周六(9/21)1.跳出個人泡泡圈?2.滿足感與快樂感之不同

星期六 聚會時間 晚上7:00-9:00

板橋區文化路一段421巷11弄1號 (陽光甜味咖啡館)

新埔捷運站1號出口 旁邊7-11巷子進入20公尺 看到夏朵美髮左轉

跳出個人泡泡圈?

How to Find Your Life Purpose? Escape Your Bubble

Leo Babauta

It's simply this: learn to get outside your personal bubble.

Your personal bubble is the small world you live in (we all have one), where you are the center of the universe. You are concerned with your wellbeing, with not wanting to look bad, with succeeding in life, with your personal pleasure (good food, good music, good sex, etc.).

This is the bubble we all live in most of the time, and people who say they don't are trying to prove something.

When someone tells you you look fat, this only hurts because you're in your personal bubble. You take that statement (a colleague who says you look fat) and believe that it's about you, and feel the pain or embarrassment of how the statement affects you. It matters a lot, because in your bubble, what matters most is how everything affects you personally.

I'm the same way, and so is everyone else.

There are some other problems caused by this personal bubble:

    In our bubble, we're concerned with our pleasure and comfort, and try not to be uncomfortable. This is why we don't exercise or why we don't only eat healthy food.

    This fear of being uncomfortable is also why we get anxious at the thought of meeting strangers. It hampers our social lives and our love lives.

    Because we don't want to look bad, we are afraid of failing. So we don't tackle tough things.

    We procrastinate because of this fear of failing and fear of discomfort.

    When someone does or says something, we relate that event with how it affect us, and this can cause anger or pain or irritation.

    We expect people to try to give us what we want, and when they don't, we get frustrated or angry.

Actually, pretty much all our problems are caused by this bubble, including the difficulty in finding our life purpose. But more on that in a minute—I ask for your patience here, because this is important.

What Happens When We Get Out of the Bubble

If we can learn to get outside this personal bubble and see things from a less self-centered approach, we can discover some amazing things:

    When someone says or does something, it's not really about us—it's about the pain or fear or confusion that they're feeling, or a desire they have. Not us.

    When we have an urge for temporary pleasure (like TV, social media, junk food, or porn), we can see that this urge is a simple passing physical sensation, and not the center of the universe.

    We can start to see that our personal desires are actually pretty trivial, and that there's more to life than trying to meet our pleasures and shy away from our discomfort. There's more than our little fears. Including the pain and suffering of other people and compassion for them. Compassion for all living beings. Wanting to make the world better.

    We can tie our daily actions, like learning about how our minds and bodies and habits work, or getting healthy, or creating something, not only to our personal satisfaction and success (trivial things) but to how they help others, how they make the lives of others better, how they might lessen the suffering of others.

We become less self-centered and begin to have a wider view when we step out of our bubble. Everything changes, from letting go of fear and anger and procrastination, to changing our habits and finding work that matters.

How does this relate to finding our life purpose? Let's explore that.

The Wider View, and Our Life Purpose

Illustration for article titled How to Find Your Life Purpose? Escape Your Bubble

Once we get out of the bubble, and see things with a wider view, we can start a journey along a path like this:

    We can start to see the needs of others, and feel for their suffering.

    We then work to make their lives better, and lessen their suffering.

    Even if we aren't good at that, we can learn skills that help us to be better at it. It's the intention that matters.

    As we go about our daily work, we can tie our actions to this greater purpose. Learning to program or become healthy (for example) isn't just for our betterment, but for the betterment of others, if only in a small way. This gives us motivation on a moment-to-moment basis. When we lose motivation, we need to get back out of our bubble, shed our concern for our discomfort and fears, and tie ourselves to a bigger purpose.

In this path, it doesn't matter what specific actions you take or skills you learn to make people's lives better. What career you choose is not important in this regard—what matters is the bigger purpose. You can always change your career and learn new skills later, as you learn other ways to fulfill this purpose. You'll learn over time.

 

滿足感與快樂感之不同

Difference Between Happiness and Satisfaction

Happiness’ vs ‘Satisfaction’

What makes a person happy? What makes him feel satisfied? Will he experience satisfaction even if he is not happy, or will he find happiness even if his wants and needs are not satisfied?

