Darya Sinusoid, Author at Shortform Books

How to Start Meditating: Tips for Beginners

Do you want to start meditating but aren’t sure how to do it properly? How long should you meditate? What position do you assume? According to Henepola Gunaratana, the author of Mindfulness in Plain English, beginner meditators shouldn’t worry about attaining any particular goal within a particular time period. It’s best to start meditating with an open mind, inviting and accepting whatever the experience brings. Here are some pointers for those who want to start meditating plus some tips for handling distractions and mind-wandering.

The Law of the Lid: The First Law of Leadership

What is the Law of the Lid? What role does this law play in organizational effectiveness? In his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership, Maxwell uses the Law of the Lid to convey the idea that organizational effectiveness is capped by its leader’s ability lead. This law is the first of Maxwell’s list of key leadership attributes and principles. Keep reading to learn about the Law of the Lid by John C. Maxwell plus some examples of its successful and unsuccessful application.

Nutritionism and the Rise of Fake Food

What is nutritionism? How has the ideology of nutritionism changed the way we determine the health value of food products? Popularized by Michael Pollan in his book In Defense of Food, nutritionism refers to a paradigm which states that the value of food is determined solely by its constituent nutrients. Pollan argues that the ideology of nutritionism has distorted our understanding of healthy eating, such that even processed foods are believed to be healthy because they contain certain nutrients. Keep reading to learn about the rise of nutritionism.

Behind the Scenes of the Jonah Lehrer’s Scandal

What was the scandal around Jonah Lehrer? What was the public response to Lehrer’s fiasco? Jonah Lehrer is an American author and blogger who has written for several big media outlets including The Wall Street Journal and The New Yorker. In July 2012, Jonah Lehrer was found out to have falsified Bob Dylan’s quotes in his book Imagine: How Creativity Works. In response, Lehrer was publicly shamed. Here is how Jonah Lehrer’s scandal unfolded and what happened in the aftermath.

What to Do in Your Free Time: Rethinking Leisure

Do you feel like you waste your leisure time on unproductive activities that add neither value nor enjoyment? Wondering what to do in your free time that will be both refreshing and rewarding? Many people spend their free time on low-quality leisure activities which don’t contribute much value to their life. If you want to enjoy high-quality leisure, you need to be intentional about it and plan what to do in your free time well in advance. Here are some things to keep in mind as you plan what to do in your free time.

The Law of the Inner Circle: Surrounded by Success

What is the Law of the Inner Circle? What qualities would you like the people in your inner circle to have? The Law of the Inner Circle states that your success is, to a large extent, determined by the people who are closest to you. That’s why Maxwell stresses the importance of vetting the people you are going to accept into your inner circle. Keep reading to learn about the Law of the Inner Circle and how to build one.

Mindfulness Mantras: The Top 2 Recitations to Try

Do you have trouble starting meditation? Have you tried reciting mindfulness mantras? Transitioning from the mind’s default state of wandering or compulsive thinking is one of the most difficult obstacles you will encounter as you begin your meditation practice. One way to ease yourself into it is to recite mindfulness mantras. Here are some mindfulness meditation mantras for you to try out.

The Law of Solid Ground: No Trust, No Influence

What is the Law of Solid Ground? What do you think is the foundation of good leadership? The Law of Solid Ground is the sixth law of leadership from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell. This law states that leadership is built on a foundation of trust. If a leader doesn’t have their followers’ trust, or they’ve broken it, they can’t exert influence over those people. Keep reading to learn about the Law of Solid ground plus some real-world examples of its application.

The American Diet: Where Did We Go Wrong?

Why are so many Americans sick and obese given their obsession with healthy eating? What is it about the American diet that’s sent the health of the population into a tailspin? Studies show that albeit the concern for healthy eating, American rates of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer are going up. According to Michael Pollan, the author of In Defense of Food, the problem with the American diet is that it places too much focus on food’s nutritional content. Here is what’s wrong with the American diet, according to Michael Pollan.

Justine Sacco: Tweet About AIDS Ends Her Career

What did Justine Sacco write in her infamous tweet? How did the public react to her comment? On December 20, 2013, Justine Sacco posted the following tweet before getting on a flight to Africa: “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!” Justine Sacco’s tweet was meant to be a comment on white privilege: white people have an easier time feeling like they’re immune to certain issues. But people misunderstood it and shamed Sacco for being racist. Here goes the story of how Justine Sacco’s tweet became the world’s top story.