The Labor Day long weekend is always a bitter sweet one. The last hurrah before the end of “summer holiday” – even for those of us who have left school for many years.

We are slowly embracing the idea that “creativity” is a skill that needs to be nurtured through active learning and practising. Books, online articles and videos give out many ways to “become more creative in our lives”. They all seem reasonable and doable; we get inspired and ready to roll up our sleeves – and then we ask ourselves the most awkward question – “so… where do I begin?”

That might sound philosophical – but have you thought about why we do what we do? And how we act a certain way upon a situation?

You and your friend are having a conversation. It is about a personal issue of your friend. You were listening and providing feedback to your friend… and suddenly your friend looked annoyed and asked, “Do you actually hear what I said or do you just want to talk about yourself?”

Have you ever been that situation?

If you have about 10 minutes, try this little exercise!

The modern life seems to have made us into jugglers, especially when we are running our own business. Do you feel that you are always busy but don’t seem to get as much done as you would like to? Do you want to be more productive? Then perhaps its time to throw that to-do list into the garbage bin and … pick up a hobby.

After years of research, Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic finally publishes his work on leadership and highlights the problem we have been dealing with in the workplace for years. With a provocative title “Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders (And How to Fix it)?”, Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic seeks to find the answer for two powerful questions: Why is it so easy for incompetent men to become leaders? And why is it so hard for competent people–especially competent women–to advance?

They all seem to mean the same thing at first glance… or are they?

Another year has passed, and here is another new beginning. Many of us like to set out New Year resolutions to improve ourselves one way or another – go to the gym more often, earn more money, expand our social circle, etc., etc. But too often we fail to stick to our resolutions by February (or March) and then spend the rest of the year feeling guilty about it. So, what do you do about it?

Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice… December is a month of joy and festivities. It is also the time for reflection. If you are thinking of the universal question – how can we experience happiness in the world that seems to be full of bad news and suffering?