ReadOasis Step 2 "I told you that you could do it! You worked hard and got into a great university. And now you have landed an excellent job at a big company! Congratulations on your success! You did it!" "Thank you, father," said Kenya, standing tall in his dark... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 Viktor had just married Tilly. She was the love of his life. He was a young doctor in Vienna, Austria. And Viktor and Tilly should have envisioned a bright future together, but Nazi Germany was occupying Austria, and Viktor and Tilly were Jewish. In September of... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Joy is late for work. She runs out the door in a hurry to catch the bus. As she runs, she sees her neighbor. The neighbor looks at Joy and smiles. He says, "Good morning Joy! Have a great day!" Joy says, "Thanks, you too!" And... Read more
Happiness in 59 Seconds (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 Jim sat into a soft, red chair. He looked down, and then he started to weep. "Am I asking too much?" he said. "I just want to be happy and fulfilled." Dr. Jones gave Jim a box of paper tissues. "Thank you," said Jim as he... Read more
ReadOasis Step 5 Do you think that having a lucky charm or carrying out a superstitious ritual is irrational? Then it’s time to think again. In 2010, researchers had people carry out a range of tasks with and without the their lucky charms. The results were remarkable. When people... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Lori stopped her car at the red light. She looked down and saw that she needed gasoline. When the light turned green, she drove to the nearest gas station. She pulled up to the pump. She got out of the car, and she started pumping gas.... Read more
Making Work Fun: The Levity Effect (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 A manager at a company was interviewing a job candidate. The manager said, “We need a very responsible person for this job. We need someone who can take charge.” The candidate’s eyes lit up, and he responded with great enthusiasm. “Sir, your search ends here! I’m... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Mr. Sully stood in front of the class. His old, blue suit looked dirty and worn. His white shirt was turning brown. And his white socks looked gray inside his black shoes. He started speaking. But the class was not listening. He waved his hands to... Read more
Experience Flow
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ReadOasis Step 2 Shaun White is a world famous snowboarder. Watch him slide down the pipe in slow motion. He goes up one side and flies into the air at an extreme height. Time stands still. Coming down, he gains speed and lands smoothly. Then he rises to the... Read more
By Richard WisemanReadOasis Step 3 In 1884, the great American Philosopher William James had a radical idea. James argued that if you behave as if you’re a certain type of person, you become that person. Decades of research has shown that James’s idea applies to all aspects of your... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 We live in the best of times. We live in the worst of times. We live in an age of wisdom. We live in an age of foolishness. We live in an age of light. We live in an age of darkness. In 1859, Charles Dickens... Read more
Making Work Fun: The Levity Effect (Step 2)
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ReadOasis Step 2 A manager at a company was interviewing a job candidate. The manager said, “We need a very responsible person for this job. We need someone who can take charge.” The candidate’s eyes lit up, and he answered with great confidence. “Sir, your search ends here! I’m... Read more
Happiness in 59 Seconds (Step 1)
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ReadOasis Step 1 Jim sat into a soft, red chair. He looked down, and then he started to cry. "Am I asking too much?" he said. "I just want to be happy." Dr. Jones gave Jim a box of paper tissues. "Thank you," said Jim as he took the... Read more
Habit Power (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 Will walked into the large office area and looked around. He was carrying a cup of coffee, and he spilled some on his hand. “Ouch!” he said. “That’s hot!” He looked around, but all the other workers were busy. They didn't even notice him. He walked over to... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Viktor had just married Tilly. She was the love of his life. He was a young doctor in Vienna, Austria. And Viktor and Tilly should have expected a bright future together. But Nazi Germany was in control of Austria, and Viktor and Tilly were Jewish. In... Read more
Learn to Be Lucky (Step 2)
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ReadOasis Step 2 Devin woke up late. He skipped breakfast and got in his car and drove off in a hurry. But the traffic was bad. "Another bad day," he said to himself. "Maybe I will have another accident." But he didn't have one more accident. He had two... Read more
By Dr. Richard WisemanReadOasis Step 2 This exercise is all about re-living happy memories. Research shows that reflecting on what went well yesterday, no matter how trivial the event will make you feel happier. So simply think back about the last 24 hours and focus on what went well.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 In his last year of high school, Alan didn't sleep much. Instead, he studied. Sometimes he studied all night. Sometimes he drank 3 or 4 cans of energy drinks so that he could study more. And he suffered. He got headaches, back pain, and he became... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 In his last year of high school, Alan didn't sleep much. Instead, he studied. Sometimes he crammed for exams all night. Sometimes he drank 3 or 4 cans of energy drinks so that he could study more. And he felt the agony of overwork. He got... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 James Inhofe stood before the top leaders in the United States, and he started his speech. Reaching into a plastic bag, he pulled out a white object, and he said, "Do you know what this is? It’s a snowball." After talking about the ball of ice,... Read more
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