What is The Art of Happiness About? “The Art of Happiness” is a profound collaboration between the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, and psychiatrist Howard Cutler. This book delves into the nature of happiness and how individuals can cultivate a more joyful and meaningful life. The Dalai Lama shares his wisdom and […]
“The 5 Second Rule” by Mel Robbins introduces a deceptively simple yet remarkably powerful technique to overcome procrastination, self-doubt, and hesitation. The book’s core premise revolves around the idea that taking decisive action within five seconds of feeling inspired or motivated can break the cycle of hesitation and propel individuals towards their goals. By counting […]
In “Sapiens,” Yuval Noah Harari presents an expansive and captivating narrative of human history, charting the journey of Homo sapiens from prehistoric times to the present day. The book explores the critical milestones that shaped human evolution and civilization, from the agricultural revolution to the rise of empires and the scientific advancements that characterize the […]
“Loving What Is” by Byron Katie presents a profound and transformative method for challenging and questioning our negative thoughts and beliefs. Through her approach known as “The Work,” Katie guides readers to examine their stressful thoughts and emotions by asking four powerful questions. By doing so, individuals can gain clarity, break free from destructive patterns, […]
In “Getting Things Done” by David Allen, a revolutionary productivity guru, readers find a comprehensive system for organizing their lives and achieving stress-free efficiency. Allen’s approach centers on the idea that the human mind is not the best place to store and manage tasks, commitments, and ideas. Through his method of capturing, clarifying, organizing, and […]
“Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi delves into the psychology of optimal human experiences, offering profound insights into the state of complete immersion and engagement called ‘flow.’ Csikszentmihalyi’s work highlights the moments when individuals feel their most productive, creative, and fulfilled. Drawing on extensive research, he reveals the essential conditions necessary to achieve this state of flow, […]
In “Essentialism,” Greg McKeown advocates for a fundamental shift in our mindset and approach to work and life. He challenges the prevailing notion that more is better and encourages readers to focus on what truly matters, distilling their efforts to the essential few. McKeown introduces the concept of essentialism, a disciplined pursuit of less but […]
In “Can’t Hurt Me,” David Goggins shares his remarkable journey from a traumatic and impoverished childhood to becoming one of the world’s toughest endurance athletes and elite Navy SEALs. With unflinching honesty, Goggins recounts the physical and emotional hardships he endured, including obesity, racism, and abuse. Drawing upon his experiences, he emphasizes the power of […]
In “12 Rules for Life,” clinical psychologist and professor Jordan B. Peterson offers a profound and practical guide to navigating the complexities of life and finding meaning in a chaotic world. Peterson presents twelve transformative rules derived from various sources, including ancient wisdom, psychology, religion, and his own experiences. Each rule is a poignant lesson, […]
In “Antifragile,” Nassim Nicholas Taleb introduces a groundbreaking concept that challenges conventional thinking about resilience and adaptability. Unlike traditional systems that are merely resilient (able to withstand shocks without breaking), Taleb argues for embracing antifragility—the ability to thrive and improve in the face of volatility, randomness, and uncertainty. Drawing upon examples from various fields, such […]
One of the most distinctive features of the last decade has been the rapid transition to remote work. But from where I stand, the shift is even larger than that. The way I see it, the world is currently undergoing a quiet revolution. It is a revolution I have been part of for more than […]
Most of us are reaching for an outcome when what we actually want is a feeling. Which is why a vision should describe more than what we hope to achieve. Done well, it can shape not only where we are going, but how we want to feel along the way. For many years, mine focused […]
When loneliness arrives, the first instinct is to fill the space with people. That brings relief for a while. But it only masks what is underneath, because the people become a layer laid over a wound nobody has looked at yet. I did exactly this in New England a few years back. I decided my […]
You and I were programmed. We were programmed, in some form or another, to become consumers inside a well functioning system built for profit. From an early age, we were conditioned to desire more possessions and to rarely feel satisfied with what we already have. We were told that we need to buy new clothes […]
We (aka I) have an obsession to keep busy. We often run around like ants who’ve lost their trail, pretending that if we cease for a moment life will somehow fall apart. What we do, in reality, is distracting ourselves from the real, big, and often scary questions. You know, questions like, “What’s the meaning […]
Recently, I went on a waterfall tour through the more remote region of northern Bali, where I was able to re-discover just how sacred water really is. In society, we tend to view water as just a typical liquid substance. However, water is, in effect, a medium with memory. “Water memory experiments” have been conducted […]
Having lived in Australia for 6 years, it was devastating to hear of Kangaroo Island’s recent fire, where tens of thousands of koalas are feared dead on one island alone. Due to the increasing number of global wildfires and our warming planet, I decided to educate myself on the subject and felt like sharing some […]
Setting personal boundaries is not only important for ensuring relationships are mutually respectful, but it’s also imperative for upleveling your life. Your ability to define and maintain these boundaries has a direct impact on the character you want to evolve into, and it can save you a lot of precious time and energy. When you […]
We live in a 24/7 fast-paced world. From the moment the internet came into being, we’ve been constantly “ON,” constantly on our devices, constantly on-the-go. Most of us race through our days without taking enough time to renew our mind, body, and spirit. When you think about it, we rarely stop in our daily lives […]
As men, we hardly ever express vulnerability. We learned to hide feelings of insecurities and keep up the pretense that things are always fine. But they aren’t. 80% of all suicides are men 76% of problem drinkers are men Men make up 93% of work fatalities. The majority of the homeless are men. Men have […]
When it comes to committing to a new journey, it’s easy to come up with excuses. In fact, we tell ourselves so many excuses (i.e. lies) that if I listed them all, I’d never get to the point. I do, however, want to touch on the major ones. You see, from my experience, making excuses […]
Recently, I made a small change: I changed my personal website’s domain name from Talgur.Me to Talgur.Org – A small change, but one that signals a mindset shift. For more than a decade, I’ve worked on developing myself. I’ve contributed and helped others along the way but the focus was very much ME, MY life, […]
New Year’s Eve doesn’t have to be about who can shout the loudest and drink the most. It can be about quiet reflection, making heartfelt resolutions for the year ahead. This year, I decided to spend my New Year in a remote place in nature. No big party, no fancy celebration, no bells and whistles […]
Seems there’s never a dull moment in my life. A few days ago, I was bitten by a yellow Scorpion. Lucky, the venom wasn’t too poisonous. Its effects were mild and the numbness and tingling went away eventually. Compared to my last year snakebite experience which nearly cost me my life, this time there was […]
It’s that time of year again — time to reflect on the past year, turn a new page, and set new intentions for 2020. If you’ve been following my journey thus far, you’ll know that every year, around the holiday season, I pick one primary focus for the upcoming 12 months. This simple yearly ritual […]
