What you can learn about luck from a farmer and his horse. — It seems like the world is at a boiling point. Literally. Global news has been so grim over the last few years that psychologists warn it’s unhealthy to watch. Odds are you are going through something in your personal life too. …

Your perfect life depends on your perspective. — Imagine you were transported to a library where every potential version of your life existed in a book on the shelves. …

In times of chaos, the past provides psychological protection. — With the rise of mindfulness, nostalgia gets a bad reputation. We think we must completely let go of the past to fully live in the present, which means reminiscing on the good old days is now seen as unproductive or even counterproductive. But what if it’s not? What if there…

You don’t get a sneak peek at how your story ends and that’s for your own good. — We are all fortune tellers, though not very reliable ones. We try to predict the future, stay one step ahead, and consider every possible outcome so we can mentally prepare for them. Pretending to know the future distracts us from facing the inevitable unknowns, the infinite uncontrollable variables at work…

Apparently, it’s a trademark of my people. — “I’ll take you to the gym with me so we can work on these.” Said my boyfriend’s cousin Maria as she reached out to pinch the fat on my inner right thigh. Did she seriously just say that? Do that? Admittedly, my thighs had been expanding, and understandably so. A…

Based on my experience as an American who moved to Italy for an Italian. — “What are you doing next?” The polite middle-aged lady I was making small talk with inquired. It’s the most generic follow-up question when someone tells you they are finishing college in a few months. My answer, however, wasn’t so generic. “I’m moving to Italy.” I replied. I don’t know why…

Words to help you catch moments, trust time, and never lose your youth. — I’ve always been interested in how people live. Growing up in California, I had this unshakable feeling there must be another way to do things, a fuller human existence beyond stuffy classroom walls and air-conditioned cars parked in bumper-to-bumper traffic. In California, everyone is busy — studying, working, being successful…

And how he felt about making it — Did you know Michelangelo Buonarroti didn’t want to paint the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling? He considered himself a sculptor, not a painter, and he didn’t think he had the experience to complete the task, nor did he want to complete it (more on that later). Michelangelo eventually came around and did…

Don’t let one poison apple make you swear off apples for good. — Snow White took a bite out of the wrong apple. She trusted the wrong person, and it almost killed her. It would make perfect sense if Snow White never wanted to taste an apple or accept a gift from a stranger again. How can she trust apples? How can she…