Monday, June 05, 2017

Fwd: Are You Challenging Yourself Enough?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Darius Foroux

Conventional wisdom says that you should jump outside your comfort zone to reach the 'magic.' I never understood that saying. What magic are we talking about? Unicorns? Men from Mars? An orgasm? What? I don't know.

Here's the thing: I've tried leaping out of my comfort zone, and it didn't work out for me. However, I've also tried to take things very slowly. That also didn't work out for me. I've found that you need a balance between challenge and comfort. And that's a very, very, difficult thing to do.
The reason is that doing challenging things requires skill (see drawing above). The more challenging the task, the more skill you need. The problem with taking huge leaps is that you don't have the skills to address the challenge.
It's a concept I learned from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's seminal book on the way we work, Flow. After studying the relationship between challenge and boredom, he found that a combination of both factors leads to personal growth.
Csikszentmihalyi says:
"One cannot enjoy doing the same thing at the same level for long. We grow either bored or frustrated; and then the desire to enjoy ourselves again pushes us to stretch our skills, or discover new opportunities for using them."
It sounds like common sense, right? Instead of taking big steps, take smaller, and more controlled steps. But never get too comfortable because that's boring. And once you get bored, you stop growing. But life is about forward motion—that's what ultimately helps us grow.
To illustrate this concept, let's do a little exercise.
Which one of the following three statements describes your situation best?
  • A) I'm bored.
  • B) I'm stretched too thin.
  • C) I feel like I'm challenging myself without going insane.
Do this if you answer A (I'm bored)
Get out your bubble and do something new. Discover new things in life. Pick up a new sport. Find a different job. Take on different projects. You need a challenge.
But also remember this: Don't get addicted to novelty. Learn to love learning. When you hop from one thing to the next, you never get good at anything. Again, it's about balance.
Do this if you answered B (I'm stretched too thin)
Take a step back. Give up. Quit. Say, "Screw you guys! I'm going home!" You need to accept that it's okay if something is too much. Things are too much for a reason. Find out what that is. Then, address that problem so it doesn't happen again in the future. Learn from your past experiences.
Do this if you answered C (I feel like I'm challenging myself without going insane)
Just keep it up.

Want to know more about how I personally tackle this topic?

Listen to my latest podcast episode where I share two personal stories that highlight the balance between challenge and boredom.
  • One story is about how I took on a project in New York that failed miserably.
  • The other story is about how I started my blog.

Thanks for reading! If you have a question/challenge you want me to talk about, hit reply and let me know.

Stay smart,

Darius




Saturday, June 03, 2017

Fwd: New Ropes Course Opens This June at Carnegie Science Center!


View email online.
Carnegie Science Center Logo
Featured Events in June

NEW! Defy Gravity on the Ropes Challenge
Opens Monday, June 19
Ropes Challenge Course
Take science to new heights on Highmark SportsWorks® NEW Ropes Challenge course! Navigate obstacles, "walk the plank," or zoom down a zipline in this amazing new exhibit. For younger visitors, the SkyTyke's ropes course offers adventure a little closer to the ground. The Ropes Challenge is included with general admission!
Discover More


Mark Your Calendar Now for the 31-Hour Omnimax Movie Marathon
THINK FUN – Events for Everyone

Saturday, July 8 to Sunday, July 9
31 Hour Omnimax Marathon
It's a round-the-clock send-off to our beloved Rangos Omnimax Theater. Fans of the Omnimax will have one more chance to enjoy Omni technology before its transformation this fall into The Rangos Giant Cinema with the largest screen and the most technologically advanced and immersive visual and audio systems in Pittsburgh. For just one admission price for all 31 hours of the Marathon, guests will enjoy unlimited Omnimax movies, four floors of exhibits, plus Highmark SportsWorks®, plus special shows and even a souvenir piece of film!
Discover More
Sponsored by:
Dollar Bank logo


Party Like it's 1999 at 21+ Prom
Friday, June 16
21+ event
Dress up and strike a prom pose at the selfie station, or get a prom picture taken in front of a fun green screen backdrop. Grab a drink from the bar and dance the night away with music from Pittsburgh DJ Company, or perfect your moves to your favorite high school jams with the Pittsburgh Dance Center. Plus, bring a prom photo and enjoy a special discount at the XPLOR Store!
Discover More
Sponsored by:

