Lifestyle
Alongside taking care of other people and the planet, make sure you take good care of yourself. The Lifestyle section at the Optimist Daily has solutions for everyday wellbeing on topics like food, beauty, fashion, and the latest trends. Curious about caring for houseplants, eating plant-based, or parenting tips? It’s all in there.
After a century in decline, black farmers are back and on the rise
A few years ago, while clearing dried broccoli stalks from the tired soil of our land at Soul Fire Farm in upstate New York, I received a cold call from Boston. On the other end was a black woman, unknown to me, who wanted to share her story of trying to make it as a farmer. Through tears, she Read More...
If you are poor and hungry, stealing is not a crime in Italy
When you are hungry, stealing is not a crime. That is the opinion of the Supreme Court of Cassation in Italy. The court overruled a theft conviction against Roman Ostriakov, a homeless Ukrainian, who stole cheese and sausages worth €4.07 ($4.50) in 2011. Ostriakov was caught by another customer Read More...
Leonardo DiCaprio invests in beverage company and donates his shares to Ecuadorian farmers
Leonardo DiCaprio is investing in beverage startup Runa, which works with Ecuadorian farmers to manufacture sustainably produced organic teas and natural energy drinks made from the guayusa plant found in the Amazon. However, DiCaprio isn’t just financially backing the brand, Read More...
In Tanzania, this startup will pay for plastic trash and make 3-D printer filament
It's hard to make a living as a waste picker. In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania—where most trash ends up illegally dumped—waste pickers spend up to 12 hours a day walking around the city, collecting and lugging other people's garbage in long plastic bags. It's a valuable service for the city, Read More...
Banks, tech companies move on from bitcoin to blockchain
As a debate raged across the internet Monday over whether the mysterious founder of the bitcoin digital currency had finally been identified, executives at a major bitcoin conference in New York had a simple message: we've moved on. That's because bitcoin, the digital currency, has largely been Read More...
Kobe Bryant, The Beatles and a child chess prodigy all have the same habit
For an entire year, close friends and peers of mine in the entrepreneurial community suggested I take up meditation. I downloaded Headspace, woke up every morning and listened to their 10-minute session every morning. This lasted until Day 5, at which point I rushed out the door as I always did, Read More...
Warren Buffett's surprising secret for success and happiness
Contrary to what many people think, the key to success is not toiling away at a nine-to-five job in which you take no pleasure. Take it from Warren Buffett himself, "The secret to reliable, sustainable success does not come from forcing yourself to do something you don't love. In fact, true Read More...
10 ways to boost your emotional resilience, backed by research
Ever dealt with a really difficult situation? We’ve all had our emotional resilience tested. Sometimes it feels like you just want to give up. How do the toughest people summon the will to keep going? Steven Southwick and Dennis Charney have studied resilient people for over 20 years. They spoke Read More...
Mi casa es su casa, and all my stuff is your stuff!
How many times have you bought something for one specific purpose only to let it collect dust for all eternity afterwards? How many times have you needed a *insert object here* but didn’t want to buy one and after a failed attempt to borrow one from a friend, you either give up on your project or Read More...
The government of India develops the mother of all apps for 200 public services
India is famous, if not infamous, for its bureaucracy. The country has thousands of government buildings filled with billions of stacks of paper. But if it were for the government of prime minister Narendra Modi, soon that will all change. The government is working on a mobile application that’ll Read More...