Jan

5 Life Hacks Make A Day to Remember

by Bruce Goldstone on January 23, 2014

Seven morning chores—from exercising and changing the cat littler to bringing your lunch, ID, keys, cell phone and reading glasses to work—that you can remember with a mnemonic.

Remember your morning chores—Say CLICKER.
© iStock*

A Mnemonic Device for Every Occasion

A mnemonic device is any trick that helps you remember something you tend to forget. It can be visual, verbal, or both. Use the mnemonics in these 5 life hacks to make your life a little bit easier all day long.

1. How to Remember Your Morning Routine

Tasks pile up in the morning. Suppose you want to remember to exercise, clean the kitty litter, and take your ID, lunch, keys, reading glasses, and cell phone to work.

It’s easy to let one thing slip, especially when you’re groggy. So, make a mnemonic checklist by arranging your chores to spell a word. CLICKER does the trick here.

Change kitty litter
Lunch
ID
Cell phone
Keys
Exercise
Reading glasses

2. How to Get Around Town

In any town, the order of streets can be hard to remember. For example, in New York City, the numbers are easy, but the avenues trip you up.

New York City viewed from above, representing a reason to use a mnemonic device as a useful life hack.

Can you remember which avenue is west of Third?
© janniswerner / iStock

A simple sentence memory jogger can help you stay on top of it. In New York, for example, just think pigs to remember the Upper East Side avenues.

Three piglets lead to five piglets, forming a mnemonic device that's a useful life hack to help you remember the upper east side streets in Manhattan.

Upper East Side pigs (We’re not making a judgment, really!)
© Anatolii Tsekhmister / iStock

Three Little Pigs Make Five.

Third Ave, Lexington Avenue, Park Avenue, Madison Avenue, Fifth Avenue.

3. How to Look Smart When You Help with Homework

Mnemonics can help kids of all ages in lots of subjects.

Left vs. Right For those who get left and right confused (even though they know the words well), have them hold out their thumbs and forefingers.

Thumb and forefinger of the left and right hands become a visual mnemonic device and useful life hack to help you tell left from right.

Left or right? Just look down.
© Bruce Goldstone

Like magic, the left hand shows an L.

Comparison Math The < (less than) and > (greater than) signs are easy to confuse, but not if you think of them as a hungry alligator.
The Greater Gator
© Eric Isselée / iStock

Of course, the alligator always wants to eat the bigger meal, so the open part of his mouth points to the greater amount:

10 > 2 Ten is greater than two. 2 < 10 Two is less than ten.

Memorable Life of Pi Hard to remember the first seven digits of pi? Just tell yourself: How I wish I could calculate pi. Count the letters in each word and you get 3.141592.

4. How to Get a Dinner Party Right

It’s after work, and you’re getting ready for a big dinner party. No time to waste, and then a jar decides to give you trouble and just won’t open.

A woman trying to open a jar models one way a mnemonic device can be a useful life hack.

Which way do you turn a lid to open it?
© Jan Mika / iStock

Think: Righty tighty, lefty loosey. That means the top of the jar goes to the right to tighten and left to loosen. This rule works for most screws and bolts, too. (Of course, you have to know left from right. If not, see above.)

Finally, the food is ready, but what about setting the table. Do you remember which side the fork goes on?

A place setting, modeling a situation in which a mnemonic device can be a useful life hack.

Can you remember how to place a place setting?
© Spike Mafford / Photodisc

If not, just count: Fork and left both have four letters, so put the fork to the left. Knife, spoon and right all have five letters, so the knife and spoon go to the right.

Maybe you’re adding place cards, too. Mental pictures can help you spell guests’ names correctly. Suppose one of your guests is Sherry. But does she spell her name with a final i or y?

A basketball and a martini, representing a mnemonic device that serves as a life hack to remember if a name is spelled with an i or a y.

