I tell people that work with me that one of the most important skills in negotiations is active listening. I believe in not always asking questions with the purpose of getting the other side to reveal things. There is immense, untapped benefit to getting a deep understanding of what drives them and you certainly build […]
Written lists
Whether it’s making a movie or planning a trip, I make lists for everything. Every weekend, I will write down things I want to achieve during the week. And through the week I am always writing in my notebook. I intermingle personal goals or statements. “Make sure I do such and such with my kid” […]
Getting what you want
I believe killing people with kindness works, and on top of that I rarely take “no” for an answer. People that work for me know that nothing drives me crazier than, “I’m waiting for someone to call me back.” If I need something from someone, I call them. And if I really need it, five […]
Making the most of your time
I have had experiences in life that have seriously impacted my perspective on time and making the most of it. I dealt with a few deaths of friends and they did not affect me lightly. When I was 14, a friend of mine from my neighborhood died of a bad heart. I was devastated and […]
Diet
I definitely notice a difference in how I feel based on what I eat. As far as meats, no red meat anymore, just chicken and fish. Also, I’m not uber strict about it, but I believe in the premise of balancing proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. I’ll eat vegetables when I’m eating meat or fish and […]
Walt Whitman On Why Nature Brings Out Our Best
“Now I see the secret of the making of the best persons. It is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth.” – Walt Whitman, “Song of the Open Road.” This passage is from Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. The poem is called “Song of the Open Road.” Afoot […]
Perspectives on Quality of Life: Conversation with Dennis Ross about Active Listening
I was recently reading over an interview I did with Dennis Ross, one of the most skilled diplomats in the world. He was the chief Middle East envoy during the H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations and was appointed by Obama this month to serve as the chief envoy for Iran. He is the author of […]
The Wisdom of Dichotomies: The World is a Mess and Life Optimism Reconciled
I was talking with our housekeeper Fany this morning about an earthquake that hit Honduras the day before. In non-negative way, she was saying how this is just another example of all that is happening in the world today. I made a joke, something to the effect of “El fin del mundo esta muy cerca!“ […]
Top Ten Quality of Life Contributors by Avil Beckford
Quality of life for me is doing the things that bring joy. Over the past five years I have learned a lot about what does not work for me and I have turned over a new leaf. 1. Reading I am an avid reader, and reading is one of the simple pleasures in my life. […]
Top Ten Quality of Life Contributors by Cynthia Chin
We live in a time when more and more people realize that life is not just about existing but absolutely be about living to the fullest. Most of us perceive ourselves to be stuck in whatever rut that we cannot possibly get out of at the moment, for whatever reasons. I’d like to think otherwise. […]
Top Ten Quality of Life Contributors by Paul Mallory
Hi Everyone, this is the first of many future submittals. This one comes from Paul Mallory, a fan of the site for some time. We were introduced through Arvind Devalia a few months back and Paul is now doing some volunteer work for Quality of Life Project as well. We will be publishing submittals from […]
Quality of Life Perspectives: Ariane de Bonvoisin Talks about the Little Things
I had the opportunity to interview Ariane de Bonvoisin this summer. We met last year and I have quickly become a fan of her endeavors. Ariane is the author of First 30 Days: Your Guide to Making Any Change Easier and has built a media company around her desire to help people enjoy life more. […]
Excellent WSJ Article on Sarkozy’s Support for Quality of Life Index
WALL STREET JOURNAL, September 16, 2009 For France, a Joie de Vivre Index Sarkozy to Add New Indicators, Such as Well-Being, to Measure Economic Health By DAVID GAUTHIER-VILLARS PARIS — Nicolas Sarkozy was elected president two years ago on a pledge to boost France’s economic prosperity. Now he is suggesting a different way to measure […]
Excellent WSJ Article on Sarkozy's Support for Quality of Life Index
WALL STREET JOURNAL, September 16, 2009 For France, a Joie de Vivre Index Sarkozy to Add New Indicators, Such as Well-Being, to Measure Economic Health By DAVID GAUTHIER-VILLARS PARIS — Nicolas Sarkozy was elected president two years ago on a pledge to boost France’s economic prosperity. Now he is suggesting a different way to measure […]
Write a blog post for the Quality of Life Project!!
I am taking my blog in a new direction by having people I know and fans of the site submit posts on what are the ten main contributors to their quality of life. Perspectives you have and the practices you do that contribute to your enjoyment of life. Click here to view a sample of […]
Free report: Ten Tips to Greater Quality of Life
The most frequent question we get from people is, “So, with all the interviews you’ve done, what are the commonalities that you’ve seen?” We are now ready to report back to you the common practices that have emerged through all our interviews. We aren’t offering a road map; but rather a simple recap of what […]