Why Americans have stopped eating leftovers(ˈleftˌōvər)

By Caitlin(ā) Dewey

American consumers throw away 27 million tons(tôN,tən) of food each year, according to the food waste(wāst) coalition(ˌkōəˈliSHən) ReFED(rā,rē fed), clogging(klägiNG,ˈklôg-) landfills(ˈlan(d)ˌfil), generating(ˈjenəˌrāt) greenhouse gasses, and costing(kôst) the economy an estimated(/BrE ˈɛstɪmeɪt,AmE ˈɛstəˌmeɪt/) $144 billion.

The solution, however, could be simple: get people to eat leftovers again.

Once the mainstay(ˈmānˌstā) of weekday lunchboxes(lənCH) and thrifty(ˈTHriftē) home cooks, leftovers today constitute(ˈkänstəˌt(y)o͞ot) the single largest source of edible(ˈedəbəl) food waste(wāst) in U.S. homes, according to a new study(ˈstədē) by the Natural(ˈnaCHərəl) Resources(riˈsôrs,riˈzôrs,ˈrēˈzôrs,ˈrēˌsôrs) Defense(diˈfens,ˈdēˌfens) Council(ˈkounsəl), an environmental(-ˌvī(ə)rn-,enˌvīrənˈmen(t)l) group.

The finding defies(diˈfī) conventional(kənˈvenCHənl) wisdom(ˈwizdəm) about the sorts of foods consumers waste — and represents(ˌrepriˈzent) a major(ˈmājər) obstacle(ˈäbstəkəl) for environmentalists and anti-food-waste campaigns(kamˈpān). While past efforts have focused on improving consumers’ food literacy(ˈlitrə-,ˈlitərəsē) and kitchen(ˈkiCHən) skills, converting them to leftovers will involve(inˈvälv) changing deep-seated(sēt) food preferences(ˈpref(ə)rəns).

“I don’t think this is just about education,” said Dana(denə) Gunders, a senior(ˈsēnyər) scientist in NRDC’s Food and Agriculture(ˈagriˌkəlCHər) Program. “It’s a cultural(ˈkəlCHərəl) shift that needs to happen.”

In the report, published last week, NRDC sought to measure(ˈmeZHər) how much food Americans waste and what types of foods they tend to waste most. The study analyzed(ˈanlˌīz) the food-waste habits of more than 1,151 households in Nashville(-vəl,ˈnaSHˌvil), Denver(ˈdenvər) and New York(yôrk), who agreed(əˈgrēd) to keep diaries(ˈdīərē) of the items they tossed(täs,tôs) and allow researchers to check their trash(traSH) cans afterward.

What researchers found was staggering(ˈstagər): The average(ˈav(ə)rij) person wasted 3.5 pounds(pound) of food per week. Of that, only a third consisted of inedible(inˈedəbəl) parts, such as chicken(ˈCHikən) bones(bōn) or banana(bəˈnanə) peels(pēl). And of the remaining(riˈmāniNG), edible(ˈedəbəl) trashed food, bin digs found that 23 percent consisted of prepared(priˈpe(ə)r) leftovers, from any source — followed by fruits(fro͞ot) and vegetables(ˈvejtəbəl,ˈvəjətə-), baked(bākt) goods, and liquids(ˈlikwid) and oils(oil).

…

The Incredible(inˈkredəbəl) Progress of Daily(ˈdālē) Practice(ˈpraktəs)

By Leo Babauta

Lately(ˈlātlē) in my life, I’ve been repeatedly(riˈpētidlē) reminded(riˈmīnd) of the power of practicing something regularly(ˈreg(ə)lər,ˈregyələr).

Daily is best, I’ve learned, but several times a week works well too.

You’d be surprised(sə(r)ˈprīzd) how much progress you can make with even a small amount of practice, applied(əˈplīd) regularly.

Some examples in my life recently:

A daily yoga(ˈyōgə) practice of just 10 minutes: I am not an experienced(ikˈspi(ə)rēənst) yogi(ˈyōgē), I’m very inflexible(inˈfleksəbəl), and because I only practice yoga sporadically(spəˈradik), I don’t really(ˈrē(ə)lē) make any progress. But recently I committed to practicing yoga for just 10 minutes a day (a few sun salutations(ˌsalyəˈtāSHən), mostly) … when I started, my shoulders(ˈSHōldər) would get exhausted(igˈzôstid) in downward(ˈdounwərd) dog fairly(ˈfe(ə)rlē) quickly. But now, I’m able to hold the poses(pōz) for longer(läNG,lôNG) without tiring(tīr) as much! I’ve really seen some solid(ˈsälid) progress with just 10 minutes of daily practice. Of course, that’s not the point of yoga (it’s a mindfulness(ˈmīndfəlnəs) practice), but it’s still amazing to see that kind of progress.