Sponsors's logo

Sponsors's logo



Dream Big Summer Engineering Activities
Now until June 18
Dream Big Summer
Join us this summer as we DREAM BIG and celebrate engineering with hands‑on design challenges for any age that will test your brain – and your imagination!
Discover More


Bring in a Snowball and Name Your Own Admission Price!
Wednesday, June 21
Snowball Day
Did you save a snowball from this past winter? Bring it to the Science Center on Snowball Day! Anyone who brings a snowball on June 21 gets to name their own admission price and (weather permitting) launch their own snowball into the river.
Discover More
Sponsored by:


NEW! Special Sensory-Sensitive Night Takes Adults Behind the Science
Thursday, June 22
Sensory Sensitive Night
Adults 18 and older and their friends are invited to a brand-new event designed for those affected by sensory processing disorders. Enjoy special shows and demonstrations adapted with the needs of the sensory-sensitive in mind. All activities will have adaptations such as lower volumes, soothing light levels, or hands-on components to make the evening a comfortable experience.
Discover More


Learn About Life in the Navy on Navy Day
Thursday, June 22
Navy Day
Meet some of the robotic members of the US Navy! See the state-of-the-art technology used to defuse explosive devices, or take control of a remotely operated vehicle. Visitors can try on a bomb suit or dive helmet and meet with officers and crew members from the USS Pittsburgh (SSN 720) submarine.
Discover More


Dive Deep Into the History of USS Requin
Sunday, June 25
Requin Submarine
Go behind the scenes of USS Requin (SS 481) and into areas rarely seen by the visiting public on a Tech Tour! See how these amazing vessels and their crew faced challenges and life underwater. Explore unrestored compartments, see the conning tower, and check out the periscope!
Discover More


See What's Special in the Sky at the Near Solstice SkyWatch
Friday, June 23
Skywatch
The middle of June brings the longest day of the year. But there are some special celestial happenings you can see at night! Join us in our rooftop observatory for a look at the summer sky! If clouds get in the way of the view, SkyWatch continues with a tour of the heavens in the Buhl Planetarium.
Discover More
Buhl Planetarium is sponsored by:

PACLS logo


Discover the "Zika Virus Effect" at the Next Café Sci
Monday, June 5
Cafe Sci
Join Westminister College Assistant Professor Diana Ortiz as she discusses how we might finally win the war on vector-borne diseases at the next Café Scientifique. Admission to Café Sci is free, and beer, wine, and snacks are available for purchase.
Discover More


NEW! Hands-Only CPR Kiosk Debuts in Highmark SportsWorks®
LifeWorks
Five minutes of your time could save a life! Learn Hands-Only CPR in this informative new exhibit developed by the American Heart Association.
Discover More


Spaces Still Available for Science Summer Camps!
Our week-long camps for kids ages 4-14 keep the learning going outside the classroom. Call, or save time and register online. Many of our most popular camps are filling quickly, so sign your camper up today!
Discover More
Sponsored by:
Isaly's Logo

Special hours and closings


Reminder: Highmark SportsWorks®
Closed June 12 – 16

Highmark SportsWorks® will be closed during the installation of the awesome new Ropes Challenge course. All other exhibit areas of the Science Center are open during this time.
Carnegie Science Center
One Allegheny Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15212


412.237.3400 phone
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One of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Friday, June 02, 2017

Fwd: Down the memory hole . . .


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John H

Two good reads for the weekend.  Enjoy the sun while it lasts.


John

Links

Fwd: [WordPress Security] PSA: OneLogin Breached. Here's What You Need to Do.

This worry does not apply to my sites, but for those who do use it, heads up.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Wordfence" <list@wordfence.com>



This is a public service announcement from the Wordfence team due to the potential wide impact this breach may have. Single sign-on provider OneLogin has experienced a major data breach

If you use their services and are affected by this breach, head over to our blog now where we explain what has happened and what you need to do to protect yourself and your data. We also provide additional coverage on this story from other news sources. 


