Jobless Dont Let Desperation Expose You to ID Theft

Jobless Dont Let Desperation Expose You to ID TheftJobless? Dont Let Desperation Expose You to ID TheftJobless Dont Let Desperation Expose You to ID TheftIf youre among the millions out of work and are responding to several job openings or posting your resume to job boards, beware of identity thieves who are just waiting to add to your misery by committing fraud in your name.Desperate times call for desperate measures. And if youre jobless, you may be so desperate for a new job that you ignore your better judgment and submit an online application that asks for your Social Security number, drivers license number, or other data that can be used to track down even more of your personal information.Heres a word of advice Dont give it out, unless you want to put yourself at risk for identity theft.Identity thieves are taking advantage of these uncertain economic times to scam job seekers and gather personal identifying information, the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) annou nced in a recent statement.How Identity Thieves WorkWhat can identity thieves do with your information? Here are three common schemesCredit cards They use your personal data to open a leistungspunkt card account, racking up perhaps thousands of dollars in charges, which go unpaid and ruin your leistungspunkt record.Banking They open a bank account in your name, write counterfeit checks, or clone your debit or ATM cards to make withdrawals from your account.Government fraud Using your drivers license or Social Security number, they register for government benefits, such as a Social Security pension.How to Protect YourselfDont give out your Social Security number. Never put the number on your resume or a job application, either online or on paper. Let prospective employers ask for it after they have interviewed you and are seriously considering you for the job, the ITRC suggests. The ITRC especially warns of scams in which someone notifies you that youre a finalist for a job and needs your Social Security number to do a background check. If you have not had a face-to-face interview with the company, offer to call them back later when you have more time to talk. This will allow you to research the phone number and company to make sure theyre legit.Dont submit personal information such as age, birth date, marital status, and graduation dates. Employers cannot legally ask you for personal data, and including it on your resume can help an identity thief get even more information for fraudulent activities.Dont pre-register for anything on the web using sensitive information. Avoid any web site that requires you to pre-register with your Social Security number, home address, or drivers license number. The ITRC also warns that you should not have to pay to view job listings. Requirements such as these are strong indicators of a scam.Watch your bank and credit card statements. The first line of prevention is to consistently monitor your bank and credit card statements, and check your credit report regularly. If an identity thief is opening credit accounts in your name, these accounts will likely show up on your credit report. To find out, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suggests you order a copy of your credit reports from the three major nationwide consumer reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union). By law, they must provide you with a free copy of your report once a year, at your request.Need to know more about identity theft? Play this online game on the FTC site. The six true-or-false questions provide valuable information on what you should do if you believe youre a victim.Which precaution do you believe is most important for job seekers in preventing identity theft?

Ancient wisdom reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy

Ancient wisdom reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyAncient wisdom reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyAlright, youve probably read a zillion articles about happiness online and youre not a zillion times happier. What gives?Reading aint the saatkorn as doing.You wouldnt expect to read some martial arts books and then go kick aspirin like Bruce Lee, would you? All behavior, all changes, must betrained.The ancientStoicsknew this. They didnt write stuff just to be read. They created rituals - exercises - to be performed to train yur mind to respond properly to life so you could live it well.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the species of LivingThats why the philosophers warn us not to be satisfied with mere learning, but to add practice and then training. For as time passes we forget what we learned and end up doing the opposite, and hold opinions the opposite of what we should. - Epictetus, Discourses, 2.9.13-14And whats fascinating is that verlottern scientific research agrees with a surprising amount of what ansicht guys were talking about 2000 years ago.