Running 3-4 times a week with Eva: Eva and I started doing a half-marathon(ˈmarəˌTHän) training plan by No Meat(mēt) Athlete(ˈaTHˌlēt) about 6 or 7 weeks ago. We do 3-4 runs a week (depending on our schedules(-jəl,ˈskejo͞ol)), and when we started out, we were both pretty(ˈpritē) out of shape(SHāp). Eva had to stop a couple times even on a 2-mile(mīl) run, and I was far from my peak running shape. But six weeks into it — just doing short runs — we can see a huge((h)yo͞oj) difference(ˈdif(ə)rəns). At no point did we push ourselves too hard, but just doing it regularly really made a solid amount of progress.

Studying go for just 10-20 minutes a day: I’ve been studying the ancient(ˈānCHənt) Chinese game of go this year, and I’m still very weak at it. Honestly(ˈänistlē), if I had more time to study, I might be much stronger. But instead(inˈsted), I’ve been just doing about 10-20 minutes of studying a day, and I’m still making noticeable(ˈnōtisəbəl) progress with my calculating(ˈkalkyəˌlātiNG) ability(əˈbilitē). Still not strong, but I’m getting stronger slowly, just putting in a minimal(ˈminəməl) amount of study time.

Chin-ups with my son 3 times a week: In the last couple of weeks, my 13-year-old son and I decided to do a chin-ups challenge(ˈCHalənj). Three times a week, we do five sets of chin-ups during the day. When I started out, I could only do 10-11 chin-ups per set, but now I can do 16-17 each set. In less than two weeks. That kind of progress is encouraging(enˈkərijiNG).

Daily focus sessions by a client: I have a coaching(kōCH) client who does daily focus sessions, training himself to focus on something longer. He just does 15-minute sessions every day, which isn’t a lot. But he’s seen his ability increase noticeably, even when he’s not doing a focus session.

Just a small amount of daily practice, or at least a few times a week. It’s powerful.

how we got to now

the student’s backstory

By Henry(ˈhenrē) H. Walker

who we are is not Athena(əˈTHēnə),
sprung full-grown from Zeus(zo͞os),
rather who we are is
the sum(səm) of our experience(ikˈspi(ə)rēəns),
including with what we were born(bôrn),
how we’ve been treated(trēt),
and what decisions(diˈsiZHən) we’ve made,
that long painful(ˈpānfəl) journey(ˈjərnē)
from before where we are now,
to the challenges(ˈCHalənj) we live these moments,
to the hopes and fears(fi(ə)r) the future(ˈfyo͞oCHər) throws back at us,

I want to live the moment with my students,
I can live it better if I understand the backstory.

The Work We Do While We Sleep

By Maria Konnikova

It’s strange(strānj), when you think about it, that we spend close to a third of our lives asleep. Why do we do it? While we’re sleeping, we’re vulnerable(ˈvəln(ə)rəbəl)—and, at least on the outside, supremely(so͞o-,səˈprēm) unproductive. In a 1719 sermon(ˈsərmən), “Vigilius, or, The Awakener,” Cotton(ˈkätn) Mather called an excess(ikˈses,ˈekses) of sleep “sinful”(ˈsinfəl) and lamented(ləˈmentid) that we often sleep when we should be working. Benjamin(ˈbenjəmən) Franklin(ˈfraNGklən) echoed(ˈekō) the sentiment(ˈsen(t)əmənt) in “Poor(po͝or,pôr) Richard’s(ˈriCHərd) Almanack,” when he quipped(kwip) that “there’ll be sleeping enough(iˈnəf) in the grave(grāv,ˈgräˌvā).” For a long time, sleep’s apparent(əˈparənt,əˈpe(ə)r-) uselessness(ˈyo͞osləs) amused(əˈmyo͞oz) even the scientists who studied it. The Harvard sleep researcher Robert Stickgold has recalled his former collaborator(kəˈlabəˌrātər) J. Allan Hobson joking that the only known function of sleep was to cure(kyo͝or) sleepiness(ˈslēpēnis). In a 2006 review of the explanations(ˌekspləˈnāSHən) researchers had proposed(prəˈpōz) for sleep, Marcos Frank, a neuroscientist then working at the University of Pennsylvania(ˌpensəlˈvānyə) (he is now at WSU Spokane(spōˈkan)) concluded(kənˈklo͞od) that the evidence(ˈevədəns) for sleep’s putative(ˈpyo͞otətiv) effects(iˈfekt) on cognition(ˌkägˈniSHən) was “weak or equivocal(iˈkwivəkəl).”