We all search for things that will make us happy, and we have wants that need to be satisfied. What is ‘happiness’ and what is ‘satisfaction’? Do they always go together, or is their fulfillment separate from each other?

‘Happiness’ is defined as both a state of mind and an emotion. Man can choose to be happy. It is relevant to note that even people who are poor can be happy despite the fact that not all their needs are met, even the most basic ones.

‘Satisfaction,’ on the other hand, is the state wherein your desires are met. You will find it in the possession and enjoyment of things that you desire. In effect, it, too, is a state of mind wherein you find contentment knowing that your demands and desires are made possible.

Meeting the desires of your heart and the demands of your needs will not necessarily make you happy despite the fact that you will never want for anything when you are satisfied.

Everything actually depends on your beliefs. If you see poverty as a blessing rather than a curse and be content with what you have, then your chances of being happy are greater than the person who sees material things as a necessity in life.

They will never feel happy unless all their desires are fulfilled which is next to impossible since man’s needs, wants, and desires will never stop at the fulfillment of each one.

To be happy, one has to find himself first and know who he is and what he wants to be. Then he will be able to discover the things that really matter to him and which would give him satisfaction.

Positive psychologists state that there are three kinds of happiness:

Pleasure, which is a positive sensory experience.

Engagement, which can involve one’s family, work, hobbies, and romance.

Meaning, which is the use of one’s strengths to serve a purpose in life.

These feelings are felt when endorphins are released as the result of exercise, religious involvement, and being with happy people. Recent studies suggest that religious people are happier than people who are not. Perhaps this is due to their involvement in religious activities which can give them a high degree of satisfaction because, as they help others, they become more worthy of the glory of God.

Summary:

1. Happiness is a state of mind while satisfaction is the absence of want.

2. Happiness is an emotion while satisfaction is not.

3. Although both happiness and satisfaction can go together, one can be happy even if his wants are not met while he can be satisfied without necessarily being happy.

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週五(9/20)1.當總統的好處 2.城市生活與快樂 PM 7:00-9:00

板區橋文化路一段421巷11弄1號 (陽光甜味咖啡館)

新埔捷運站1號出口 旁邊7-11巷子進入20公尺 看到夏朵美髮左轉    PM 7:00-9:00

當總統的好處

 Crazy Perks of Being President

By Andrew Lisa, GOBankingRates

Presidents always have lived well in the White House, which had running water in 1833, central heating in 1837 and an elevator in 1881. The White House was built for $232,272 in the 1790s, according to History.com. The White House Historical Association says the building has 132 rooms.

Contrary to popular belief, there are no secret passages or hidden escapes — none known to the public, at least. However, there is a well-known underground complex that includes a florist and bowling alley.

The General Services Administration is required to furnish former presidents with enough money to cover travel and business expenses. In 2016, Congress presented President Obama legislation that would have capped taxpayer spending on former presidents' office and travel expenses at $200,000 a year. The soon-to-be former president vetoed the bill.

Not only do presidents get cushy offices and free travel, they also receive a presidential pension — they were, after all, government employees. The Former Presidents Act sets into law what ex-presidents receive in compensation. All four living former presidents — Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush — received annual pensions of $205,700 in 2016.

Every president since Franklin Roosevelt has enjoyed his own retreat of solitude — Camp David. Located deep in Catoctin Mountain Park in Frederick County, Md., the camp serves as the president's country home.

Although it is charming, it's not exactly rustic. Amenities include a full gym, swimming pool, executive board rooms and an aircraft hangar. According to the book "The $1.4 Billion Man: Costs of the Obama White House," every night the president spends at Camp David costs $711,000.

The White House is home to nearly 100 permanent residence staffers. The private army of servants includes maids, cooks, butlers and a head housekeeper. But it doesn't stop there. Among the other permanent staffers on the payroll are full-time plumbers, valets, groundskeepers, engineers and florists.

When you see the president, you might notice intense-looking, hyper-alert men and women with earpieces following behind. That's the Secret Service, the agency tasked with protecting the president — even at the cost of their own lives.