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreOkay, kiddo, time to rummage through the Stoic toolbox and dig out some simple rituals you can use tobe much happier.So lets say life decides to suplex you and youre feeling 32 flavorsof badeanstalt. Whats the first thing in the Stoic bag of philosophical tricks to improve how you feel- and help you make better choices in the future?Ask, What would I recommend if this happened to someone else?Traffic is terrible. Your friend is driving. He leans onthe horn, punchesthe steering wheel, and shouts at the other drivers. Youre like,Jeez, calm down. Why you getting so worked up? Chill.The next day besucherzahlen is terrible butyouredriving So, of course, you lean onthe horn, punchthe steering wheel, and shout at the other drivers.See the problem here, Sherlock? We all do it. But theres a lesson to be learned that the Stoics knew a few millennia agoWhen something bad happens, ask yourself, What would I recommendif this happened to someone else? And then dothat. Youll probably be more rational. And its harder to ignore the advice - because its your own.FromA Guide to the Good Life The Ancient Art of Stoic JoyIn his Handbook, Epictetus advocates this sort of projective visualization. Suppose, he says, that our servant breaks a cup. We are likely to get angry and have our tranquility disrupted by the incident. One way to avert this anger is to think about how we would feel if the incident had happened to someone else instead. If we were at someones house and his servant broke a cup, we would be unlikely to get angry indeed, we might try to calm our host by saying Its just a cup these things happen. Engaging in projective visualization, Epictetus believes, will make us appreciate the relative insignificance of the bad things that happen to us and will therefore prevent them from disrupting our tranquility.Slick advice. Does it work? When I spoke with Duke profDan Ariely, author of the bestsellerPredictably Irrational, he said pretty muchthe saatkorn thing. He called it taking the outside perspective. Heres DanIf I had to give advice across many aspects of life, I would ask people to take whats called the outside perspective. And the outside perspective is easily thought about What would you do if you made the recommendation for another person? And I find that often when were recommending something to another person, we dont think about our current state and we dont think about our current emotions. We actually think a bit more distant from the decision and often make the better decision because of that.The Golden Rule says do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In honor of the Stoics, Im going to suggest that when something gets you worked up you should follow The Toga Rule and Do unto yourself what you would recommend to others.(To learn the 6 rituals that ancient wisdom says will make your life awesome, clickhere.)Alright, youre following The Toga Rule when life goes sideways. But some reactions are hard to squelch. You have bad habits. We all do. So what do the Stoics have on their Batman utility belt to deal with bad habits?Turns out they were way ahead of their time on this oneUse the discipline of assentTheres usually a moment - however brief - when youdecide to give in to an impulse or resist it. You have a choice. But you agree to act out that script youve performed a 1000 times, even though it always has lousyconsequences.The Stoics were big on not getting carried away by thoughts and feelings. The discipline of assent is to feel that impulse, that desire to do something you know you shouldnt, and not give in. But, as you know, that isreally freakin hard.Epictetus thought the key welches that moment when youre deciding. Catch yourself when youre a bout to actand justpostpone. You dont have to grit your teeth andbe a willpower superhero yet. Just pause and think.InDiscourses and Selected WritingsEpictetus saidDont let the force of an impression when it first hits you knock you off your feet just say to it, Hold on a moment let me see who you are and what you represent. Let me put you to the test.And modernresearch into breaking bad habitssays the same thing. First, catch yourself in the act, and thenpostponeThose in the postponement condition actually ate significantly less than those in the self-denial condition The result suggests that telling yourself I can have this later operates in the mind a bit like having it now. It satisfies the craving to some degree - and can be even more effective at suppressing the appetite than actually eating the treat It takes willpower to turn down dessert, but apparently its less stressful on the mind to say Later rather than Never. In the long run, you end up wanting less and also consum ing less.Great, you resisted. But its gonna happen again So how do youbreakbad habits? You dont.Youreplacethem.InDiscourses and Selected WritingsEpictetus saidWhat aid can we find to combat habit? The opposed habit So if you like doing something, do it regularly if you dont like doing something, make a habit of doing something different.And recent science says the exact same thing. Dont try to eliminate replace.FromThe Power of Habit Why We Do What We Do in Life and BusinessWe know that a habit cannot be eradicated - it must, instead, be replaced. And we know that habits are most malleable when the Golden Rule of habit change is applied If we keep the same cue and the same reward, a new routine can be inserted.(To learn the science of breaking all your bad habits for good, clickhere.)Alright,clearing out the bad is good. But just taking out the negative doesnt necessarily increase the positive. Because youwant. Youwantandneedandcrave. Enough isnever really enough because we all e ventually take things for granted and then find new, even shinier things to needHow can you stop running on this treadmill of desire and finally justbe happy with what you have? Stoics to the rescueMake it a treatThe Stoics understood just howmiserable runaway desire can make you. In his bookEnchiridion, Epictetus wroteHe is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.And, frankly, the Stoic response to this was prettyextreme. To make themselves appreciate the things they had, these guys would deliberately contemplate losing everything they loved. Theyd think about death. A lot. Theyd deprive themselves of every pleasure to force themselves tostop taking things for granted.