Would Sherry prefer a basketball or a martini?
© Francesco Santalucia / iStock (L), © Richard Cote / iStock (R)

If it’s an i, think of her playing basketball, for the dot on the i. If it’s a y, think of her with a martini, which looks like a y.

5. How to Successfully Call It a Day

Whew! You made it through the whole day, and you didn’t forget anything! But don’t forget your bedtime chores. If you need to floss, charge your cell phone, take your meds, and set the alarm clock, think FACT:

Floss
Alarm
Charge Phone
Take meds

Oh, I see how mnemonic devices can hack life! What mnemonic tricks do you use to make your days a snap? Please tell us in a Comment.

*Top image credits: All images from iStock: ID © Tom Mc Nemar, lunch © Pictac, phone © Maksim Kabakou, glasses © Evgeny Karandaev, man © OSTILL, keys © cat litter © axelbueckert.

Inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Bruce Goldstone Comments

Clever Ideas/Secrets to Life

Jan

From Smart Dogs: 10 Lessons for a Happy Life

by Sheron Long on January 2, 2014

Dog laughing, illustrating how learning life lessons from dogs can lead to a happy life. (Image © Dezi Greig)

Want a happy life in 2014? Ask a dog for advice.
© Dezi Grieg

Oh, I See. My Dog Taught Me!

Smart dogs can sit and stay. They can fetch and even speak on cue. But the lessons we humans give to our dogs in one-syllable commands fall way short of the rich life lessons we get in return.

Oh, I See Moments found that out when we asked dog owners to tell us the lessons they’ve learned from their smart, funny, loving and lovable pups.

The lessons go well-beyond “turn around three times before you plop down” to offer great advice on making a happy life. May these life lessons from dogs unleash happy times for you in 2014!

1. Do What Makes You Happy.

Dezi Greig’s dogs Titan and Odin taught Dezi a thing or two about happiness.

Dog running enthusiastically through a field, illustrating life lessons from dogs on doing what makes you happy in life. (Image © Dezi Greig)

Life off-leash for Titan is life lived to the fullest.
© Dezi Greig

Of the energetic Titan, Dezi says:

Titan taught me to play hard, sleep in, smile big, love more, forgive and forget. Thanks, buddy!

Greig caught the oversized Odin in an oversized chair. A happy moment, a perfect fit. What was Greig’s take-away from his pooch?

Be goofy, yell if you feel like it, if it makes you happy just do it, bite the vet.

Large dog asleep in chair, illustrating life lessons from dogs on doing what makes you happy in life. (Image © Dezi Greig)

Big ole Odin knew how to do exactly what made him happy.
© Dezi Greig

2. Poke Your Nose into Adventure.

How can you figure out what makes you happy if you don’t partake of life?

With a gleam in his eye, Dexter is always looking
for the next adventure!
© Rudy Martinez

Comedian Rudy Martinez learned about that from his dog Dexter:

Dexter taught me that frogs are not to be ingested, golfers are evil, that big dogs are chew toys with legs, and most importantly that dogs love a good dance party as much as anyone.

When it comes to life’s adventures, some are good and some are bad, but all count for something.

3. Live in the Moment.

When water presents itself, Lee McMullan’s dog loves to splash through it, causing Lee to develop this strategy for living in the moment:

Don’t worry, you’ll dry.

Dog splashing through water, illustrating life lessons from dogs on living in the moment to make a happy life. (Image © Lee McMullan)

Get your paws wet! This moment may not come around again.
© Lee McMullan

4. Share Time and Treats with Friends.

From her dog Luna, Malory Mildenberger learned the best kind of treats to offer a friend:

An over-abundance of exuberance, smiles, energy, a shoulder to lean on, a paw to extend in aid, a tail that never stops wagging, eyes brighter than the sun, a thick coat for when things get a bit rough, a ball to share, and kisses to heal wounds that are either physical or psychological.