But in the past decade, and even the past year, the mystery(ˈmist(ə)rē) has seemed to be abating(əˈbāt). In a series(ˈsi(ə)rēz) of conversations with sleep scientists this May, I was offered a glimpse(glimps) of converging(kənˈvərj) lines of inquiry(inˈkwī(ə)rē,ˈiNG-,ˈinkwərē,ˈinˌkwī(ə)rē) that are shedding(SHed) light on why such a significant(sigˈnifikənt) part of our lives is spent lying(ˈlī-iNG) inert(iˈnərt), with our eyes closed, not doing anything that seems particularly meaningful or relevant(ˈreləvənt) to, well, anything. (The meetings were facilitated(fəˈsiliˌtāt) by a Harvard Medical School Media Fellowship.)

…

You make your perfect world

By Derek Sivers

I started CD Baby focused on the importance(imˈpôrtns) of making a dream-come-true perfect world for musicians(myo͞oˈziSHən).

Along the way I learned the importance of making my business(ˈbiznis) a dream come true for myself, too.

Business is as creative(krēˈātiv) as the fine arts. You can be as unconventional(ˌənkənˈvenSHənl), unique(yo͞oˈnēk), and quirky(ˈkwərkē) as you want. A business is a reflection of the creator(krēˈātər).

Some people want to be billionaires(ˈbilyəˌne(ə)r) with thousands of employees(emˈploi-ē,ˌemploiˈē). Some people want to work alone(əˈlōn).

Some want as much profit(ˈpräfit) as possible(ˈpäsəbəl). Some want as little profit as possible.

Some want to be in Silicon(-kən,ˈsiləˌkän) Valley(ˈvalē) with Fortune(ˈfôrCHən) 500 customers. Some want to be anonymous(əˈnänəməs).

No matter which goal you choose, there will be lots of people telling you you’re wrong.

Just pay close attention(əˈtenCHən) to what excites(ikˈsīt) you and what drains(drān) you. Pay close(klōs,klōz) attention to when you’re being the real you and when you’re trying to impress an invisible(inˈvizəbəl) jury(ˈjo͝orē).

Even if what you’re doing is slowing the growth of your business — if it makes you happy, that’s OK. It’s your choice(CHois) to remain(riˈmān) small.

You’ll notice that as my company got bigger, my stories about it were less happy. That was my lesson(ˈlesən) learned. I’m happier with 5 employees than with 85, and happiest working alone.

Whatever you make, it’s your creation, so make it your personal(ˈpərsənəl) dream come true.

Why Can’t We Fall Asleep?

By Maria Konnikova

Here’s what’s supposed(səˈpōzd,səˈpōzid) to happen when you fall asleep. Your body temperature(-ˌCHo͝or,ˈtemp(ə)rəCHər) falls, even as your feet and hands warm up—the temperature changes likely help the circadian(sərˈkādēən) clocks throughout your body to synchronize(ˈsiNGkrəˌnīz). Melatonin(ˌmeləˈtōnin) courses(kôrs) through your system—that tells your brain it’s time to quiet(ˈkwīət) down. Your blood(bləd) pressure(ˈpreSHər) falls and your heart(härt) rate slows. Your breathing(ˈbrēT͟HiNG) evens out. You drift off to sleep.