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingHeres a lesson to test your minds mettle take part of a week in which you have only the most meager and cheap food, dress in shabby clothes, and ask yourself if this is really t he worst that you feared. - Seneca, Moral Letters, 18.5-6And research shows doing thatreallyworks. But it aint any kind of fun. Luckily, there is a less painful way to get similar resultsWhats something you used to relish that you now take for granted?Did that first morning cup of coffee used to be a wonderful moment - and now its just something you hastily gulp down? Well, skip it for three days.This isnt merely something old dead guys recommend. When I spoke to Harvard professorMike Nortonhe said this is how youcan regain an appreciation for the things that youve taken for granted. Make them a treat. Heres MikeIf you love, every day, having the same coffee, dont have it for a few days and then when you have it again, its going to be way more amazing than all of the ones that you would have had in the meantime Its not give it up forever. Its give it up for short periods of time, and I promise you youre going to love it even more when you come back to it.And then, once the three days are over, oh man, SAVOR that coffee - or whatever it is that youve denied yourself. Yes, the Stoicswantyou to deeply enjoy it. They werent a bunch of joyless bores and they werent like Spock from Star Trek. They didnt believe in being unemotional they just foughtnegative emotions.The Stoics believed in living in the present moment so you could enjoy life more.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingIts ruinous for the soulmusik to be anxious about the future and miserable in advance of misery, engulfed by anxiety that the things it desires might remain its own until the very end. For such a soul will never be at rest - by longing for things to come it will lose the ability to enjoy present things. - Seneca, Moral Letters, 98.5b-6aAnd, yes,sciencebacks up Stoic savoring. When youre focused on the present and turn your attention to the pleasurable experience in front of you, youre happier.ViaHappiness Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychol ogical WealthThe key component to effective savoring is focused attention. By taking the time and spending the effort to appreciate the positive, people are able to experience more well-being.Deprive yourself a bit - then savor the hell out it. This is how you can stop wanting and departure enjoying what you have.(To learn the 4 Stoic secrets to becoming mentally strong, clickhere.)Now its time for the big one how can you make sure your life keeps getting better? Or, put another way how can you make sure youre getting better at life? Not making the same mistakes, always learning and improving so that every day is better than the one before? Toga-truth to the rescueDo an evening reviewAnnual reviews at work dont do much for happiness. But the Stoics were big fans of reviewing your day so that you can improve your life.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingI will keep constant watch over myself and - most usefully - will put each day up f or review. For this is what makes us evil - that none of us looks back upon our own lives. We reflect upon only that which we are about to do. And yet our plans for the future descend from the past. Seneca, Moral Letters, 83.2But does reflecting on your actionsreallymake a difference?Yup. When bestselling authorDavid Epsteinlooked at what makes great athletes great he found that the magic word was reflection.They think about what theyve done and ask themselves if its working.HeresDavidWhen they do something, whether its good or bad, they take time for reflection. They asked themselvesWas it difficult enough? Was it too easy? Did it make me better? Did it not? It sounds simple and sounds facile, but I think we dont do it.Anevening ritualwhere you reflect on what you did that day is critical. Seneca, one of the heavy hitters of Stoicism saidthisWhen the light has been removed and my wife has abfallen silent, aware of this habit thats now mine, I examine my entire day and go back ove r what Ive done and said, hiding nothing from myself, passing nothing by. For why should I fear any consequence from my mistakes, when Im able to say, See that you dont do it again, but now I forgive you.Ask yourself what you did wrong today. Ask yourself what you should have done that you didnt do. Now you know how you can improve tomorrow. But dont beat yourself up. Be like Seneca and forgive yourself. Have someself-compassion.Did you procrastinate today?Research shows that itsforgiving yourself- not beating yourself up - that preventsyou from continuing to put things off.And dont just be critical of yourself. Think about what you did well so you can repeat it tomorrow. Be grateful for the good that happened today. Yes, Stoicism gives the thumbs up to gratitude. Marcus Aurelius believed in counting your blessings.