Is your brain due for an upgrade?

The blog Productivity 501 had this very intriguing article on ways to upgrade your brain. I will tell you that this article by Mark Shead is lengthy and if you want to jump to the sections i thought were most enlightening skip down to the "Seek Out New Experiences" section and the "Think" section. These are very practical and dare i say enjoyable. Don't just upgrade & update your favorite technology tools -- upgrade your brain as well. Its an incredibly powerful tool that you dare not waste.

50 books every child should read...

Whether you are a parent or not this article from The Independent should spark interest with you...especially if you are a reader. The source, Education Secretary, Michael Gove, says that children should read a book a week (11 yr olds that is). I find that goal a bit audacious for this day & time, but i do applaud the challenge.

What i found interesting were the books on the list. Take a look for yourself and see how many you have read in your lifetime. Then consider whether or not you would have your kids read them. Admittedly i did not recognize many of the titles...it could be because this is a British website. Just a guess.

Creative Office Spaces @ Skype

Office Snapshots recently revealed the new digs for Skype's Palo Alto office. Being the Culture Directore here at work i am always intrigued and learning from new office spaces. I highly recommend taking a look at these pics.

(When you're Skype you can afford an office space like this)

Simplify your life...

I came across this article on the Becoming Minimalist blog and i really appreciated the challening yet practical advice on how to "live simply." In this piece the author, Faith Janes, discusses how acquiring a simplistic lifestyle does not come from one decision but from a group of decisions leading to one another.

Benjamin Franklin's daily schedule...

Here is an intriguing yet simple look at Benjamin Franklin's daily schedule posted by the blog SwissMiss. I certainly appreciate the simplicity that he took on daily tasks yet started & ended his day with a "big picture" question. Obviously very wise.

"Pick yourself" says Godin

No suprises here -- Godin has a revolutionary thought on the decision between waiting to be picked or picking yourself. Solid stuff as usual.

Religion & Politics...

These are 2 things i routinely avoid posting here - however this article was quite thought provoking. Phil Zuckerman from the Huffington Post takes the position that "white evangelicals" are actually the least likely group to support politicians or policies that reflect the actual teachings of Jesus.

It is quite a stinging criticism.

On the road with Dick Vitale

Because i am a huge sports fan -- mostly college sports -- including college basketball this article was very intriguing to me. I personally love & admire Dick Vitale. He has such a contagious joy and optimism for life. A true icon and role-model regardless of your passion for basketball.

Does difficult decision = important decision?

This article by Whitson Gordon of LifeHacker.com rang true for me becuase i am someone that is suceptible to "paralysis by analysis" when attempting to make a seemingly simple decision but am confronted with an unexpected plethora of choices.

In the article Gordon presents research from a number of different sources that sheds an interesting light on decision making.

Creating success or creating successful people

The Harvard Business Review recently posted this article by Heidi Grant Halvorson addressing the question of why some people achieve their goals and why some people do not. Are successful people born or are there things someone can do to become successful based on these actions?

Overall its an insightful article worth your time and contemplation.

A compelling workspace...

My title is Culture Director at my workplace -- not that i am in to titles or think they should define all that we do -- but in my particular case i do assist in helping create compelling workspaces in & around our office.

This is a daunting task at times -- particularly when you inherit a building and space that is 30+ years old. The difficult task is to take that space and turn it in to a compelling environment one project at a time on a limited budget.

I just came across this article from "The Illuminated Mind" blog on creating an excellent workspace and i agree with most of what is said here. If i could pull it off for all our spaces i would be very pleased & i think my coworkers would be as well.