That, at least, is the ideal(īˈdē(ə)l). But going to sleep isn’t always a simple process(prəˈses,ˈpräsəs,ˈpräˌses,ˈprō-), and it seems to have grown more problematic(ˌpräbləˈmatik) in recent years, as I learned through a series(ˈsi(ə)rēz) of conversations this May, when some of the world’s leading(lēd) sleep experts(ˈekˌspərt) met with me to share their ongoing research into the nature(ˈnāCHər) of sleeping. (The meetings were facilitated(fəˈsiliˌtāt) by a Harvard Medical(ˈmedikəl) School Media(ˈmēdēə) Fellowship(ˈfelōˌSHip).) According to Charles(CHärlz) Czeisler, the chief(CHēf) of the Division(diˈviZHən) of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, over the past five decades(ˈdekād) our average(ˈav(ə)rij) sleep duration on work nights has decreased by an hour and a half, down from eight and a half to just under seven. Thirty-one per cent(sent) of us sleep fewer than six hours a night, and sixty-nine per cent report insufficient(ˈinsəˈfiSHənt) sleep. When Lisa Matricciani, a sleep researcher at the University of South Australia(ôˈstrālyə,əˈstrāl-), looked at available sleep data for children from 1905 to 2008, she found that they’d lost nearly a minute of sleep a year. It’s not just a trend(trend) for the adult(əˈdəlt,ˈadˌəlt) world. We are, as a population, sleeping less now than we ever have.

The problem, on the whole(hōl), isn’t that we’re waking up earlier. Much of the change has to do with when we choose to go to bed—and with how we decide to do so. Elizabeth(iˈlizəbəTH) Klerman is the head of the Analytic(ˌanlˈitik) and Modeling(ˈmädl-iNG) Unit(ˈyo͞onit), also in the Sleep and Circadian Disorders division(diˈviZHən) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Her research tracks how multiple(ˈməltəpəl) individual(ˌindəˈvijəwəl) differences in our environment affect our circadian rhythms(ˈriT͟Həm) and our ability to fall asleep easily and soundly. “When you go to bed affects how long you can sleep, no matter how tired you are,” she told me.

…

Speaker for the Dead

By Orson Scott Card

PROLOGUE(-ˌläg,ˈprōˌlôg)

In the year 1830, after the formation of Starways Congress(ˈkäNGgrəs,ˈkän-), a robot scout(skout) ship sent a report by ansible: The planet(ˈplanit) it was investigating(inˈvestiˌgāt) was well within the parameters(pəˈramitər) for human life. The nearest(ni(ə)r) planet with any kind of population pressure(ˈpreSHər) was Baía; Starways Congress granted them the exploration license(ˈlīsəns).

So it was that the first humans to see the new world were Portuguese(ˈpôrCHəˌgēz) by language, Brazilian(brəˈzilyən) by culture(ˈkəlCHər), and Catholic(ˈkaTH(ə)lik) by creed(krēd). In the year 1886 they disembarked(ˌdisemˈbärk) from their shuttle(ˈSHətl), crossed themselves, and named the planet Lusitania(-nyə,ˌlo͞osəˈtānēə)—the ancient(ˈānCHənt) name of Portugal(ˈpôrCHəgəl). They set about cataloguing(-ˌäg,ˈkatlˌôg) the flora(ˈflôrə) and fauna(ˈfänə,ˈfônə). Five days later they realized(ˈrē(ə)ˌlīz) that the little forest(ˈfär-,ˈfôrəst)-dwelling(ˈdweliNG) animals that they had called porquinhos—piggies(ˈpigē)—were not animals at all.

For the first time since the Xenocide of the Buggers(ˈbo͝og-,ˈbəgər) by the monstrous(ˈmänstrəs) Ender, humans had found intelligent(inˈtelijənt) alien(ˈālyən,ˈālēən) life. The piggies were technologically primitive(ˈprimətiv), but they used tools and built houses and spoke a language. “It is another chance(CHans) God has given us,” declared Archcardinal Pio of Baía. “We can be redeemed(riˈdēm) for the destruction(diˈstrəkSHən) of the buggers.”

The members of Starways Congress worshipped(ˈwərSHəp) many gods, or none, but they agreed with the Archcardinal. Lusitania would be settled(ˈsetl) from Baía, and therefore(ˈT͟He(ə)rˌfôr) under Catholic License, as tradition(trəˈdiSHən) demanded(diˈmand). But the colony(ˈkälənē) could never spread(spred) beyond a limited area or exceed(ikˈsēd) a limited population. And it was bound, above all, by one law:

The piggies were not to be disturbed(disˈtərbd).