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingDont set your mind on things you dont possess as if they were yours, but count the ble ssings you actually possess and think how much you would desire them if they werent already yours. Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 7.27Andwriting those blessings downbefore you go to bed is one of the most scientifically proven methods for boosting happiness.(To learn more happiness tips from ancient philosophy, clickhere.)Okay, youve earned your toga. Time to round up everythingyou now have in your Stoic bag o tricks and learn the ancient technique for getting along with other people so wecan allbe happySum upHeres what Stoicism says will make you happierAsk, What would I recommendif this happened to someone else?Take my advice by taking your own advice.Use the discipline of assentDont resist postpone. Then evaluate. And break bad habits by replacing them.Make it a treatDeprive and then savor.When you cant find a bathroom and then you finally do,thats happiness.Do an evening reviewReflect. Forgive. Count your blessings. Show gratitude. (Yes, you can even begrateful for bloggers who read lots of books so you dont have to.)If you want to be happy, relationships are key. But all too often we focus on whatothersshould be doing forus. Thats a prescription for frustration.One of the most fundamental principles in Stoicism is that you need to focus on what you can control. And you cant control other people. (Okay, maybe you can but those methods result in significant jail time.)The Stoics knew that youcancontrol whatyoudo. And very often, that will affect how others treat you.Senecaput it very simplyIf you would be loved, love.Yes,sciencebacks that up.But reading aint the same as doingSoshowsomeone you love them today. Its the Stoic thing to do.Join over 320,000 readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.This column first appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong peopleAncient wisdom reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyAlright, youve probably read a zillion articles about happiness online and youre not a zillion times happier. What gives?Reading aint the same as doing.You wouldnt expect to read some martial arts books and then go kick ass like Bruce Lee, would you? All behavior, all changes, must betrained.The ancientStoicsknew this. They didnt write stuff just to be read. They created rituals - exercises - to be performed to train your mind to respond properly to life so you could live it well.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingThats why the philosophers warn us not to be satisfied with mere learning, but to add practice and then training. For as time passes we forget what we learned and end up doing the opposite, and hold opinions the opposite of what we s hould. - Epictetus, Discourses, 2.9.13-14And whats fascinating is that modern scientific research agrees with a surprising amount of what these guys were talking about 2000 years ago.Okay, kiddo, time to rummage through the Stoic toolbox and dig out some simple rituals you can use tobe much happier.So lets say life decides to suplex you and youre feeling 32 flavorsof bad. Whats the first thing in the Stoic bag of philosophical tricks to improve how you feel- and help you make better choices in the future?Ask, What would I recommend if this happened to someone else?Traffic is terrible. Your friend is driving. He leans onthe horn, punchesthe steering wheel, and shouts at the other drivers. Youre like,Jeez, calm down. Why you getting so worked up? Chill.The next day traffic is terrible butyouredriving So, of course, you lean onthe horn, punchthe steering wheel, and shout at the other drivers.See the problem here, Sherlock? We all do it. But theres a lesson to be learned that the Sto ics knew a few millennia agoWhen something bad happens, ask yourself, What would I recommendif this happened to someone else? And then dothat. Youll probably be more rational. And its harder to ignore the advice - because its your own.FromA Guide to the Good Life The Ancient Art of Stoic JoyIn his Handbook, Epictetus advocates this sort of projective visualization. Suppose, he says, that our servant breaks a cup. We are likely to get angry and have our tranquility disrupted by the incident. One way to avert this anger is to think about how we would feel if the incident had happened to someone else instead. If we were at someones house and his servant broke a cup, we would be unlikely to get angry indeed, we might try to calm our host by saying Its just a cup these things happen. Engaging in projective visualization, Epictetus believes, will make us appreciate the relative insignificance of the bad things that happen to us and will therefore prevent them from disrupting our tranquil ity.Slick advice. Does it work? When I spoke with Duke professorDan Ariely, author of the bestsellerPredictably Irrational, he said pretty muchthe same thing. He called it taking the outside perspective. Heres DanIf I had to give advice across many aspects of life, I would ask people to take whats called the outside perspective. And the outside perspective is easily thought about What would you do if you made the recommendation for another person? And I find that often when were recommending something to another person, we dont think about our current state and we dont think about our current emotions. We actually think a bit more distant from the decision and often make the better decision because of that.The Golden Rule says do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In honor of the Stoics, Im going to suggest that when something gets you worked up you should follow The Toga Rule and Do unto yourself what you would recommend to others.