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Americans are not happy these days. Some of this angst is caused by the state of the world. Americans feel lonely, angry, cynical, and polarized. How are we supposed to do our best work considering all that is going on? But the problem actually goes deeper. We get distracted, seduced, and sabotaged by internal conversations and stories that skew our perceptions and hijack our emotions, ultimately getting in the way of living a happy and fulfilling life and a career that makes us proud. We are carrying around baggage that trips us up, drags us down, and wears us out. Fortunately, our minds have incredible potential to reprogram and rewire themselves. By expanding our self-awareness, looking directly at our pain, putting life in perspective, and distinguishing what we can and cannot control, we can create the opportunity for change. As a psychologist who has advised hundreds of top executives and organizations in 55 countries, Ive observed several attachments that keep people stuck, intensifying their anxiety, anger, and sadness and undermining their peace of mind. We are attached to: Stability We believe we can create stability and safety in our lives and careers. But there is no such thing. Every time we breathe, the world changes. By fearing change, we risk becoming too attached to stability. Research has shown that having a negative attitude toward uncertainty is associated with heightened anxiety and poor mental health. Theres also a strong association between feeling a sense of gratitude and favorable markers of cardiovascular health. Remember: uncertainty is reality and stability is an illusion. So, confront your fear of the unknown. Step out your comfort zone and embrace new challenges and opportunities. And be grateful for what you have in your life. Its likely you have everything you need right now. Past Many of us are living in the past. We idealize or demonize our memories and become immobilized by old emotional scars, relationships that didnt work, or business deals that went sour. Unresolved trauma, self-blame, or nostalgia for happier times are often the cause of our psychological pain. By not facing the truth and practicing forgiveness, we risk becoming too attached to the past. Forgiveness is linked to positive mental health and fewer physical health symptoms. Here we must challenge our limiting beliefs, let go of our grudges, shift the focus to the present moment, and build new connections with colleagues. Future Others of us are preoccupied with the future. We obsess over what is missing in our careers. We are never satisfied with who we are or what we have accomplished. By worrying about the future, we diminish our confidence and peace of mind. Here, we miss out on the present moment and believe that happiness exists in the future. Excessive future-oriented thoughts have consistently been linked to higher anxiety and depression. Try letting go of future expectations, stop comparing yourself with others, and relish the small everyday moments. Control From early childhood we are taught to shape our environment. We take charge and cleverly influence people to get what we want. Determined to control the uncontrollable, we hide our vulnerabilities and risk becoming too attached to control. Mistrusting others and our own anxiety are often the culprit. Embracing vulnerability can lead to healthier relationships and less emotional and physical pain. So, stop micromanaging your team. Perfection We are imperfect by nature. Yet how many of us are ruled by the need to be perfect. Then we impose our perfection on the people around us. By fearing rejection and mistakes and ignoring our need for approval, we risk becoming too attached to perfection. A 2022 study of 16- to 25-year olds found that 85% of participants identified having perfectionist traits that affected their physical and mental well-being. Balancing our work/family/personal lives is never easy. So, do your best, allow room for flexibility, and fall in love with your imperfections. Success Many of us get this need met at work. But when our desire for success turns into a compulsive need for achievement, weve got another problem. We define success from the outside in, based on other peoples expectations and not our own. This is driven by our fear of failure and not being good enough. People with an abundant, rather than a scarcity, mindset, are more creative, optimistic, and more unfazed by adverse circumstances. So, prioritize your well-being and happiness, practice self-compassion, and create space for rest and relaxation. Only when we confront our attachments head on can we drive true change. The result is more joy and freedom, and better performance. Keep in mind being detached does not mean being uninvolved or disconnected. Quite the opposite. By ridding our attachments, we free ourselves to embrace life fully and stay engaged in what matters.
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E-Commerce
The new must-have pet accessory? A concrete slab. On #CatTok, videos are racking up views as cat owners bring slabs into their homes, set them down, and watch their beloved pets sniff, lick, roll, and rub against their new favorite toys. Bonus points if they’re placed in a sunny spot. @mrmilothechonk I should have bought 3 #foryou #foryoupage #cats #catsoftiktok #viral Almost forgot that this was the whole point – Take my Hand Instrumental – AntonioVivald The trend appears to have started with an orange tabby named Kurt and his owner, Abram Engle. Kurt loves rolling around on the concrete outside, so Im bringing the concrete to him, Engle explains in a video posted back in May. That video has since gained 4.7 million views and inspired other cat owners to try the DIY enrichment hack for themselves. Some are even taking their cats to Home Depot to pick out their own slabs. @abrameng Kurt was conking the crete original sound – Abram Engle Several cat owners have speculated whether their pampered pets former life might have something to do with the attraction. Since Minnow was originally a street cat, I was wondering if she missed being outside on the pavement, one owner theorized. Its safe to say she loved it, and now Im stuck with this new piece of furniture. Or, as one commenter put it, the toe stubber 3000. @shecatcalls PART 2 | Cat enrichment ideas. The way she sits more on this $7 brick than any of the actual cat beds and huts I buy her Can anyone else relate? Video idea inspired by Kurt the Cat @Abram Engle @The Home Depot #creatorsearchinsights #cats #cattok #sillycat #funny #meow Cute – In Music If its not nostalgia for a life once spent sleeping rough on the streets, what explains the attachment to what is, after all, just a block of concrete? While there havent been any formal studies on the phenomenon, Purina pet behaviorist and TikTok user Dr. Annie, aka Annie Valuska, PhD, has a few theories. For one, they’re new and kind of out of place, she explains. Due to cats’ territorial and predatory nature, they really like new stuff. The material itself may also play a role. Concretes porous surface holds onto scenta major way cats can communicate that a space belongs to them. It also offers a satisfying texture for scratching. And if you park it in the sun? Even better. It warms up really nicely when its placed in a sunny spot,” Valuska says in one video. “Cats like warmth because they have a higher body temperature than humans do, and they evolved from a species adapted to a warm environment.” Best of all? Its cheaper than most cat trees or towers.