Well-armed, trained and prepared, members of the Secret Service are more than bodyguards. They conduct advance work, threat assessments, countersurveillance and airspace security. Ex-presidents get Secret Service protection for life, and their children are protected until the kids turn 16. The agency's 2016 budget was $2.2 billion.

The White House is home to a full fitness center. The president doesn't have to wander around alone wondering how to work all those exercise machines either. Instead, the job comes with a personal trainer, which President Obama is known to utilize extensively. Information on the current presidential trainer's rate is not available, but according to Angie's List, the average trainer charges between $80 and $125 per hour.

Every president since John F. Kennedy has dined in style thanks to a White House executive chef. In 2005, Cristeta Comerford became the first woman appointed to the position when she was hired by first lady Laura Bush. She still remains at the post after being reappointed by first lady Michelle Obama, who was inspired by Comerford's passion for healthy food.

It is estimated the White House executive chef earns under $100,000 a year, which the CulinarySchools.org website deems to be "surprisingly modest."

Presidents who happen to be movie buffs are in luck: The White House is home to a 42-seat tiered theater where the presidential family and guests can watch movies, sports and television. President Franklin Roosevelt converted the East Terrace cloakroom into a theater so he could watch newsreels from World War II.

  

城市生活與快樂

Why the Places We Live Make Us Happy

Kaid Benfield

    We find that the design and conditions of cities are associated with the happiness of residents in 10 urban areas. Cities that provide easy access to convenient public transportation and to cultural and leisure amenities promote happiness. Cities that are affordable and serve as good places to raise children also have happier residents. We suggest that such places foster the types of social connections that can improve happiness and ultimately enhance the attractiveness of living in the city.

As I noted last June, in the U.S., "the pursuit of Happiness" is listed in the first sentence of our Declaration of Independence, right along life and liberty as an inalienable right of all people. That’s a lofty dose of respect from the founders of our republic. Shouldn’t it get the same respect from those of us in the business of pursuing environmental quality?

Trust me: it doesn’t.

There are a lot of reasons why this is so, but surely one of them is that happiness is viewed by just about everyone outside the mental health field as highly subjective. And it is certainly difficult to measure. The effect of environmental factors on happiness is more difficult still, notwithstanding some intriguing efforts in the country of Bhutan and the cities of Victoria, Seattle, and Bogata. The concept of "healing cities," which I profiled recently, also appears to be on the case, taking a holistic view of health that includes "physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual needs."

The new academic study, kindly forwarded to me by Kevin Leyden, one of its authors, attempts to approach the subject with scientific rigor. Leyden and his colleagues believe that city attributes do indeed make a difference and that, as a result, "happiness and its pursuit ... is a subject that should be of concern to scholars of urban places and urban policy."

Of course, city aspects are not alone in influencing happiness, and neither Leyden nor I would claim otherwise. Leyden cities a "Big Seven" group of factors recognized by prior research as most substantially affecting adult happiness: wealth and income (especially as perceived in relation to that of others); family relationships; work; community and friends; health; personal freedom and personal values.

The researchers drew from an extensive quality of life survey undertaken by Gallup in 2007 for the government of South Korea. Approximately 1,000 people were surveyed from each of ten cities: New York, London, Paris, Stockholm, Toronto, Milan, Berlin, Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo.  Respondents self-reported their overall degree of happiness (measured on a scale of 1 to 5) along with their degree of agreement with a range of statements designed to tease out additional factors.

Leyden’s team examined the findings, looking for statistically significant correlations. They found confirmation of the Big Seven factors, but also variations that could not be explained by the Big Seven. Examining additional findings from prior research along with data from the Gallup study, they concluded that a feeling of connectedness was a key factor in predicting happiness, and posit that the extent to which urban design fosters – rather than inhibits – that feeling may be an important additional determinant of happiness:

    Do connections with place affect happiness? Does the design of the city and its neighborhoods and the way those places are maintained have an effect on happiness?

    We hypothesize that the way cities and city neighborhoods are designed and maintained can have a significant impact on the happiness of city residents. The key reasons, we suggest, are that places can facilitate human social connections and relationships and because people are often connected to quality places that are cultural and distinctive. City neighborhoods are an important environment that can facilitate social connections and connection with place itself.

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周六(9/14)1.烤肉 與健康? 2.發現 不死藥!