Dog on bed whose behavior has life lessons for people on how to keep good friends close and have a happy life. (Image © Malory Mildenberger)

Behind Luna’s wise eyes are
the secrets for keeping good friends.
© Malory Mildenberger

5. Stay Curious.

What does the underside of a cow chin look like? My dog, Chula the Sheltie, just had to know. She was always curious, perhaps because she traveled between California and France and relished seeing new things.

Dog nuzzling a large plastic cow, illustrating life lessons for people on staying curious. (Image © Sheron Long)

“Pardonnez-moi,” says Chula, “I’m a little curious about your chin.”
© Sheron Long

Her curiosity took her under the food tables at the big Provencal markets, through lavender fields, down Paris streets and into butcher shops. Chula shared her French adventures from her dog’s-eye view in our book Dog Trots Globe.

Her curiosity inspired me—she taught me to sniff around and see what I could see, to sniff out fun things to do and learn. And she did everything with that wonderful Sheltie smile.

6. Pursue Your Passion.

Katrina Brooks tried to teach her pooch Max that “patience is a virtue,” but it may not be when it comes to pursuing your passion.

Dog going after food, illustrating life lessons from dogs on pursuing a passion to make a happy life. (Image © Katrina Brooks)

Max knows. Pursuing a passion can take focus and speed.
© Katrina Brooks

7. Make the Most of Every Day.

Alisha Rea was there the day her first puppy Banner was born. She describes how she literally saved the life of her best friend:

When Banner was delivered, she was lifeless and still. I began to cry and accept the fact that she was dead. My mother rubbed her all over and gave her mouth-to-mouth. I continued as my mom ran in the house for a warm cloth. Out of nowhere, I felt movement—it was so magical! I had brought her back and watched her take her first breath. That was 13 years ago.

Smiling dog, illustrating life lessons from dogs on appreciating life. (Image © Alishia Rea)

Banner and her owner Alisha love their life together.
© Alishia Rea

Banner and Alisha grew up together. They have been a team, herding sheep, showing in 4-H, visiting nursing homes. Their bond has taught Alisha to:

Live every day as if it were my last, cherish my friends, smile over the little things, and have patience even when all seems lost.

8. Learn New Tricks.

If you want to get out of a rut in 2014, take a lesson from Lia. This surfer dog will tell you that practice has a payoff.

Surfer dog, illustrating life lessons from dogs on learning new tricks to make a happy life. (Image © Agi Cortez)

If every doggie had an ocean, would she learn new tricks?
© Agi Cortez

Her owner Agi Cortez explains how Lia learned to surf:

Since puppydom, Lia has always preferred to sit on the center console in the car, refusing to ever take the back seat. This summer, she showed us what she’s spent years developing—her balance!

9. Be Just Who You Are.

Terina Stewart’s BFF has his own style.

Dog in sunglasses, illustrating life lessons from dogs on being yourself to make a happy life. (Image © Terina Stewart)

A big guy with style
© Terina Stewart

He likes himself and the way he looks, the one essential for loving someone else. And clearly he loves Terina. She says:

Even though he is big, he still likes to climb on my lap and cuddle.

10. Love and Be Loved Without Expectations.

Abandoned and full of drool, dirt, and mats, Thor was wandering down a highway when Kirsten Brand found him. It took Kirsten weeks to clean him up and months to heal his scars.

Now a year later, Thor has fallen in love with his forever family, protecting them seriously and loving them with all his heart. What did Thor teach Kirsten?

He taught me that when you truly and fully put into a relationship, you will get back more than you ever thought you could.

Unconditional love is a two-way street
in Thor’s forever home.
© Kirsten Brand

To see even more of these remarkable canine-inspired life lessons, download the free ebook:

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Sheron Long 14 Comments

Secrets to Life

Dec

Before I Die, I Want to Write On a Candy Chang Wall

by Sheron Long on December 5, 2013

Girl writing on "Before I die" wall in Savannah, Georgia, where messages show that people are trying to gain perspective in their lives. Image © Trevor Coe.