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E-Commerce
The STEM talent shortage in the U.S. isnt caused by lack of student interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. It is caused by us overlooking and under-supporting the students who are most capable of driving the innovation economy forward. For years, policymakers have rung alarm bells about the shrinking American STEM pipeline. The data is sobering: While Japan, China, and Korea award over 40% of their college degrees in STEM fields, the U.S. lags behind at under 20%, according to the Center for Security and Emerging Technology. As the global economy becomes more knowledge-based, America’s ability to compete depends on whether we can widen and diversify the pool of STEM talent. Much of the public narrative around STEM has mainly focused on students who are behind grade level and need additional supports to catch up. But an equally urgent and far less discussed issue is the vast population of students who are ready to accelerate but remain invisible in our systems. Schools need to actively recruit students According to a report by The Education Trust and Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS), more than 640,000 Black, Latino, and low-income students who are academically capable are missing from Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate courses each year. These students often attend schools that offer advanced coursework, but they are not actively enrolled in those programs. The problem isn’t one of supply. The courses exist. The opportunity gap lives inside the enrollment lists. Even more telling, College Board data shows that many Black and Latino students have already demonstrated their potential to succeed in AP-level math and science through PSAT performance. Yet they are never invited to take the leap. The result? A leaky pipeline that loses capable students who might have become engineers, data scientists, or biotech innovators. At EOS, we’ve partnered with hundreds of districts across the country to identify and enroll these “missing students.” Our work proves that when schools take an intentional, data-driven approach to proactively recruit underrepresented students into rigorous courses the results are transformative. Students are ready for advanced coursework This isn’t about fixing students; it’s about fixing opportunity and adult mindsets. A rigorous independent evaluation by George Smith and researchers at Mathematica found EOS significantly increased AP course enrollmentparticularly among underserved students. Practically, this means enrolling an average of 52 additional students per schooltwo full classrooms of previously overlooked young people. Furthermore, there was no difference in the schools average AP exam performance, which underscores an important truth: These students were always ready for advanced coursework. Without proactively identifying and enrolling them, they would have continued to fall through the cracks. Targeted supports yield substantial returns Identifying and enrolling students is only the beginning. To ensure students and teachers thrive, capacity-building must follow enrollment. The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) College Readiness Program has shown that, in participating schools, students enrolled in more AP science courses and increased the number of earned college credits. Female students and Black students, in particular, saw significant gains. Within six years, 28% of Black NMSI students earned STEM degreescompared to 12% of the general national student population. Among female students, 27% of NMSI students earned STEM degrees within six yearsversus 12% nationally. What made the difference? A multi-tiered support system: ongoing teacher training, student prep sessions, curriculum resources, reduced exam fees, and targeted incentives. This type of capacity-building suggests that small, targeted investments can yield substantial returns. Unlike intensive interventions designed to help students reach grade-level proficiency, many high-potential students hovering just below AP readiness may benefit from lighter-touch supports such as adaptive learning tools to fine-tune gaps, short-term tutoring to reinforce core concepts, and professional development that equips teachers to deliver rigorous, culturally affirming instruction. The good news is this approach may be more scalable than we think. The marginal cost of providing these additional supports for students who are already academically proximate to advanced coursework is relatively low compared to the long-term payoff in postsecondary success and workforce readiness. Strategic touchpoints with adaptive learning, targeted tutoring, and additional resources can significantly propel students forward. Unleashing the full potential of those ready to soarespecially when so many of them have been overlooked for far too long, yields meaningful dividends for students. EOS-identified students have passed over 290,000 AP exams since 2011-2012, which would amount to roughly $345 million in college tuition and fee savings for EOS-partner students and their families based on trends in pricing. Final thoughts The STEM pipeline isn’t just leaking at the bottomits leaking at the top too. Policymakers, educators, and business leaders must center opportunity as the foundation for improving outcomes. Bold action is required, such as establishing competitive grant programs for states and districts to increase enrollment and success of underrepresented students in advanced coursework. Investing in students ready to accelerate, leveraging adaptive learning and targeted tutoring, and scaling proven initiatives like EOS and NMSI are essential next steps. Our economic future and national competitiveness depend on fully tapping all of Americas talent. Antonio Gutierrez is CEO at Equal Opportunity Schools and Co-founder of Saga Education.
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E-Commerce
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