Though its mild, paradoxical and perhaps a bit prurient to say so, Slave Play is a happy surprise.

Its mild because Jeremy O. Harriss play, which opened at the Golden Theater on Sunday, is one of the best and most provocative new works to show up on Broadway in years.

Its a paradox because what could be happy in a play about pain? A play so serious, so furious and so deeply engaged in the most intractable conflicts of American life that it became both a cause clbre and a scandal before it opened?

And its a bit prurient because when we talk about the provocations of Slave Play and the people who saw it downtown last year at New York Theater Workshop have been talking about it almost nonstop since what we usually mean is sex: the whip, the dildo, the nudity, the boots, the bondage, the orgasms both achieved and aborted. Those things are indeed a surprise, at least if you havent watched television this millennium.

But sex is more than titillation in Slave Play; it is the crucible in which Mr. Harris performs a thought experiment. If black people in intimate partnerships with white people felt safe to say how they needed to be seen, would their white partners be able and willing to comply? Or are black people forever condemned by the legacy of slavery to live squarely in the blind spot of their nonblack partners myopia?

Though the experiment is carried out in a complex format one that blurs satire and minstrelsy and comedy and drama this is not some avant-garde nonsense producing microscopic results. In focusing on three messed-up interracial partnerships, Slave Play has nothing less than the messed-up interracial partnership of our whole country in its sights.

If only our whole country could go on a weeklong retreat to explore these issues, as the three couples do. (Read on judiciously if you want to preserve the plays surprises.) Their retreat, at a former plantation outside Richmond, Va., has been designed to help the black partners process their anhedonia their inability to get pleasure from their white partners through a series of exercises including, on Day 4, role play as slaves.

In that role play, Kaneisha (Joaquina Kalukango) takes on the persona of a disgusting little bed wench to Massa Jim that is, her husband (Paul Alexander Nolan), putting on a Southern accent. Phillip (Sullivan Jones) portrays a cultured house slave who agrees to be dominated by his partner, Alana (Annie McNamara), playing the plantations neurotic mistress. Gary (Ato Blankson-Wood) casts himself as a field slave in charge of a white indentured servant played by his narcissistic boyfriend, Dustin (James Cusati-Moyer).

In the plays first section, called Work, these three couples try to reconnect sexually in their antebellum alter egos (and in Dede Ayites witty costumes) while Mr. Harris and the plays director, Robert OHara, press every outrageous button they can. (Its just the beginning when Kaneisha twerks to Rihanna, begging Massa Jim to call her a Negress.) For some audience members not to mention social media kibitzers just seeing black characters take on reviled stereotypes may be too much to bear.

But the plays ambition is built on this outrageous foundation. In the second part, called Process, the couples discuss the outcomes of their role play under the guidance of two psychologists Te (Chalia La Tour) and Patricia (Irene Sofia Lucio) who developed the therapy. Here, Mr. Harriss satire of academic gassiness and self-help psychobabble does double duty: Its hilarious (even if a bit overdrawn) and yet illuminating. As the couples begin to pry ever more deeply into their troubles, we are the beneficiaries of their painful insights.

What we learn in lockstep with them is that the black subjects Kaneisha, Phillip and Gary are prized by their lovers despite their blackness instead of because of it. The role play, designed to flip that polarity, has forced the white partners to look at color and see it deeply, even at the risk of mortification.

This dynamic is pushed to a thrilling conclusion in the plays third section, called Exorcise, in which one couple faces the fallout of their work. A brilliant little play in itself, Exorcise is as wrenching a portrait of moral gridlock as anything in Arthur Miller, as weirdly lyrical as Tennessee Williams and as potently heightened as Suzan-Lori Parks.

I wish I could see what Mr. OHara, who often directs his own coruscating plays, could do with those authors. (His staging of A Raisin in the Sun at the Williamstown Theater Festival this summer was revelatory.) His showmanship both leavens and deepens difficult material and was crucial in turning Slave Play into the event it was downtown.

