Patrolling the Web this Week

I'm currently on my way back home to Los Angeles after spending eight weeks gallivanting across the globe. I am so ready to come home! Although I have nearly eleven hours of airport time in front of me (San Jose, Costa Rica --> Houston, Texas --> Los Angeles, CA), I am thanking my lucky stars that my flight path avoids the east coast. Let's hope there are no spillover delays.

Since I have been traveling, I have had a lot of free time to peruse my favorite websites. The following are just a few of my favorite articles and websites that I've stumbled upon this week. Hope you enjoy!

25 Quotables from the 99% Conference: I'm a sucker for great quotes. I haven't come across a list like this in a while. One of my favorites is from venture capitalist Fred Wilson, "The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary." This is kind of true, no?

Christine Hassler: Life coach, blogger and author Christine Hassler has a website specifically designed to help 20 somethings figure out their life direction. I like that most of her posts come with a short, digestible youtube video to convey her message. She has also coined the term, Expectation Hangover, which can be explained by that horrible, guilty feeling you have after you expect something to go one way, but it ends up turning out the exact opposite.

50 Things to Stop Doing Forever: I'm a fan of lists (I think that's pretty clear by now), and I love this one because we are all slightly addicted to toxic habits that we know are bad for us. This can serve as a reminder of what and why you should avoid those habits. The author's website, Live Bold & Bloom, is also a great self-improvement website.

Ted Talk by Eve Ensler: Suddenly, my body

Patrolling the Web this Week

Here is a quick post about the articles and short videos that have inspired me this week. Enjoy!

Is a Well-Lived Life Worth Anything? A great article that states in order for us to live a meaningful life, we must reject the "more, better, faster, cheaper, now" mentality, and we must strive for a well-intentioned existence.

The Minimalism of Tea: A simple re-post of Thich Nacht Hanh's simple but elegant piece about the sacredness of tea (Sidenote: I'm a bit of tea snob).

What We Need Now: This is a great article that reminds us of the ideals we should be living by. Additionally, the author makes a great suggestion to keep a "habits journal" as a way to align our actions with our goals. For example, if you say your health is important to you, what steps have you taken today to prioritize that goal? Great idea in my opinion!

Get Ready to Head Back to School This Weekend: Lifehacker is my go-to website for all of life's little shortcuts (hence why it's on my blogroll). While the majority of this article is common sense, I do like their tips such as how to use a weekly review sheet, how to speed read, and where to find the best websites to supplement learning.

30 Things We Need -- and 30 Things We Don't
I think I need to frame this!

WE NEED LESS:	WE NEED MORE:
Information	Wisdom
Shallow billionaires	Passionate teachers
Self-promotion	Self-awareness
Multitasking	Control of our attention
Inequality	Fairness
Sugar	Lean protein
Action	Reflection
Super sizes	Smaller portions
Private jets	High-speed trains
Calculation	Passion
Experts	Learners
Blaming	Taking responsibility
Judgment	Discernment
Texting	Reading
Anger	Empathy
Output	Depth
Constructive criticism	Thank-you notes
Possessions	Meaning
Righteousness	Doing the right thing
Answers	Curiosity
Long hours	Longer sleep
Complaining	Gratitude
Sitting	Moving
Selling	Authenticity
Cynicism	Realistic optimism
Self-indulgence	Self-control
Speed	Renewal
Emails	Conversations
Winning	Win-win
Immediate gratification	Sacrifice

Truck Farm: A documentary about a small community supported agriculture (CSA), proving that healthy food can be grown anywhere.

Patrolling the Web this Week

Below are some of my favorite articles and websites I've come across in the past two weeks. I hope readers find them just as insightful and/or entertaining as I do.

A slam dunk for mental health: via Zev Yaroslavsky. As some of you might know, Ron Artest, famous NBA basketball player infamous for his erratic behavior and anger outbursts, has recently sold his 2009 Lakers Championship ring to raise money for The Los Angeles Department of Mental Health. Below is a great in depth interview where Artest explains why he feels so close to this cause.


Ron Artest speaks to Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health from Alysa Solomon on Vimeo.

People Problems Masquerading as Business Problems: By Dan Pallota. Rarely do business and social work collide on the Harvard Business Blog, but the author of the article manages to do so just beautifully. Company founder of Pallotta TeamWorks and president of Springboard, Pallotta talks about the importance of deciphering between work-related problems and life-related problems in employees' lives. He believes that the ability to recognize this difference is the key to increasing worker productivity. His advice? "Make psychological and spiritual well-being as much a priority in your company as all of your other key operating indicators." America could really use more CEOs like Dan Pallota.

Isabelle Caro, Anorexic Model, Dies at 28: By William Grimes. This is truly a tragic story. Isabelle, widely known for her anti-anorexia campaign, lost her life to complications from Anorexia Nervosa in November of last year. It is unforgivable that women die from this completely preventable disorder.

Operation Beautiful: By Caitlyn Boyle. I stumbled across this blogger's website two weeks ago and have loved it ever since. Operation Beautiful is a way for complete strangers to communicate inspiring messages to each other, by means of sticky notes left in public places (bathroom stalls, drug stores, supermarkets, schools, etc.). I really liked today's phrase of the day: “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” I have yet to discover an Operation Beautiful sticky note in Los Angeles, but perhaps I will create one this week.

Simple guide to speaking foreign languages: By zenhabits. This article could not have been more timely for me. Zenhabits, a blog I consistently follow, has some really great tips on how to become fluent in a language (in three months!). While my expectations for learning a second language are not quite as bold, I believe his philosophy of speaking the language for at least an hour a day is crucial to the success of mastering another language. Looks like I'll have to find a way to start speaking outside of my Spanish class on Fridays.

Newer antipsychotics overused: By Julie Steenhuysen. According to a recent study, newer antipsychotic medications are being dolled out to patients without hard, scientific evidence to justify the prescription. Originally created to treat psychoses, these medications are now being used by doctors to treat depression, bipolar disorder and even autism. Among the drugs are Risperdal, Zyprexa, Abilify, and Seroquel.