A Boom in Credit(ˈkredit) Cards: Great News for Banks, Less So Consumers(kənˈso͞omər)

By Jessica Silver-Greenberg(ˈsilvər)(grēn) and Stacy(sˈtāsē) Cowley(koulē)

Udean Murray, a 62-year-old retired(riˈtīrd) telephone(ˈteləˌfōn) operator(ˈäpəˌrātər) in Brooklyn(ˈbro͝oklən), relies(riˈlī) on more than a dozen(ˈdəzən) credit cards to make ends meet. Her prescription(priˈskripSHən) medication(ˌmedəˈkāSHən) often goes on a Capital(ˈkapitl) One card. She pays for groceries(ˈgrōs(ə)rē) with one from Discover(disˈkəvər) Financial(fī-,fəˈnanCHəl) Services(ˈsərvis).

That’s a risky(ˈriskē) financial strategy(ˈstratəjē) for Ms. Murray, whose only income is Social Security(siˈkyo͝oritē) and who struggles(ˈstrəgəl) each month to make the minimum(ˈminəməm) payments on all her cards.

But it has been a boon(bo͞on) for the nation’s biggest banks, which are earning millions of dollars a month on their credit card customers(ˈkəstəmər). The four top American banks — Bank of America, JPMorgan(ˈmôrgən) Chase(CHās), Citigroup and Wells Fargo(ˈfärgō) — together made more than $4 billion(ˈbilyən) in pretax(ˈprēˈtaks) income from their credit card businesses(ˈbiznis) from July through September.

The amount of debt(det) owed by American consumers, which receded(riˈsēd) in the wake of the financial crisis(ˈkrīsis), is again on the rise(rīz).

Outstanding credit card debt — the total balances(ˈbaləns) that customers roll from month to month — hit a record $1 trillion this year, according to the Federal(ˈfed(ə)rəl) Reserve(riˈzərv). The number of Americans with at least one credit card has reached 171 million, the highest level in more than a decade(ˈdekād), according to TransUnion, a credit-reporting company.

That is occurring(əˈkər) at an opportune(ˌäpərˈt(y)o͞on) moment for the banking industry(ˈindəstrē), which is suddenly(ˈsədn-lē) struggling(ˈstrəgəl) to earn as much money from traditional(trəˈdiSHənl) profit engines(ˈenjən).

In the years since the financial crisis(ˈkrīsis), the largest United(yo͞oˈnītid) States financial institutions(ˌinstiˈt(y)o͞oSHən) churned(CHərn) out profits largely thanks to a booming business in trading(ˈtrādiNG) and structuring(ˈstrəkCHər) bonds(bänd) and other securities(siˈkyo͝oritē). Advising(ədˈvīz) corporations(ˌkôrpəˈrāSHən) and other institutions on their finances(fəˈnans,ˈfīnans) and strategies(ˈstratəjē) was another lucrative(ˈlo͞okrətiv) revenue(ˈrevəˌn(y)o͞o) stream.

Now, though, those businesses are flagging(flag), in part because financial markets have been eerily(ˈɪərɪli) calm(kä(l)m).

So banks are turning more to lending(lend) to consumers — especially(iˈspeSHəlē) through credit cards — to pick up some of the slack(slak).

Banks earn money from credit cards in two ways: They take a small cut of each card transaction(-ˈzak-,tranˈsakSHən) as a fee, and they typically(ˈtipikəl) charge annual(ˈanyo͞oəl) interest rates(rāt) of 15 percent or more on balances that customers don’t pay off at the end of each month.

…

The First Hour: Creating Powerful Mornings

By Leo Babauta

As your day starts, it’s easy to get lost in the habit of checking messages(ˈmesij), replying(riˈplī) to email, checking the news and your favorite blogs(bläg).

It’s easy to fritter(ˈfritər) your day away doing a thousand(ˈTHouzənd) small harmless(ˈhärmlis) actions … but the essential(iˈsenCHəl) actions get put off.

The antidote(ˈantiˌdōt), I’ve found, is putting a little emphasis(ˈemfəsis) on making the first hour of your day the most powerful hour. Treating(trēt) that first hour as sacred(ˈsākrid), not to be wasted on trivial(ˈtrivēəl) things, but to be filled with only the most essential, most life-changing actions.

Sacred actions might include:

Meditating(ˈmedəˌtāt)

Journaling(ˈjərnl)

Reading

Writing (or creating in some other way)

Practicing or studying

Practicing yoga(ˈyōgə)

Exercising(ˈeksərˌsīz)

Focusing(ˈfōkəs) on your most important task of the day

On the days when I’m able to take those kinds of sacred actions, my entire(enˈtīr) day is changed. I am more mindful(ˈmīndfəl), I am more energetic(ˌenərˈjetik), and I’m more focused and productive.