Uptown, his staging has grown broader and funnier but no less trenchant in the 800-seat Golden than it was in a space one-quarter the size; the continuous embroidering of marvelous detail fills any gaps that might have opened in the expansion. (Watch Phillip take refuge under his hoodie when he gets overwhelmed, or Alana scramble after her notebook as if it might protect her from what shes learning.) The returning cast especially Mr. Cusati-Moyer as the boyfriend who pathetically insists he is not as white as he looks has likewise amped up the emotional volume; they have a bigger house to bring down.

Their performances make that of the only new cast member Ms. Kalukango even more distinct and grave by comparison. As Kaneisha becomes the center of the plays argument, you see her struggle to express herself playing out on her face before she has the words. When the words do come, they are all the more devastating.

Devastating and, for white people, or at any rate for me, painful. And why shouldnt they be? The best plays arent just about empathizing with the oppressed; theyre also about accepting our connection to the oppressors. With asperity but also love, Slave Play lets us all see ourselves in the muddle that is race in America now. Theres even a giant mirrored wall in Clint Ramoss set to make sure we do.

Such reflections are no longer common on Broadway. If Slave Play can bring them to a bigger audience even an audience that is shocked or offended it will be a happy surprise indeed. Shock and offense may be just the ticket now.

Slave Play

Tickets Through Jan. 5, 2020, at the Golden Theater, Manhattan; 212-947-8844, slaveplaybroadway.com. Running time: 2 hours.

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Review: Slave Play, Four Times as Big and Just as Searing - The New York Times

The more confident and assertive women present themselves, the easier it will be to ask for what they needand the less theyll care about being unlikable to theirboss.

As part of my series about the five things we need to do to close the gender wage gap I had the pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth Pearson. Elizabeth is a professional life coach, spiritual seeker, writer, wife, and mother. Elizabeth specializes in getting women unstuck so they can achieve their highest goals in all aspects of life. Throughout her 15-year sales career, Elizabeth has worked for brands such as VitaminWater and Coca-Cola, as well as managing accounts for Amazon, Target, Whole Foods and others. During her sales career, Elizabeth discovered her true passion in lifeBeing of service to other women.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us the backstory that brought you to this career path?

I started out as a young and hungry sales rep for a scrappy startupVitaminWater. I was an intern for the company during college and, after graduation, promptly moved from St. Louis to Chicago after accepting a full-time position with the company. I loved my new city, the company I worked formy exciting life.

After the company was acquired by Coca Cola for $4BB, I sharpened my corporate sales skills by managing national accounts for Coke. I got to travel, eat at fabulous restaurants, and network with heavy hitters in the field. At this point, I was happily married and ready to do the next logical step (or so were told), move to the suburbs and start popping out babies. I was always an overachieving rule follower, so I bought the big house, had the kids and climbed the corporate ladder.

Then one day, after a yoga class, I began crying for reasons unbeknown to me. Looking back, I can now admit I must have been having some sort of spiritual breakdown or breakthrough. Something deep inside of me was urging me to take some risksGo for the gold, do more with my life than settle deeper into my comfort zone.

That moment was the catalyst to my exploration of all things self-help, both spiritual and empowering. I followed my passion for helping other women and began coaching. Fast forward 3 years later, my husband and I moved our kids across the country to sunny southern California, I own my own thriving coaching business, am writing my first bookLife is good.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

The most interesting thing thats happened is how many times Ive been blindsided with self-doubt. I knew there would be bumps in the road to entrepreneurship, but I always saw myself as a confident person. This journey to starting anew in so many areas of my life has destroyed all the armor I thought I had. I have days when Im sobbing with regret for walking away from my lucrative sales career, and Ive had days where Im sobbing with gratitude for my new life. The ups and downs are way more intense than I could have ever predicted.