Regards,

Mark Maunder 
Wordfence Founder & CEO

To perform a quick malware and vulnerability scan on your website without installing anything, simply visit www.gravityscan.com, enter your website and hit "Launch Scan". Gravityscan works with any website, not just WordPress.

If you would like to stop receiving WordPress security alerts and product updates from Wordfence, please use the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of this email.  You subscribed to this list via the Wordfence security plugin for WordPress

If you aren't already a member you can subscribe to our WordPress Security and Product Updates mailing list here. You're welcome to republish this email in part or in full provided you mention that the source is www.wordfence.com. If you would like to get Wordfence for your WordPress website, simply go to your "Plugin" menu, click "add new" and search for "wordfence".

Thursday, June 01, 2017

Fwd: Upcoming Webinars: Healthy People 2030 and Progress Review

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Healthy People 2020" <HealthyPeople@public.govdelivery.com>


Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your browser. Bookmark and Share
Healthypeople.gov: News You Can Use

Healthy People 2030 Development New!

Register Now | June 22, 2017 | 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. ET
Spread the word!

Tell your colleagues and friends about this great learning opportunity. Forward this email or tweet about the webinar.

Tweet
Join us for a webinar on the development of Healthy People 2030 on Thursday, June 22 at 12:00 p.m. ET. In this webinar co-hosted with the American Public Health Association (APHA), attendees will be able to:
  • Understand how to use Healthy People 2020 to promote public health
  • Learn about the development of the Healthy People 2030 framework
  • Ask questions about the development of Healthy People 2030
Dr. Georges Benjamin, APHA Executive Director, will present on APHA's involvement in Healthy People over the last decade. You can find a complete list of presenters on the registration page.
Registration is limited and will close once it reaches capacity. Please consider registering early and gathering in one location to view the event with your colleagues.
About Healthy People 2030 Development
Every decade, the Healthy People initiative develops a new set of science-based, 10-year national objectives with the goal of improving the health of all Americans. The development of Healthy People 2030 includes establishing a framework, vision, mission, and overarching goals, and identifying new objectives.

Maximizing Access: Connecting Health Care and Oral Health Care Reminder!

Register Now | June 13, 2017 | 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. ET
If you haven't already registered, please consider joining us on Tuesday, June 13 at 12:30 p.m. ET for a Progress Review webinar featuring 2 Healthy People 2020 topic areas:
  • Access to Health Services
  • Oral health
You'll also learn how the Family Health Center of Marshfield has connected oral health care to health care needs in Wisconsin. You can find a complete list of presenters on the registration page.
About Access to Health Services and Oral Health
Access to health care is the timely use of personal health services to achieve the best health outcomes. It impacts people's overall physical, social, oral, and mental health—and their quality of life. Oral health is essential to overall health because, without proper oral care, people can develop oral infections such as tooth decay and gum disease. Oral infections are associated with diabetes, heart disease, stroke, premature births, and low birth weights.
About Progress Review Webinars
The Progress Review webinars focus on tracking and measuring the progress of select Healthy People 2020 objectives throughout the decade.
Twitter Follow @GoHealthyPeople on Twitter for the latest updates from Healthy People!
HealthyPeople.gov is a Federal Government website managed by the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W. – Washington, D.C. 20201
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services logo and Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion logo
.

Fwd: When will we ever learn?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John H

In times like these it should be exceedingly difficult for Americans to look one another in the eyes and claim to be proud of our nation – just as it should be for the country folks of our NATO allies.  We live in terror of terrorists who inflict relatively small, but still painful and unnecessary, casualties on our population base; while we (and our allies) inflict massive damage and enormous levels of civilian casualties on the homelands of most of those we fear so greatly.  It was particularly true in the case of the Manchester bomber, a known Islamic radical, who was, along with many of his cohorts, given free range by Britain's MI5 intelligence agency to move freely through Europe, North Africa and the Middle East in order to disrupt the Libyan government of Quadafy in the name of revolution onto which NATO joyously joined in order to trash and dismember a stable North African government, much as was done in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, now Syria and soon, if reports can be believed, Iran.  And, it is important to note that we have failed to bring "democracy" or even anything remotely resembling it to any of these nations – instead we have brought continuing chaos, death and destruction. 

