There's got to be a pony in here somewhere

One of my favorite stories seems very appropriate for these times

“Over lunch today I asked Ed Meese about one of Reagan’s favorite jokes. ‘The pony joke?’ Meese replied. ‘Sure I remember it. If I heard him tell it once, I heard him tell it a thousand times.’”

“The joke concerns twin boys of five or six. Worried that the boys had developed extreme personalities – one was a total pessimist, the other a total optimist – their parents took them to a psychiatrist.”

“First the psychiatrist treated the pessimist. Trying to brighten his outlook, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with brand-new toys. But instead of yelping with delight, the little boy burst into tears. ‘What’s the matter?’ the psychiatrist asked, baffled. ‘Don’t you want to play with any of the toys?’ ‘Yes,’ the little boy bawled, ‘but if I did I’d only break them.’”

“Next the psychiatrist treated the optimist. Trying to dampen his out look, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with horse manure. But instead of wrinkling his nose in disgust, the optimist emitted just the yelp of delight the psychiatrist had been hoping to hear from his brother, the pessimist. Then he clambered to the top of the pile, dropped to his knees, and began gleefully digging out scoop after scoop with his bare hands. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ the psychiatrist asked, just as baffled by the optimist as he had been by the pessimist. ‘With all this manure,’ the little boy replied, beaming, ‘there must be a pony in here somewhere!’”

A 70-year-old Woman’s Response to Coronavirus

‘Luminita, do you believe in the coronavirus?’ A sweet 70-year-old woman asked me the other day while I was in her store.‘I believe in God‘, I replied: A 70-year-old Woman’s Response to Coronavirus — Purpose Fairy

Coronavirus: your guide to safer shopping and travel

How to reduce your risk in a world of ‘help yourself’ salad bars, reusable cups and busy trains: Coronavirus: your guide to safer shopping and travel

 

How You Should Get Food During the Pandemic

The coronavirus makes an age-old dilemma much more fraught: Order in, or cook at home?: How You Should Get Food During the Pandemic

Parenting during coronavirus: What to know about play dates, education and more

School’s canceled. Many parents are working from home. Now what?: Parenting during coronavirus: What to know about play dates, education and more

7 Counterintuitive Ways to Bolster Your Relationship

Many relationship-boosting suggestions make sense—and follow conventional wisdom: Show affection. Fight fair. Go on dates frequently. Be grateful for your partner. Of course, these are very helpful but… Continue reading here: 7 Counterintuitive Ways to Bolster Your Relationship

Managing Difficult and Toxic Relationships During a Pandemic

Having your reality undermined at a time of confusion is unsettling: Managing Difficult and Toxic Relationships During a Pandemic

The Dos and Don’ts of ‘Social Distancing’

Experts weigh in on whether you should cancel your dates, dinner parties, and gym sessions: The Dos and Don’ts of ‘Social Distancing’

What COVID-19 Can Teach Us About Mindfulness

The power of presence in the face of uncertainty: What COVID-19 Can Teach Us About Mindfulness

Making Real Connections in the Age of Social Media

New platforms aim to alleviate loneliness and promote honest conversation: Making Real Connections in the Age of Social Media

Relationship Crises

10 successful responses: Relationship Crises

A Secret Weapon for Improving Your Closest Relationship

New research shows how being sensitive can help improve your relationship: A Secret Weapon for Improving Your Closest Relationship

On Digital Minimalism and Pandemics

Cal Newport writes: “One of the more profound representations of the soul in the Western Canon is the Chariot Allegory from Plato’s Phaedrus dialogue:

“[T]he charioteer of the human soul drives a pair, and secondly one of the horses is noble and of noble breed, but the other quite the opposite in breed and character.”

As elaborated by the character of Socrates in the dialogue, the charioteer represents our soul’s reasoned pursuit to cultivate a worthy life. This task requires the charioteer to allow the noble steed, representing our moral intuitions, to lead the way, while preventing its ignoble partner, representing our base instincts, from drawing the soul off course.’: On Digital Minimalism and Pandemics – Study Hacks – Cal Newport

To a man with a hammer

Source: Quote by Mark Twain: “To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a…”

The top 20 rock guitar solos of all time via @rickbeato

How To Dial-In Your Life And Amp Up Your Health, Without Spending A Fortune

Travel writer David Duran dives into how to use technology to help you dial in your health while saving for a big trip this spring: How To Dial-In Your Life And Amp Up Your Health, Without Spending A Fortune

What We Need Now: 3 Types of Cocooning

Even before coronavirus quarantines, hyper-nesting had been on the rise: What We Need Now: 3 Types of Cocooning

Reducing Mental Effort

One often overlooked way to reduce mental effort is simply to do less. Pull back from obligations. Decline invitations. Withdraw from projects till your plate is less full. Working with a very full plate can be stimulating, but it’s best as a short-term condition: Reducing Mental Effort – Part 6 – Steve Pavlina

Staying Sane on the Web

Keeping distance from digital narcissists: Staying Sane on the Web

The sad history of the U.S government fighting pandemics

Can the American government stop coronavirus spread? Its past actions speak volumes: The sad history of the U.S government fighting pandemics

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