Can you share a story about the funniest or most interesting mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

The most interesting/cringeworthy mistake I made when I first started was not really listening to my clients. I used to coach from an I know whats best, just take my advice and youll be good mentality. A good coach does the opposite. An effective coach listens and looks for underlying messages or emotions from their client. Thank goodness I figured that out sooner rather than later, or I wouldnt have a successful business today.

Ok, lets jump to the main focus of our interview. Even in 2019, women still earn about 80 cents for every dollar a man makes. Can you explain three of the main factors that are causing the wage gap?

1. Women not asking for more

No one will give you what you dont ask forso if a woman wants more money, more responsivity, a higher-ranking title, we need to start asking or demanding it from our employers. According to a survey published by Glassdoor, Women negotiated less than their male counterparts. Sixty-eight percent of women accepted the salary they were offered and did not negotiate, a 16-percentage point difference when compared to men (52%).

Some factors as to why women forgo the opportunity to negotiate their salaries stems from a lack of confidenceThey doubt theyre qualified enough for a promotion or deserve a raise.

Another factor may be whats commonly called the social cost of negotiationwomen feeling awkward or greedy when asking for more money. Men dont seem to have this hang up though, therefore its critical to avoid this costly mistake if we have any hopes of closing the wage gap.

A great option to feel more comfortable negotiating is to list out and quantify everything you bring to the organization. When women see the financial value they bring, its much easier to ask for a bump in their salary. Another great option is to take an online course on how to negotiate, as there are a ton of them available now.

2. Employer Bias

Many companies have a conscious or unconscious bias towards women which becomes evident when they overlook or undervalue the work their female employees do.

There is a reason to feel hopeful though, a recent Glassdoor study found that Based on over 425,000 salaries shared by full-time U.S. employees, men earn 21.4 percent higher base pay than women on average (or women earn 79 cents per dollar men earn). However, comparing workers of similar age, education, and experience shrinks the gap to 19.1 percent. Furthermore, after comparing workers with the same job title, employer and location, the gender pay gap in the U.S. falls to 4.9 percent (95.1 cents per dollar).

3. The Motherhood Penalty

Research shows that many mothers encounter some workplace-related backlash after having a childalthough it may be subtle. When compared to childless or male colleagues, moms can be viewed as being less committed and face higher expectations to prove their commitment to the company while receiving less consideration for a promotion. Some studies show the pay gap between mothers and childless women as an even larger gap than the one between men and women that gets the most attention. Moms earn approximately 7% less per child than childless women.

Theres a financial cost of being a stay at home momStay home, and you miss out on opportunities to earn and build wealth. The opposite is true for men because new fathers typically see earnings increase after their child is born. Why? Because it signals stability to the organization and that they are less of a flight risk if they are seen as having a heavier financial responsibility.

How do we start to fix this problem? Give mothers access to affordable, good quality daycare and give men the same 12-weeks of use-it-or-lose-it paternity leave that women get.

Can you share with our readers what your work is doing to help close the gender wage gap?

The joy of my life is helping women get reacquainted with their powerit never goes away, but sometimes it gets ignored for a few years. I encourage women to see their potential for the life they want to live, and then we take massive action to help them attain their goals, many of which are financial. By encouraging more women to take their seat at the proverbial table, we will have more women dictating wages and, hopefully, we can then finally close the wage gap.

Can you recommend 5 things that need to be done on a broader societal level to close the gender wage gap?

The progress that is being made is encouraging, however well need these 5 things to happen to close the gap:

1. Sustained action from businesses.

Equal paternity leave for new dads so they can carry more childcare weight and free-up moms to go back to work.

2. Government support.

Affordable childcare for new and single mothers is critical to ensuring women return to the workforce.

3. Awareness of biases.

Companies will need to take a good look in the mirror, and at their payroll, to see if there may be underlying biases and sexism happening within their organizations.

4. Women becoming skilled negotiators.

The more confident and assertive women present themselves, the easier it will be to ask for what they needand the less theyll care about being unlikable to their boss.