星期六 聚會時間 晚上7:00-9:00

板橋區文化路一段421巷11弄1號 (陽光甜味咖啡館)

新埔捷運站1號出口 旁邊7-11巷子進入20公尺 看到夏朵美髮左轉

烤肉 與健康?

Is BBQ Food Good for You or Bad for Your Health?         functionaldoctornj

Meat contains creatine, an organic acid that helps to supply the energy used by muscle cells. When you cook meat, a chemical reaction turns creatine into a group of compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and there is some evidence that these compounds cause cancer in high concentrations.

Barbecues tend to be hotter than other cooking methods, and if you cook everything until it is well done and charred, the level of HCAs is much higher.

A barbecue also heats the meat from below. As the fat drips onto the hot coals it burns, and the smoke rises up and coats the meat. This smoke contains lots of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the partially burned fat. PAHs are another group of chemicals that are known to cause cancer.

Most of the studies linking HCAs and PAHs to cancer have been in labs, using rats and very high doses. Most people don’t eat barbecue food often enough for the health risk to be measurable, even if you spend every Saturday afternoon in the sunshine drinking beer and eating burgers.

If you are worried, use a marinade!

A 2008 study found that spicy marinades can decrease HCA formation, so don’t be afraid to sprinkle on the red pepper.

Certain spices are packed with antioxidants that will help to eliminate HCAs in the grilling process. One study showed that adding spices, such as thyme, sage, and garlic, can reduce the amount of total HCAs by 60% compared to the control.

Rosemary may be especially potent. A recent study found that high concentrations of rosemary extracts may reduce HCAs by up to 90% in some cases.

Red wine is full of antioxidants, and this can carry over in your marinades. Marinating beef in red wine for six hours before grilling decreased the amount of carcinogens—40% fewer than in beef that wasn’t marinated—according to a study by the University of Porto in Portugal.

Using beer has been found to provide similar positive effects. According to research published by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, soaking meat in a marinade of beer – especially stout or black beer – reduces the creation of PAHs when it’s grilled by around 50%.

Grill veggies instead

Unlike meat, vegetables don’t create carcinogens when they char as the formation of HCAs depends on the ­presence of creatine, which is mostly found in muscle tissue. The lack of fat also means there are no flare-ups that can create smoke.

Grilled veggies offer that same hot-off-the-grill taste without the dangers presented by their meaty counterparts. However, if you crave grilled meat, make kebabs. Using half meat, half veggies is healthier and cuts down on the HCAs. The “meat on a stick” concept works great for cuts of beef, chicken, pork, and sausage or any meat that’s not ground. Skewer fruits and veggies like summer squash, zucchini, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, pineapple, either with meat or solo.

How to have a healthier barbecue

 

發現 不死藥!

Archaeologists Find Mysterious 'Elixir of Immortality' in Ancient 

Chinese Tomb

Peter Dockrill

Researchers in China have identified a mysterious liquid contained in an ancient bronze pot from thousands of years ago, and it turns out to be a famous potion fabled in Chinese legend.

According to the archaeologists, the strange yellowish liquid uncovered during excavations in central China's Henan Province late last year is an ancient 'elixir of immortality', once thought in centuries past to bestow immortal life upon those who drank it.

"It is the first time that mythical 'immortality medicines' have been found in China," Shi Jiazhen, the head of the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, told Xinhua this week.

"The liquid is of significant value for the study of ancient Chinese thoughts on achieving immortality and the evolution of Chinese civilisation."

017 elixir of immortality ancient china 1(Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology)

The bronze pot was unearthed from a sprawling 210 square-metre (2,260 sq ft) tomb, dating back to the Western Han Dynasty (202 BCE to 8 CE) in the city of Luoyang.

It lay among a haul comprising a number of ancient artefacts, including painted clay pots and a goose-shaped lamp – not to mention the preserved remains of the tomb's occupant.

But it was the mysterious liquid – still held in the bronze pot after some 2,000 undisturbed years – that captured the researchers' imaginations, giving off an aroma of rich wine, which led the team to initially suspect they'd found liquor.

"There are 3.5 litres of the liquid in the colour of transparent yellow," Shi said in November last year. "It smells like wine."

