Writing op ed

I WOULD FAP out of boredom, sometimes even at work in the bathrooms. I was addicted, pathetic…Anon22 discovered Internet porn when he was just 12 years old.Looking back, he recalls it clearly. “I was unable to look away. I remember everything about that first moment. The music that was playing, where my parents were in the house, the time of day.” For around 10 years, Anon22 has enjoyed pornography using his computer once or twice a day, a compulsion that he claims ruined his social life and limited long-term employment opportunities.Heavy reliance on porn is serious; it literally ruins lives, causing disruption in relationships, jobs, first person social interaction and other ways. Just as crucial, however, is that the mechanics behind pornography addiction are completely natural. Worrying, Anon22 has discovered that compared to many others, his was a mild case. As I write this, there are 18,928 “Fapstronauts” doing their utmost to exercise … [Read more...] about Pornography Addiction: The Hidden Struggle & How to Break Free [Feature]

Whenever the world seems hopeless, I find myself revisiting the 2012 don't-worry-it's-all-gonna-be-great TED talk from XPrize CEO Peter Diamandis (embedded below). Diamandis is a passionate proponent of "rational optimism," and uses cold hard data to demonstrate how humanity is improving its condition thanks to technology. In the decades to come—according to Diamandis—enhancements in things like artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and robotics will lead us into strange, uncharted territories. For example, people may no longer have to work for a living; we'll transition into being an extraterrestrial species; and aging—as we know it—might become a thing of the past. That's just to name a few. Anyone familiar with the predictions of the often-correct (but sometimes wrong) tech prognosticator Ray Kurzweil will be familiar with Diamandis' world view. In fact, Diamandis co-founded the Silicon Valley-based Singularity University with Kurzweil … [Read more...] about Our Exciting, Weird, and Scary Future: Q&A With Peter Diamandis

Whether you’re breaking a bad habit or trying to form a good one, a little nudge in the right direction can go a long way. These free printables and ebooks promise to help you track or change habits easily.As the year draws to a close, we often succumb to the pressure of setting resolutions. But if you’re serious about changing habits, you need the right advice and tools to get you going. You can use habit apps to reach your goals or go old-school with a pen and paper. There is just something more satisfying about the tactile feel of crossing or ticking a box.1. Habit Print: Create a Printable Seinfeld-Like ChainComedian Jerry Seinfeld famously shared his productivity habit. He wrote a joke every single day and crossed it out on the calendar. The visual chain of his successful habit kept him going every day. Several people now swear by this trick.Habit Print is a free web app to create such a visual habit tracker and print it. Just write whatever task you want to accomplish … [Read more...] about 6 Free Printables and Ebooks to Track or Change Habits

Advertisement Bad habits are difficult to break. Good habits are difficult to form. Self-improvement is a marathon, and if you get any help on the way, you should take it. Start with habit-forming apps to gain motivation and meet your targets. Download 8 FREE Cheat Sheets Full of Tips and Shortcuts For Your Favorite Apps! Download There is no shortage of such habit apps, of course. But in the past few months, a few new tools have come up that deserve a mention. From tracking how often you work on your habit to participating in a community that eggs each other on, there is a self-improvement app for everyone.1. Goalify (Android, iOS): Record Your Habits and GoalsGoalify is perhaps the most impressive new habit tracking tool. It eases the process of setting new habits or goals, and it also makes tracking them much simpler.You can pick among the preset habit ideas from Goalify or set a custom one. The presets are wonderful. Choose a category, choose the type of habit you … [Read more...] about 5 New Habit Apps That Actually Work to Reach Your Goals

Advertisement What does your desktop or mobile wallpaper say about you? Does it help you start your day on a more positive note? Or have you stopped giving a second thought to it? It is such a simple thing, isn’t it? The humble wallpaper.But with smart use, a wallpaper can prepare us for a tough day from the moment we switch on our devices.Positive psychology tells us a lot about one vital habit for general well-being: gratitude. But it’s not so easy — our brains are wired for negativity. Gratitude and positive thinking must be cultivated with deliberate practice. Brain scientists advocate positive visual exercises to bolster your mental resilience.The short secret is that you have to seek ways to be grateful every day. For instance, this five-minute habit How To Be Happy In Five Minutes A Day How To Be Happy In Five Minutes A Day Psychology has started to shed light on how to make yourself happier. New products and apps are using these findings. One … [Read more...] about Begin Your Day on a Positive Note With a Gratitude Wallpaper