This, many have said, was the goal all along.  Israel has long desired its projected enemies in the region to be destabilized and rendered impotent – and we have done that in spades.  Saudi Arabia and the other Sunni kingdoms desperately want to destroy and Shia opposition in the region and we are dutifully following their "orders" by providing billions in weapons, training and direct intervention.  Of particular importance, it turns out, is the regional instability we have caused for the benefit of military contractors and arms dealers, not just in the U.S. but also in Britain, France and Germany.  War, as it has always been, is a major profit center for these folks and never ending war is like having a birthday every day of the year – celebrate, celebrate the killing continues as the profits mount.

The two attached articles take separate routes to demonstrate this ongoing absurdity funded and fueled by the U.S. and its NATO followers.  John Pilger explains the blowback which was Manchester and Robert Fisk, perhaps the best war correspondent of our time, explains why Islam is not the violent religion it has been characterized as in the mainstream media.  And both point to the use of propaganda to keep the whole process producing death and profits.


John 

Articles



Fwd: New Beginnings at Baylor University

Baylor University is getting a new president. That's good news. 
Ohio University is also getting a new president. 
Meanwhile, another school I attended, St. Barts, is closing. 


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Linda A. Livingstone <Office_of_President@baylor.edu>


Office of the President
Dear Baylor Family,
First days. I remember so many of them marked with excitement and anticipation – my own first day in college; my first day as a college professor; my first day as a dean. On each of those days I felt God's presence as He prepared me and encouraged me to face a new chapter. My prayer on this, my first day as Baylor University's president, is that God's love and mercy will shine on each of you and on the University's leadership as we seek the strength and daily renewal necessary to faithfully serve and guide this remarkable institution into the future.
I am truly honored and humbled to have been selected as president of this historic institution of higher education and to return to the beautiful Baylor campus, where I formerly had the pleasure of serving as a faculty member and as associate dean for graduate programs in the Hankamer School of Business.
During the 15 years since I last worked on campus, the Baylor skyline has certainly changed. And along with impressive new facilities, the University has added a great number of academic programs and significantly expanded its staff and acclaimed faculty. There is one thing, however, that clearly has not changed: Baylor's absolute dedication to helping students fulfill their utmost potential in all areas of life, from academics to spiritual growth.
Focusing on the Baylor Family
My priority this summer will be engaging with the members of our faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni and friends, listening to their Baylor stories and gaining an understanding of their goals and dreams for the University. I am certain that one common commitment we will discuss at length is the development of our students into dynamic men and women with the capacity for leadership and a dedication to service. That has long been the benchmark of excellence at Baylor, and it will remain of paramount importance as we move forward.
As I express my excitement in returning to Baylor and eagerly anticipate our days ahead, I also wish to commend Dr. David Garland and the entire Baylor community for their tremendous work over the past year to create a better Baylor as we emerge from the challenges and heartbreak surrounding incidents of sexual violence in our community. All have joined hands to renew our commitment to providing a safe and welcoming home on campus for our students and to redouble our efforts to advance Baylor's distinctive Christian mission in higher education.
An essential focus as I begin my tenure as president: to bring the Baylor Family together in support of our students, faculty and staff. They truly are the core of our Christian mission as an institution, and I will begin and end each day in prayer for their well-being and the well-being of the entire Baylor Family. I invite you to join me in that discipline, and also to reach out to Baylor students in your families and communities this summer to let them know you care for them and support their decision to attend Baylor.
Working Together
Today marks a watershed moment in the history of Baylor University. On one side lies our institution's past – a heritage of devoted service to church and state that is memorialized by the motto inscribed on the Baylor seal, Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana. On the other side stretches out the future of Baylor – a story that remains to be written by our own hands and animated by our hearts.
Like any university with a long history, Baylor has experienced periods of triumph and turmoil over the decades. We will do well to celebrate our triumphs and learn from the turmoil. While acknowledging our past, it is also essential that we engage in the act of casting our collective vision forward. Our future does not simply await us. It calls for us to joyously and thoughtfully give it shape. It is ours to create, together.
Thank you for your prayerful and unceasing support of Baylor University.
Sincerely,
Linda A. Livingstone
Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President
Baylor University  Waco, Texas 76798  1-800-229-5678