success – Damon Ashworth Psychology

Are You Playing the Right Games in Your Life?

A fascinating book that I read recently was The Status Game by Will Storr. I have enjoyed reading a few of his prior books too, including Selfie and The Science of Storytelling. In it, Storr says that it is impossible to not be part of some hierarchies. In other words, we can’t go through lifeContinue reading “Are You Playing the Right Games in Your Life?”

What’s a Better Life Goal than Happiness?

When I type ‘Happiness books’ into Amazon.com, over 60,000 results appear. Happiness is clearly a popular topic. However, when I hear people say to me in therapy that they “just want to be happy”, I find it hard to write this down as a goal for them to achieve in therapy. The problem with strivingContinue reading “What’s a Better Life Goal than Happiness?”

How Does It Feel to Have Your To-Do List at Zero?

time lapse photography of waterfalls during sunset

It’s quite strange. Yesterday, I managed to finish off the last thing on my to-do list for the week. For the first time in a long time, I had nothing that I had to do. Sure, there are some things that I would like to do in the future. However, nothing required me to takeContinue reading “How Does It Feel to Have Your To-Do List at Zero?”

20 Fascinating Paradoxes About Life

What is a Paradox? According to the Oxford dictionary, a paradox is a noun that has two meanings: 1. A seemingly absurd or contradictory statement or proposition which when investigated may prove to be well founded or true. 2. A person or thing that combines contradictory features or qualities. I love paradoxes because they areContinue reading “20 Fascinating Paradoxes About Life”

The 10 Truths of Longevity

“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” — Isaac Asimov The Longevity Project Over 1,500 of the most promising and brightest boys and girls were recruited in 1921 by Lewis Terman. Unfortunately, he died in 1956, but the study continued for decades afterwards. All participantsContinue reading “The 10 Truths of Longevity”

Harvard University studied 700 People’s Health and Happiness from their Teen Years Until They Died

Here Are 10 Fascinating Findings from the Study The Harvard Study of Adult Development began in 1938. It is sometimes also called ‘The Grant Study’. This longitudinal prospective study aimed to identify predictors of healthy ageing in real-time. For 79 years, it has examined the lives of 268 physically and mentally healthy Harvard college sophomoresContinue reading “Harvard University studied 700 People’s Health and Happiness from their Teen Years Until They Died”

Three Steps to an Improved Life

It is possible to understand who you are and what you want in only three steps. STEP ONE: Who am I? To know what we want, we first need to figure out who we are (or, more accurately, what we see ourselves to be). STEP TWO: What do I care about? Once we know whoContinue reading “Three Steps to an Improved Life”

The Little Things That We Do Matter Over Time

“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” – Lao Tzu I love the above quote by Lao Tzu. It highlights that all of the little choices in life are important, especiallyContinue reading “The Little Things That We Do Matter Over Time”

Is Your Screen Time Eating Up Your Free Time?

How Did We Get Here? In the classic Sociology book ‘Bowling Alone’, Robert Putnam argues that social capital (reciprocal connections among people) has been in a steady decline ever since its peak in 1964. By 2000, the average American was 58% less likely to attend a club meeting than an individual only 25 years earlier.Continue reading “Is Your Screen Time Eating Up Your Free Time?”

Are You Looking After Both of Your Selves?

Imagine that you could go on a holiday to anywhere that you want to go in the world. However, you couldn’t take any pictures or tell anyone what you got up to while you were away or afterwards? Furthermore, you can only experience the holiday while away and feel all the emotions you do inContinue reading “Are You Looking After Both of Your Selves?”