5. Parents overriding socialized norms for girls to be people pleasers and nurturing.

When we empower our youth to see girls as equals, we raise men and women who expect to pay women at the same level as men.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

The movement Id love to see happen is a Care Less Movement.

Care less about what others think of you.

Care less about fitting in.

Care less about doing things that you dont enjoy.

Care less what your parents and siblings think of your choices.

Be Happy. Do what you want to do.

Your only purpose in life is to be happy. Care more about that and less about everything else.

Can you please give us your favorite Life Lesson Quote? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, its always your choice.Dr. Wayne Dyer

When clients seek out my help, theyre usually feeling somewhat powerless in an area of their lifeSome are even miserable in a toxic work environment. I always recommend that they use those feelings as a catalyst for change and improvement of the situation. Complaining about it will only keep it in your vibration and therefore in your reality. When you make a choice to be grateful for everythingwell, thats when the magic of transformation happens.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why?

Id love to have met the mentor-in-my-head, Dr. Wayne Dyer. His books and lectures have been a game-changer for me, and I feel he was way ahead of his time. Id love to have some thick pancakes and a great cappuccino and talk to him about the meaning of lifea topic which Im sure he has all the answers. Oh, and if we could snag a 3-top, of course Id want Beyonc there.

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Five things we need to do to close the gender wage gap, With Elizabeth Pearson - Thrive Global

Marianne Williamson recently burst onto the political scene as a somewhat unconventional candidate vying for the Democratic Partys presidential nomination in the United States.

While she has never garnered more than two per cent in the polls and did not qualify for the third debate meaning its likely her run will come to an end soon her remarks during the first two Democratic debates, as well as her personality and unconventional campaign parlance, have provoked many media responses.

What distinguishes Williamson from other candidates is her personal and professional background. Prior to her foray into politics, she was an internationally renowned self-help and spiritual author and speaker, known for penning bestsellers like A Return to Love.

A child of the 1960s, Williamson was significantly involved with the New Age and Human Potential movements, even spending time working at Esalen Institute in California, the American mecca of alternative spirituality.

Today, shes known as Oprah Winfreys spiritual adviser, and remains an outspoken advocate of mindfulness meditation, yoga and therapy as ways to achieve spiritual and social transformation.

Williamson unapologetically infuses her interest in spirituality into her political campaigning.

On her website she calls for a a moral and spiritual awakening in America, speaking to those who are seeking higher wisdom. And in her closing statement at the first Democratic debate, she proclaimed that she will harness love to defeat President Donald Trump.

A number of pundits have mocked Williamson. But the more common reaction is puzzlement: many just dont know what to make of a renowned spiritual and self-help teacher running to lead the Democratic Party.

I believe this is largely because few are familiar with the history of alternative spirituality in North America and its ties to progressive politics.

We have seen a dramatic rise over the last few decades in the number of North Americans who self-identify as spiritual but not religious.

Read more: What does it mean to be spiritual?

Those in this group, while certainly diverse, have deep spiritual interests, often champion something like the existence of a higher power, remain wary of orthodoxy and place a premium on individual autonomy.

It is these people to whom Williamson appeals. And while they might view themselves as seekers who dont adhere to traditions, there is a longstanding tradition of alternative spirituality in the West.

In Spiritual but not Religious: Understanding Unchurched America, religious historian Robert Fuller sheds light on the various metaphysical movements that emerged in the 18th and 19th centuries in America.

These include Swedenborgism, Transcendentalism, Spiritualism, Mesmerism, Theosophy and New Thought, each of which despite being relatively unknown to most people have significantly shaped the spiritual but not religious trend.

These movements were certainly theologically different, but nevertheless, like Williamson and her followers, they postulated the existence of unseen forces and championed the importance of both mystical experiences and individual freedom. If channelled appropriately, those forces could purportedly lead to self-empowerment.