(To learn the 6 rituals that ancient w isdom says will make your life awesome, clickhere.)Alright, youre following The Toga Rule when life goes sideways. But some reactions are hard to squelch. You have bad habits. We all do. So what do the Stoics have on their Batman utility belt to deal with bad habits?Turns out they were way ahead of their time on this oneUse the discipline of assentTheres usually a moment - however brief - when youdecide to give in to an impulse or resist it. You have a choice. But you agree to act out that script youve performed a 1000 times, even though it always has lousyconsequences.The Stoics were big on not getting carried away by thoughts and feelings. The discipline of assent is to feel that impulse, that desire to do something you know you shouldnt, and not give in. But, as you know, that isreally freakin hard.Epictetus thought the key was that moment when youre deciding. Catch yourself when youre about to actand justpostpone. You dont have to grit your teeth andbe a willpower superhero ye t. Just pause and think.InDiscourses and Selected WritingsEpictetus saidDont let the force of an impression when it first hits you knock you off your feet just say to it, Hold on a moment let me see who you are and what you represent. Let me put you to the test.And modernresearch into breaking bad habitssays the same thing. First, catch yourself in the act, and thenpostponeThose in the postponement condition actually ate significantly less than those in the self-denial condition The result suggests that telling yourself I can have this later operates in the mind a bit like having it now. It satisfies the craving to some degree - and can be even more effective at suppressing the appetite than actually eating the treat It takes willpower to turn down dessert, but apparently its less stressful on the mind to say Later rather than Never. In the long run, you end up wanting less and also consuming less.Great, you resisted. But its gonna happen again So how do youbreakbad habits? You dont.Youreplacethem.InDiscourses and Selected WritingsEpictetus saidWhat aid can we find to combat habit? The opposed habit So if you like doing something, do it regularly if you dont like doing something, make a habit of doing something different.And recent science says the exact same thing. Dont try to eliminate replace.FromThe Power of Habit Why We Do What We Do in Life and BusinessWe know that a habit cannot be eradicated - it must, instead, be replaced. And we know that habits are most malleable when the Golden Rule of habit change is applied If we keep the same cue and the same reward, a new routine can be inserted.(To learn the science of breaking all your bad habits for good, clickhere.)Alright,clearing out the bad is good. But just taking out the negative doesnt necessarily increase the positive. Because youwant. Youwantandneedandcrave. Enough isnever really enough because we all eventually take things for granted and then find new, even shinier things to needHow can you stop running on this treadmill of desire and finally justbe happy with what you have? Stoics to the rescueMake it a treatThe Stoics understood just howmiserable runaway desire can make you. In his bookEnchiridion, Epictetus wroteHe is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.And, frankly, the Stoic response to this was prettyextreme. To make themselves appreciate the things they had, these guys would deliberately contemplate losing everything they loved. Theyd think about death. A lot. Theyd deprive themselves of every pleasure to force themselves tostop taking things for granted.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingHeres a lesson to test your minds mettle take part of a week in which you have only the most meager and cheap food, dress in shabby clothes, and ask yourself if this is really the worst that you feared. - Seneca, Moral Letters, 18.5-6And research shows doing thatreall yworks. But it aint any kind of fun. Luckily, there is a less painful way to get similar resultsWhats something you used to relish that you now take for granted?Did that first morning cup of coffee used to be a wonderful moment - and now its just something you hastily gulp down? Well, skip it for three days.This isnt merely something old dead guys recommend. When I spoke to Harvard professorMike Nortonhe said this is how youcan regain an appreciation for the things that youve taken for granted. Make them a treat. Heres MikeIf you love, every day, having the same coffee, dont have it for a few days and then when you have it again, its going to be way more amazing than all of the ones that you would have had in the meantime Its not give it up forever. Its give it up for short periods of time, and I promise you youre going to love it even more when you come back to it.And then, once the three days are over, oh man, SAVOR that coffee - or whatever it is that youve denied yourself. Ye s, the Stoicswantyou to deeply enjoy it. They werent a bunch of joyless bores and they werent like Spock from Star Trek. They didnt believe in being unemotional they just foughtnegative emotions.The Stoics believed in living in the present moment so you could enjoy life more.