At the time, the archaeologists poured the liquid out of the bronze pot into a measuring glass, and noted that further analysis in the lab would be required to identify just what kind of ancient alcohol this was, with the team indicating liquor made from rice and sorghum grains had previously been discovered in similar finds.

But it wasn't rice wine after all, the results show, with the archaeologists reporting that the mysterious liquid is a mixture of potassium nitrate and alunite.

In more recent times, potassium nitrate has been employed in everything from fireworks to fertiliser and food thickener – but its combination here with alunite is a match for the ingredients for an 'elixir of life', the researchers say, as documented in ancient Taoist texts.

Elixirs supposedly bestowing immortality or preternatural longevity were a feature of many long-ago cultures, and in the case of ancient China, were composed of all kinds of unusual ingredients you wouldn't usually consume, including gold, jade, mercury, arsenic, and lots of other indigestible or poisonous minerals.

In fact, the high level of risk associated with drinking these magical potions was so notorious, that an entire body of research is dedicated to the history of Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning, and depending on level of exposure, potassium nitrate ingestion can be fatal.

That said, we don't know whether this ancient elixir of the Western Han Dynasty was ever actually imbibed – or simply placed in the tomb as a ritual burial object to honour the departed, as Gizmodo points out.

But given what sometimes went into these drinks, abstinence was probably the only true secret to living a long, prosperous life. You have chosen… wisely.

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周六(9/7) 1.日本 以客為尊ok 2.拒絕機會

星期六 聚會時間 晚上7:00-9:00

板橋區文化路一段421巷11弄1號 (陽光甜味咖啡館)

新埔捷運站1號出口 旁邊7-11巷子進入20公尺 看到夏朵美髮左轉

日本 以客為尊ok?

Omotenashi: The Secrets of Japanese Hospitality

Written By Nienke Krook

You’ve probably heard about Japan’s superior customer service, even if you haven’t visited the country yet – and it’s true. No matter where you travel within Japan, the people are polite, your surroundings are clean, and, as a customer, you often feel like the most important person in the building. This is Japanese Omotenashi. And below, I’ll tell you more about it!

What is Omotenashi?

In 2020, Japan will host the Summer Olympics and the Paralympics and preparations are in full swing to make sure the country is ready to welcome guests from all over the world.

Christel Takigawa, the Tokyo 2020 Bid Ambassador presented an inspiring speech to the International Olympic Committee emphasizing the importance of ‘Omotenashi’ – the Japanese way of receiving guests.

You’ve probably heard about Japan’s superior customer service, even if you haven’t visited the country yet – and it’s true. No matter where you travel, the people are polite, your surroundings are clean and as a customer, you often feel like the most important person in the building. 

Omotenashi is Japanese hospitality culture at its finest. ‘omote’ means public face (the image you wish to present to outsiders) and ‘nashi’  means nothing. Together, it combines to service that comes from the bottom of the heart – honest, no hiding, no pretending. The origin of this spirit lies in the Japanese tea ceremony, where the tea master faces the audience and makes tea right in front of them, open and clear.

The true meaning of omotenashi goes a lot deeper than just proving outstanding hospitality. Instead, the omotenashi meaning is about entertaining guests wholeheartedly.

It can be hard to describe in English, because it is something you have to experience in Japan for yourself. The concept goes beyond ‘the customer is always right’, instead it is more an understanding that there are no menial tasks if the result ensures a great experience for a guest.

Omotenashi: The Secrets of Japanese Hospitality || The Travel Tester

The Evolution of Omotenashi

While in theory Omotenashi sounds like the perfect way to treat guests and visitors to your country, over the years the attitudes and demographics of customers in Japan has changed.

⇾ THE TRAVEL TESTER TV ⇽

People have become more fond of their personal space and often want to just be left alone and undisturbed. Some of the ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) stopped lining up at the entrance to greet guests because they found out, from a survey, that it made their guests feel uncomfortable. They also stopped going into the rooms as often as they used to do when guests were dining to give them more privacy.

While I also appreciate my space and prefer to be left alone when dining or shopping, I did find the hospitality in Japanese culture comforting rather than pushy. I’ve been in many shops in Europe where staff either follows you around everywhere you go (probably just to check if you don’t steal anything) or is nowhere to be found, and that always makes me nervous, then angry and resulting in me leaving to never come back.

