Recent Web Log Entries By Ben Nadel
Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can't Stop Talking By Susan Cain
Posted: July 13, 2012 at 10:21 AM by Ben Nadel
A few weeks ago, I watched a TED Talk by Susan Cain, titled "The Power of Introverts." Having found the TED talk very interesting, I decided to checkout the book upon which the talk was based. Cain's book, " Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can't Stop Talking ," was super fascinating! And, in some ways, it really opened my eyes up to... read more »
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Movies As A Religious Experience
Posted: May 14, 2012 at 10:51 AM by Ben Nadel
Over the weekend, I went to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The story line took a little while to pick up momentum; but, once it sucked me in, it ended up being a truly delightful movie. Definitely one that I would recommend. While watching it, however, I started to think about the relationship between the body and the soul and how the reality... read more »
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The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die By John Izzo
Posted: October 31, 2011 at 11:07 AM by Ben Nadel
A while back, I read The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before Your Die by John Izzo . I believe it was recommended to me by a blog reader; but I cannot for the life of me find the recommendation, so sorry for not thanking you. In this book, Dr. John Izzo distills the critical and commonly held beliefs present in the several hundred interviews he... read more »
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The School Of Practical Philosophy: Love - Week Five
Posted: October 19, 2011 at 11:00 AM by Ben Nadel
Coming to the end of week five of Love at the School of Practical Philosophy, I don't have too much to reflect on as far as interpersonal relationships go. But, I have been thinking a great deal about work and about loving my own life. I have had a lot on my mind these days; and, in the wake of Steve Jobs' death, something that he said in his Stan... read more »
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The School Of Practical Philosophy: Love - Week Four
Posted: October 12, 2011 at 10:26 AM by Ben Nadel
The fourth week of Love at the School of Practical Philosophy has been very busy and mentally trying for me. As such, I haven't had too much time to think. Or rather, I simply haven't made it a top priority. This is a shame as this week's practices happen to be ones for which I am a big proponent. This week, we had to practice gratitude - thinking... read more »
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The School Of Practical Philosophy: Love - Week Three
Posted: October 5, 2011 at 10:58 AM by Ben Nadel
In week three of Love at the School of Practical Philosophy, our practice has been to "meet people as if for the first time." This means that when we meet people that we already know, we are supposed to leave all of our bagage and our history behind us; we need to come to the conversation with an open mind and an open heart. Now, this doesn't mean... read more »
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The School Of Practical Philosophy: Love - Week Two
Posted: September 27, 2011 at 8:58 AM by Ben Nadel
As the second week of my course on Love at the School of Practical Philosophy has come to a close, I have been thinking a lot about Self. Pretty much everything that we do here at school is geared towards gaining a better understanding of Self and about the wisdom that we have available to us. As such, I've started to think of the term, "selfless,... read more »
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The School Of Practical Philosophy: Love - Week One
Posted: September 15, 2011 at 11:04 AM by Ben Nadel
Last night, I started "Love", which is course #3 at the School of Practice Philosophy. If you've followed this blog for a while, you'll probably know that I am a huge fan of love and that I put a great deal of time into reflecting upon my own thoughts, feelings, and experiences of it . In fact, I would go so far as say that Love and Romance repr... read more »
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Sometimes, I Feel Like A Man With No Identity
Posted: August 8, 2011 at 7:04 PM by Ben Nadel
A long time ago, I watched a movie in which a husband was arguing with his wife. She was trying to stop him from doing something. And, to her objections, he pleaded desperately, " Please - I have to do this; as a man, I need to do this. " I can't remember what movie it was; but, I believe that we can all relate to this sentiment in some form. At t... read more »
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The Sexiest Thing A Woman Can Say In An Elevator
Posted: July 5, 2011 at 3:16 PM by Ben Nadel
A while back, an ex-girlfriend of mine came to see me at my office. Upon arriving, she exclaimed that she had just ridden up in the elevator with the hottest guy; but, she was so nervous that she couldn't think of a way to start a conversation with him. She asked me for some advice on what to say as an ice-breaker in such a situation. It being the... read more »
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Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding Of Happiness And Well-Being By Martin Seligman
Posted: June 27, 2011 at 10:48 AM by Ben Nadel
As a therapist, Martin Seligman (former president of the American Psychological Association - APA) discovered something very interesting: if you remove the unhappiness from a patient, you don't get a happy patient; rather, you get an empty patient. This is a huge cause for concern because psychology has, for a long time, focused primarily on remov... read more »
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One Man's Search For Love - My cf.Objective() 2011 Lightning Talk
Posted: May 13, 2011 at 1:11 AM by Ben Nadel
Tonight, I gave my Lightning Talk at cf.Objective(). With 20 slides, it was a 6:40min retrospective on the role that Love has played in my life; and, how my perception of love has evolved from something magical into something extermely empowering and deeply meaningful. While I don't have a recording of the live talk, here is a pre-recorded versio... read more »
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Tales Of Revolution And A Sense Of Community
Posted: April 21, 2011 at 5:29 PM by Ben Nadel
Today, I am shocked, elated, and deeply touched to find out that I have been selected to appear in Seth Godin's latest book, " Tales of the Revolution: True Stories of People who are Poking the Box and Making a Difference ." This wonderful news is entirely due to the awesome Paul Carney - business entrepreneur and fellow ColdFusion developer. ... read more »
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Man Down: Proof Beyond A Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better At Everything By Dan Abrams
Posted: April 4, 2011 at 9:13 AM by Ben Nadel
This weekend, I read a small but provocative book, Man Down: Proof Beyond A Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better Cops, Drivers, Gamblers, Spies, World Leaders, Beer Tasters, Hedge Fund Managers, and Just About EVERYTHING ELSE by Dan Abrams . At 36 chapters (about 2-3 pages per chapter) Man Down is succinct and straightforward about getting its ... read more »
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Keeping The Faith And Thoughts On Commitment
Posted: March 28, 2011 at 9:10 AM by Ben Nadel
The other day, the always-lovely Smita Samal mentioned the movie Keeping The Faith , starring Ben Stiller, Ed Norton, and Jenna Elfman. This happens to be one of my favorite movies and our conversation got stuck in my head. Last night, I was feeling a little bit nostalgic and popped it in the DVD player. As always, it is a wonderful movie that ... read more »
