The 1990s comedy Cool Runnings is about the first-ever Jamaican bobsled team to compete in the Winter Olympics. Their coach, played by John Candy, is an American gold medalist who retires in Jamaica in disgrace after cheating in an Olympic bobsledding event. He makes his living as a bookie until …
Personal Development
Don’t count your blessings. Do this instead.
A few years ago, I bought a gratitude journal. This was right around the time that gratitude lists were becoming popular, so I jumped on the bandwagon. I started every day by listing three things I’m grateful for. It would look something like this: I’m grateful for my wife. I’m …
How to create instant connection with one simple tactic
For Henri Tajfel, the study of genocide was personal. He was a Polish Jew who served in the French Army during World War II. He was captured by the Germans but survived the Holocaust because they didn’t realize he was Jewish. Although he escaped death, many of his friends and …
How the spotlight effect holds you back (and what to do about it)
At the beginning of this school year, I took a seemingly radical step. It’s common for law professors (particularly men) to wear business suits in class. When I first started teaching, I would wear a suit because everyone around me was also doing it. Plus, I didn’t yet have tenure …