Ideas for a Better Life

Quote from composer Gian-Carlo Menotti: "Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved, of all the gifts we have wasted, of all that we might have done which we did not do." The friend who sent me the quote goes on to say: "For…

A personal finance columnist for the Wall Street Journal wrote his last column recently, providing his last bit of advice and learning from writing over 1,000 columns. He addresses a an underlying question of his work: "What is the reason for all this saving and investing?" His advice points to money providing happiness in the…

Many years ago, as a young engineer, I never thought about playing a bigger game. I just wanted to do my job, get paid, and go home to a quiet evening with my husband. What I’ve discovered over the years, as I’ve played a bigger game–connecting with more innovative thinkers, taking on more pioneering projects,…

A friend sent me a fascinating New York Times article about how as humans, we instinctively try to keep our options open, even when cognitively, we know that it doesn’t serve us to do so. In a cleverly designed experiment with students, the article noted the following: "Apparently [the experiment’s subjects] did not care so…