Read more: Why you should know about the New Thought movement

The influence of these movements was far from marginal in American society. They often attracted well-known writers, politicians and artists. Ralph Waldo Emerson, often called Americas national poet, was an avowed Transcendentalist, as was Henry Thoreau, committed civil rights activist and author.

Others who belonged to some of these movements include psychologists William James and Carl Jung, philosopher Rudolf Steiner and biologist Alfred Russell Wallace.

Historian Leigh Eric Schmidt of Princeton University usefully traces the historical ties between these movements and progressive democratic politics in the U.S. in Restless Souls: The Making of American Spirituality.

Schmidt observes that many of the leaders and spokespeople of these movements were ahead of their time, both socially and politically.

For instance, Margaret Fuller, an early Transcendentalist and confessed mystic, was also a staunch advocate for womens rights in the early 19th century. So was Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a womens suffrage activist who sought to claim the privilege of autonomy for the female sex in The Womans Bible , published in 1895.

Walt Whitman, the famous American poet and writer - as well as a curious inquirer into clairvoyance and Spiritualism - championed, in cosmopolitan fashion, the good in all religious systems, according to Schmidt.

Felix Adler, a Reform Jew and founder of the Society for Ethical Culture, published in 1905 The Essentials of Spirituality, wherein he championed the importance of doing justice to that inner self in order to do justice to others.

Finally, Ralph Waldo Trine, proponent of New Thought and author of the successful In Tune with the Infinite, depicted God as a spirit of infinite life akin to a reservoir of superhuman power.

And though Trines doctrines were eventually appropriated by entrepreneurial and materialist ministers such as Norman Vincent Peale in the mid-20th century, Trine himself was a staunch progressive and social reformer. He was also a committed vegetarian, playing an active role in the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

In light of this history, Schmidt concludes:

The convergence of political progressivism, socioeconomic justice, and mystical interiority was at the heart of the rise of a spiritual left in American culture.

Its therefore worth asking why a candidate like Williamson so boggles the modern-day mind.

In part, it has to do with the way alternative spirituality developed over the 20th century. The New Age movement of the 1970s was arguably the most prominent. And while the New Age label may today be out of fashion, many ideas that were once championed under its banner remain strikingly popular.

In fact, its likely that many who call themselves spiritual but not religious subscribe to a set of ideas and engage in a variety of practices that were once central to that counter-cultural movement. And carrying forward a long-standing tradition, these ideas tend to appeal to the left.

Religion, after all, is increasingly associated in the U.S. with social conservatism. In turn, for many progressives, especially millennials, religion is no longer considered a viable option.

So for those with spiritual interests, the cosmopolitan and inclusive spirituality of Williamson has an obvious appeal.

Of course, one of the tenets of New Age thought, at least in its most radical form, is that politics is a distraction from what really matters: self-transformation and spiritual enlightenment.

This may be why the image of Williamson as president is so difficult to entertain: we tend to think spirituality and politics just dont mix.

But thats at odds with the actual history of spirituality in America. Perhaps those who are spiritual but not religious will stop drawing a line separating the spiritual from the political. And if this happens, maybe the thought of a Williamson presidency wont seem so implausible.

[ Youre smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversations authors and editors. You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter. ]

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Marianne Williamson and the religion of 'spirituality' - The Conversation CA

This post is part of a series of Queerty conversations with models, trainers, dancers, and, well, people who inspire us to stay in shape0r just sit on the couch ogling them instead.

Name:Matthew Shaffer, 41

City: Los Angeles. Ive had a fun little gypsy life. I was born in a small town in Colorado, but grew up in Southern California, just outside of Torrance.

Occupation: Performer, dancer, choreographer and author of Dancing Out of the Closet, a memoir of coming out on the wicked stage. I am also an educator at Studio School, a university in downtown Los Angeles Center Stages. Its the first of its kind in our country, where students earn a BFA while partaking in professionally performing and auditioning while in school.

