HRB Daily Stat: Chatting with the Cashier Will Improve Your Mood

"If you buy your coffee quickly at Starbucks without saying much of anything, you’ll probably arrive at the office sooner, but if you stop to chat with the cashier, you might get to work in a better mood. Research participants who smiled, made eye contact, and briefly conversed with the cashier subsequently reported greater satisfaction with the visit and were in better moods (4.31 versus 3.80 and 4.22 versus 3.60, respectively, on 1-to-5 scales) than those who avoided unnecessary conversation, say Gillian M. Sandstrom and Elizabeth W. Dunn of the University of British Columbia. Seemingly trivial interactions can confer a sense of belonging, an effect that people tend to overlook in their quest for efficiency, the researchers say."

See more at the Daily Stat.

Emotional Baby Is Moved To Tears By Mom's Singing

Heart-melting.See more in HuffPo. (Thanks, Jules)

Photographer Puts Two Strangers Together For Intimate Photographs, And The Results Are Surprising

There is something magical in humanity. See more at TruthSeekersDaily. (Thanks, Jules)

How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple Emails

I made a gcal invite so I can start incorporating this into my life. Read more at Barking up the Wrong Tree. (Incredible find, Cassie)

Reminds me of this inbox fortune.

Choosing Your World - Benjamin Zander at European Zeitgeist 2011

Check out this video from arguably one of the most contagiously positive people of our time – Ben Zander.  Since 1979, Ben has been the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and is known around the world as both a guest conductor and a speaker on leadership.

In this clip Ben describes two worlds you can live in: the world of the downward spiral or the world of possibility.  What does this mean, you may ask?  Ben describes these worlds with rich color and fun stories, for example: the story of two sales men that were sent to Africa in the 1900s to explore the market for shoes – each wrote a telegram back:

• Salesman 1 wrote back: “Situation hopeless, they don’t wear shoes”
• Salesman 2 wrote back: “Glorious opportunity here – they don’t have any shoes yet”

Ben reminds us that we get to choose, at every moment of every day, which world we want to live in – what world do you want to live in?

TED Talk - Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action

My favorite line: "There are leaders and those who lead. Leaders hold a position of authority and we have to follow them. Those who lead, inspire us; we follow those who lead not because we have to but because we want to. Those who start why with have the ability to inspire."

Ylvis - What Does The Fox Say? (LIVE Music Video with Jimmy Fallon)

Can't wait for Halloween. (Thanks, Sam)