In Japan, however, I am welcomed into a shop without the expectation of me saying anything in return, I don’t have to worry about staff finishing their gossip about the weekend before helping me out, I don’t have to wait on waiters before finally being able to place my order or settle the bill… and then I’m not even expected to leave a tip!

 

拒絕機會

5 Reasons To Never Turn Down An Opportunity

by Paul Ferrante Lycoming College

Every single day, we make decisions based on certain factors that we can or cannot change. One day, I woke up immediately upset that I never studied abroad in Italy the summer before my senior year. I was accepted into a great program, and I was never able to go. I worked my butt off to be accepted into this program. I asked professors and faculty to write me recommendation letters, I focused on my academics promising the program I would have above a 3.0 semester average when I apply, I wrote letters and essays about why I should be accepted. And finally I was.

But, it came the time to send in my deposit and get money together. I started a Go Fund Me and many people helped me out for my deposit. I was finally going! I was going to see Italy. But then, it came towards the end of March and I needed to make that decision to go. My family would never speak to me about this, so I was completely lost. I was stressed and upset. I needed to focus on my academics but get all of this done. How could I concentrate. Then, I called my dad and spoke to him, and I just made the decision to not go.

I have never regretted anything more than I regretted making this decision.

Over the summer, I had a good internship through my school, but I could not help but think that I could have been in Italy right now. I would be in Florence, traveling to Venice, and eating pizza in Rome. I regretted that summer. I regretted saying no to this wonderful opportunity that I worked so hard to achieve.

From this, I try to tell myself to never miss another opportunity -- through money, my physical ailments, or the numbers that define me as a college student. I never want to repeat the past and miss out on new things. I am telling you to never miss out on your opportunities, no matter what may be thrown your way. The reasoning to miss may be logical, but don’t feel guilty about it; other opportunities will come, and when they do, take them and run, no matter what.

Don’t turn down an opportunity due to money

This is why I never went to Italy. I am not rich and I don't have $10,000 to spare. But I should have borrowed it in a loan. I should have worked harder to get that money and go. If you don’t have $10,000 in your back pocket, just borrow it. You're in debt anyway. I can't tell you how many people have said that to me, and I wish I had listened to them. Studying abroad, going to a better school, whatever you are currently facing as your dilemma, just do it. It has been a dream of mine to visit Italy, and now I may never have another opportunity to go.

Never use your relationship as an excuse

We all have a friend who has consistently put their relationship before anything else. I know, I’m single and I don’t know the relationship life, but if you have dreams and places to be, your significant other should be happy about it! I think the best relationships work out because both parties have an understanding of determination. I can't tell you how many friends I have seen put things aside because of their significant other. Please, never do that. If they are not happy for you or proud of how hard you worked, sorry to say, but they might not be worth your time.

Don’t let any physical ailments get in your way

I’m fat, but this hasn’t stopped me from applying for jobs or wanting to hop on a plane and fly to Italy. Yeah, I may need to purchase another seat next to me, but it’s worth the money. Don’t let your physical problems, whatever they may be, get in your way. There have been so many people, especially in my family, who have questioned my choices and have doubted my ability to get a job. My attitude is, no matter how I look or how much I weigh, or anything of the sorts, I will make it in my world. I need to put myself first and my happiness first. Don't let things like being fat weigh you down. You can do anything as long as you put your mind to it.

You have worked this far to reach this opportunity – don’t throw it away

Don’t ever do this. I worked my butt off to get into my program for Italy. I was under all the requirements: GPA, testing, classes, etc. I wrote more personal statements, I asked four professors and administrators to write me a letter of recommendation; and one day, I was accepted into the program. Meanwhile, a close friend who has a higher GPA was applying to the same program (for a different time) and was accepted. If you worked your butt off to make this opportunity work, don’t let it go, because you will feel guilty afterwards. This is my biggest regret. I put so much work and I just failed. And the sad part is, I worked my butt off for a number that has defined me as a person since Kindergarten. And I had so many difficulties because of it. Don't let these numbers define who you are. You can get through it. And don't let your opportunities be thrown away.

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