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingIts ruinous for the soul to be anxious about the future and miserable in advance of misery, engulfed by anxiety that the things it desires might remain its own until the very end. For such a soul will never be at rest - by longing for things to come it will lose the ability to enjoy present things. - Seneca, Moral Letters, 98.5b-6aAnd, yes,sciencebacks up Stoic savoring. When youre focused on the present and turn your attention to the pleasurable experience in front of you, youre happier.ViaHappiness Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological WealthThe key component to effective savoring is focused attention. By taking the time and spending the effort to appreciate the positive, people are able to experience more well-being.Deprive yourself a bit - then savor the hell out it. This is how you can stop wanting and start enjoying what you have.(To learn the 4 Stoic secrets to becoming mentally strong, clickhere.)Now its time for the big one how can you make sure your life keeps getting better? Or, put another way how can you make sure youre getting better at life? Not making the same mistakes, always learning and improving so that every day is better than the one before? Toga-truth to the rescueDo an evening reviewAnnual reviews at work dont do much for happiness. But the Stoics were big fans of reviewing your day so that you can improve your life.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingI will keep constant watch over myself and - most usefully - will put each day up for review. For this is what makes us evil - that none of us looks back upon our own lives. We reflec t upon only that which we are about to do. And yet our plans for the future descend from the past. Seneca, Moral Letters, 83.2But does reflecting on your actionsreallymake a difference?Yup. When bestselling authorDavid Epsteinlooked at what makes great athletes great he found that the magic word was reflection.They think about what theyve done and ask themselves if its working.HeresDavidWhen they do something, whether its good or bad, they take time for reflection. They asked themselvesWas it difficult enough? Was it too easy? Did it make me better? Did it not? It sounds simple and sounds facile, but I think we dont do it.Anevening ritualwhere you reflect on what you did that day is critical. Seneca, one of the heavy hitters of Stoicism saidthisWhen the light has been removed and my wife has fallen silent, aware of this habit thats now mine, I examine my entire day and go back over what Ive done and said, hiding nothing from myself, passing nothing by. For why should I fear any con sequence from my mistakes, when Im able to say, See that you dont do it again, but now I forgive you.Ask yourself what you did wrong today. Ask yourself what you should have done that you didnt do. Now you know how you can improve tomorrow. But dont beat yourself up. Be like Seneca and forgive yourself. Have someself-compassion.Did you procrastinate today?Research shows that itsforgiving yourself- not beating yourself up - that preventsyou from continuing to put things off.And dont just be critical of yourself. Think about what you did well so you can repeat it tomorrow. Be grateful for the good that happened today. Yes, Stoicism gives the thumbs up to gratitude. Marcus Aurelius believed in counting your blessings.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingDont set your mind on things you dont possess as if they were yours, but count the blessings you actually possess and think how much you would desire them if they werent already yours. Mar cus Aurelius, Meditations, 7.27Andwriting those blessings downbefore you go to bed is one of the most scientifically proven methods for boosting happiness.(To learn more happiness tips from ancient philosophy, clickhere.)Okay, youve earned your toga. Time to round up everythingyou now have in your Stoic bag o tricks and learn the ancient technique for getting along with other people so wecan allbe happySum upHeres what Stoicism says will make you happierAsk, What would I recommendif this happened to someone else?Take my advice by taking your own advice.Use the discipline of assentDont resist postpone. Then evaluate. And break bad habits by replacing them.Make it a treatDeprive and then savor.When you cant find a bathroom and then you finally do,thatshappiness.Do an evening reviewReflect. Forgive. Count your blessings. Show gratitude. (Yes, you can even begrateful for bloggers who read lots of books so you dont have to.)If you want to be happy, relationships are key. But all too ofte n we focus on whatothersshould be doing forus. Thats a prescription for frustration.One of the most fundamental principles in Stoicism is that you need to focus on what you can control. And you cant control other people. (Okay, maybe you can but those methods result in significant jail time.)The Stoics knew that youcancontrol whatyoudo. And very often, that will affect how others treat you.Senecaput it very simplyIf you would be loved, love.Yes,sciencebacks that up.But reading aint the same as doingSoshowsomeone you love them today. Its the Stoic thing to do.Join over 320,000 readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.Related postsNew Neuroscience Reveals 4 Rituals That Will Make You HappyNew Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More SuccessfulHow To Get People To Like You 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior ExpertThis column first appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.