Treating this first hour as sacred helps me to remember that every hour is sacred, if I treat it as such. It helps me to remember that I don’t have a lot of hours left (I have no idea how many hours are left!), and that I have to live each one with appreciation(əˌprēSHēˈāSHən) and mindfulness.

My Current(ˈkə-rənt,ˈkərənt) First Hour

The time that I wake up, and my morning routine(ro͞oˈtēn), has varied(ˈve(ə)rēd) over the years. It never stays the same, changing sometimes monthly. But when things tend to drift(drift) off into mindlessness, I refocus(rēˈfōkəs) myself and choose a sacred routine that I find helpful.

Here’s what I’m doing right now with my first hour:

A short meditation(ˌmedəˈtāSHən)

Write

Read

Study

Short yoga practice (or run with Eva)

I’ve only started doing this, so I keep each action fairly short (other than writing). The yoga practice, for example, is just a short series(ˈsi(ə)rēz) of poses(pōz), instead of a longer practice that I might want to develop over time. I’ve found it useful to start small when you get started, to form the habit.

…

THE SEVEN HABITS(ˈhabit)—AN OVERVIEW(ˈōvərˌvyo͞o)

By Stephen(ˈstēvən) R. Covey(ˈkəvē)

We are what we repeatedly(riˈpētidlē) do. Excellence(ˈeksələns), then, is not an act, but a habit.
— ARISTOTLE

Our character(ˈkariktər), basically(ˈbāsik(ə)lē), is a composite(käm-,kəmˈpäzət) of our habits. “Sow(sou,sō) a thought(THôt), reap(rēp) an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny(ˈdestinē),” the maxim(ˈmaksim) goes.

Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious(ˌənˈkänSHəs) patterns, they constantly(ˈkänstəntlē), daily(ˈdālē), express(ikˈspres) our character and produce our effectiveness(iˈfektivnis) … or ineffectiveness.

As Horace(ˈhôrəs) Mann, the great educator(ˈejəˌkātər), once said, “Habits are like a cable(ˈkābəl). We weave a strand(strand) of it everyday and soon it cannot be broken.” I personally do not agree with the last part of his expression. I know they can be broken. Habits can be learned and unlearned. But I also know it isn’t a quick fix. It involves a process(prəˈses,ˈpräsəs,ˈpräˌses,ˈprō-) and a tremendous(trəˈmendəs) commitment.

Those of us who watched the lunar(ˈlo͞onər) voyage(ˈvoi-ij) of Apollo(əˈpälō) 11 were transfixed as we saw the first men walk on the moon and return to earth. Superlatives(səˈpərlətiv) such as “fantastic”(fanˈtastik) and “incredible”(inˈkredəbəl) were inadequate(inˈadikwət) to describe those eventful days. But to get there, those astronauts(ˈastrəˌnôt) literally(ˈlitrə-,ˈlitərəlē) had to break out of the tremendous gravity(ˈgravitē) pull of the earth. More energy(ˈenərjē) was spent in the first few minutes of lift-off, in the first few miles of travel(ˈtravəl), than was used over the next several days to travel half a million miles.

Habits, too, have tremendous gravity pull—more than most people realize(ˈrē(ə)ˌlīz) or would admit. Breaking deeply imbedded habitual(həˈbiCHo͞oəl) tendencies(ˈtendənsē) such as procrastination(prō-,prəˌkrastəˈnāSHən), impatience(imˈpāSHəns), criticalness(ˈkritikəl), or selfishness that violate(ˈvīəˌlāt) basic principles(ˈprinsəpəl) of human effectiveness involves(inˈvälv) more than a little willpower and a few minor(ˈmīnər) changes in our lives. “Lift off” takes a tremendous effort(ˈefərt), but once we break out of the gravity pull, our freedom takes on a whole new dimension(diˈmenCHən).

Like any natural(ˈnaCHərəl) force, gravity pull can work with us or against(əˈgenst,əˈgānst) us. The gravity pull of some of our habits may currently(ˈkə-rəntlē,ˈkərəntlē) be keeping us from going where we want to go. But it is also gravity pull that keeps our world together, that keeps the planets(ˈplanit) in their orbits(ˈôrbit) and our universe(ˈyo͞onəˌvərs) in order. It is a powerful force, and if we use it effectively, we can use the gravity pull of habit to create the cohesiveness(-ziv,kōˈhēsiv) and order necessary(ˈnesəˌserē) in our lives.

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