Gaining Perspective at the Chalkboard

It was such a simple idea. Some colored chalk, a dusty chalkboard, a single sentence. But when it lit up the hopes and dreams of a community, it ignited similar projects in public spaces around the globe.

Candy Chang painting the "Before I die, I want to. . ." statements on a wall. Image © Kristina Kassem.

Candy Chang’s first “Before I die, I want to . . .” wall went up in New Orleans in 2011. Still growing, the count as of today is more than

400 walls
60 countries
25 languages

For the communities involved, the experience is powerful. Most come to know their community better, gaining perspective on both their personal and shared values.

As Chang says, “The power of the project rests in the hands of the passerby who picks up a piece of chalk, pauses for a moment, and writes something honest, poetic, and occasionally heartbreaking.”

The First Wall—A Creative Idea Comes to Life

With degrees in Architecture, Graphic Design, and Urban Planning, Chang views our public spaces as a way to “nourish our well-being and see that we are not alone as we try to make sense of our lives.”

In New Orleans, she frequently passed by an abandoned house two blocks from her home.

Abandoned house in Candy Chang's New Orleans neighborhood where the first "Before I Die" wall was set up. Image © Candy Chang.

One day, while grieving the loss of a loved one, she saw the old house with new eyes. She decided on a public art project that, by raising the specter of death, would invite the community to fixate on their hopes and dreams.

Like many creative ideas, this one was born through an experience, an “Oh, I see” moment, that pushed Chang to look at life differently.

Once she visualized the idea, she prepared a stencil for the statement and worked with her friends to ready the wall.

Stencil for the "Before I die" statement being created by Candy Chang. Image © Kristina Kassem.

And then Chang waited, not knowing if anyone would even understand the invitation to write. She describes the next day: “I was blown away. All eighty lines were filled and responses spilled into the margins.”

"Before I die" wall in New Orleans right after set-up. Image © Candy Chang.

"Before I die" wall in New Orleans within 24 hours after completion. Image © Candy Chang.

A very full "Before I die" wall in New Orleans. Image © Candy Chang.

Chang and her friends maintained the wall, documenting it, washing it, replenishing chalk. After seven months, the house sold and the wall came down.

More Walls and a Multitude of Messages

Walls have now popped up worldwide—in Kazakhstan, Portugal, Japan, Mexico, Denmark, Iraq, Argentina, South Africa, the USA, to name a few. And everywhere, people came to write.

Some unleashed their sense of humor, while others went in search of fame, fortune or great love. Dreams ran the gamut from purely practical pursuits to travel adventures far and wide. Most often, however, people sought well-being and a life lived long and well.

Before I die I want to. . .

hug a kangaroo. (Kézdivásárhely, Romania)
stare at the stars with the people I love. (Pohang City, South Korea)
feel comfortable in my skin. (Black Rock City, Nevada)
be tried for piracy. (New Orleans, USA—see photo)

Man writing on the New Orleans "Before I die" wall. Image © Kristina Kassem.

shake the world with my work. (Seoul, Korea)
have my own theme song. (Johannesburg, South Africa)
clean out the attic. (Dublin, Ireland)
eat all the candy and sushi in the world. (New Orleans, USA—see photo)

Mother and daughter writing on the "Before I die" wall in New Orleans. Image © Kristina Kassem.

A mother is just starting to record her dreams, but her daughter is quick to write,
“eat all the candy and sushi in the world.”
© Kristina Kassem

matter to someone. (Minneapolis, USA)
understand women. (Erfurt, Germany)
wave to the Earth from the moon. (Melbourne, Australia)
tell the world I was very happy. (Querétaro, Mexico)

Mother reaching high to write on a "Before I die" wall in Querétaro, Mexico. Image © Candy Chang.

Each “Before I die. . .” wall has its unique lifespan from a single day to months or more. But, when participants share the public space with hopes and dreams like these, they gain perspective that just may last a lifetime.

Before I Die Wall in Brooklyn, New York, part of a movement to share hopes and dreams started by Candy Chang. Image © Shake Shack.