8 Things to Accomplish During Your Companys Summer Slowdown

8 Things to Accomplish During Your Companys Summer Slowdown 8 Things to Accomplish During Your Companys Summer Slowdown After months of navigating the hard slog, it can be tempting to kick back and coast when your workload wanes during the inevitable summer slowdown.Taking steps to avoid burnout is all well and good, but is doing the bare minimum really the best use of your time in this quiet season?The truth is, these slow weeks virtually free of meetings and deadlinespresent a great opportunity to better yourself, your skill set, and your department. Our recommendation Make this time count. Aim to accomplish something meaningful before you get too busy again.Not sure where to start? Try doing these eight things1.OrganizeYour Professional SpaceIs your computers desktop cluttered with files? Is your physical desktop groaning under the weight of paperwork? A slow period at work is a good time to change all that.Get organized Tackle those unread emails, sort and systematize your inbo x,and clean out your drawers. Reconfigure your workspace - digital and physical - to makeit more functional. This will make getting things done and tracking down resources easier once work picks back up. Plus, once youve put your immediate environment in order, your mental space will feel a lot less chaotic, too.2. Review Your Progress and Set New GoalsWhile you have some time to spare, thinkabout your professional journey. How far have you come, and how far do you still have to go to meet the goals youve set for yourself, whether in this current job or in your broader career? With no urgent tasks breathing down your neck, you should have room to evaluate your career map and ensure its still leading where you want it to lead.Take note (literally) of what youve accomplished to date, and while youre at it, use this information toupdate your resume and LinkedIn profile to more accurately reflect your current situation. This way, youll be ready if new opportunities arise. You can also capitalize onthe summer slowdown by reviewing your objectives for the coming months, mapping out how you will reach them, and setting new intentions.3. Return to Old Projects That Have Been on the Back BurnerWe allhave that one big task weve been meaning to get to for months or even years, be it a passion project or a long-term assignment that never quite made it to the top of the to-do list. Slow days are your chance totackle the work thats been on the back burner for too long. If youre not going to prioritize it now, will you ever prioritize it?4. Learn, Read, ResearchNow that you have a little more time to breathe, why not shift your focus from everyday work to professional growth? Take an online course to sharpen your skills or acquire new competencies. Research the state of your field or industry to better understand where its headed and how you can prepare. Read relevant websites and trade publications and listen to insightful podcasts to keep up with the latest news and tren ds.5. Automate Tedious ProcessesWhen yourefighting against a relentless tide of work, theres no time to stop, reflect, and determine whether you are really approaching your duties in the smartest, most efficient way possible. In the summer slowdown,on the other hand, you have ample opportunity to think about the big picture. Pinpoint tasks that can be automated and processes that can be streamlined, and look into tools that can help you maintain higher productivity with less effort all year long.6. Reconnect WithYourColleaguesYour network is one of your most valuable professional assets, but connections between people whither with time - unless you actively cultivate them.Use your newfound free time to check in with past coworkers, superiors, and clients. Message them on LinkedIn, shoot them an email, or invite them to coffee. While youre at it, work on strengthening your ties with current colleagues, too. Initiate conversations in the office, volunteer to help people with difficul t tasks, and organize group lunches or after-work get-togethers.Buildingrelationships with your coworkers will pay off now and in the long run.7. Pick Up Some Secondary WorkHave you been itching to explore a business idea for some time? A side hustle is a great way to diversify your income stream orbreak into a new industry, but building a successful one takes some effort. Get your gig going now while you have the drive, the energy, and the extra hours.8. Unwind and RechargeMaking the seasonal slump countalso means prioritizing relaxation. Once fall arrives and your work picks back up, youll have a hard time keeping up if you didnt use the summer months to recuperate.Spend quality time with family and friends,pick up a new hobby, exercise more, and take moments just for yourself. Focus on refilling your cup, and youll have more to give when office life returns to its pre-summer pace.LiveCareer has tools that help job seekers build targeted resumes and cover letters, including a free resume builderand extensive collection ofcover letter examples.