middling salespeople tend to approach each sales situation differently, itemizing and weighing the […]