Favorite Gym:I gave up gyms about four years ago and moved into a yoga studio. I was always punishing myself for what I wasnt, rather than rewarding myself for what I am. I actually go to Core Power, which is sort of like the Starbucks of yoga. Its great for when Im on the road. You always get a consistent practice.

Related:Stage star and trainer Sam Leicht, on how sports can build a bridge to queer acceptance

Favorite Work Out Song: Anything Annie Lennox, especially the Eurythmics. Pink, if Im feeling feisty. Queen, recently, because how could you not revisit such a beautiful group.

Recommended Work-Out Foods: I try eat more vegetables than anything else. Im not afraid of carbs, so Ill do a carbohydrate. I do high protein from beans and outside sources, but low meat intake. I try to stay away from meat on weekends and practice being vegetarian on weekdays. Ive found that in do that, instead of giving myself a cheat day it helps me find a consistent balance. I also gave up soda 11 years ago, and avoid dairy since that keeps weight on.

Best Workout Outfit: I like Lulu Lemon. I think their shorts are very well made for men, and last a long time. They have a built-in liner, and feel really tight and kind of remind me of biker shorts or jazz pants. On top, I go to Target and I buy tank tops.

How do you balance staying in shape and having fun? For me, the biggest battle in my life is that Im someone who believes in living in the moment, and I want to make sure I enjoy everything. For most of my 20s, I was in such a demanding field and had to look really good all the time, so I was constantly depriving myself. Now, I allow myself to indulge, but with that comes with the discipline of going to the yoga studio. If I have a day where Ive indulged too much, I might take an extra yoga class or pop into a spin class. That makes me feel good.

What about as a performer? Every day I keep a journal. I think that is especially important for anyone, but especially an artist because we are so emotional and can access that emotion very quickly, whether its good or bad. I read self-help books in perpetual cycles like [works by] Eckhart Tolle. If Im on my own, I write. It helps me stay mentally prepared. Thats how both of my books were born: the need to work through pain.

The book emphasizes your history of performance, coming out and how those correspond to highs and lows in your personal life. How did dance as a creative outlet prepare you for coming out? That was my favorite part of writing the book. When I set out to write it, that was the question I kept asking myself. Am I performer because I knew when I was three that I was gay and needed a way to channel it? Or was the fact that I liked to dance and act and perform just a catalyst to say Deal with this thing? Im not sure. I find it interesting that so many performing artists are gay. I dont want to stereotype, but it is interesting that so many writers, directors, costume designers, choreographers are LGBTQ. I also dont know if I ever could have come out without having the loving people that I was surrounded by in my dance company or on a set, because when youre on a break and you hear someone elses story, you think thats my story. It gives you a safe haven to talk about it out loud.

At times, you seem to lean into gay stereotypes in your book. For example, you ask the reader to think of you speaking with a gay lisp for emphasis, even though you dont have one. Do you think embracing a stereotype can empower you? I do. Look, were going to be stereotyped whether we like it or not. Thats not just actors or gay people, its everyone. I love that the generation beneath me is trying to break stereotypes, but at the end of the day, there have been tropes weve fit into. For me, the lispI did some research and that was one of the identifying ways it was safe for men in the 50s to find one another and be with each other. So yeah, part of being stereotyped is embracing the stereotype. As a performer, I learned to accept that because you get typecast. If I had to embrace it for my career, why cant I embrace it for my life?

How does dance prepare you for everyday life? I tell people if youre a dancer you can do anything. Dance is both a sport and an art. In order to fully execute the idea behind a story, you have to be physically at the top of your game. Youre versatile. And part of working in a studio is learning how to problem solve and when something doesnt work, finding a way out of it. I think that dance activates the mind and the body and the soul.

Tip for staying in shape:Love yourself and drink plenty of water. Stay active.

What do you keep on your nightstand? I keep a book Im reading, my journal, my phone and a bottle of water with a glass. Right now Im reading a book called Paris by Edward Rutherford.

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Matt Shaffer on lisping and why part of being stereotyped is embracing the stereotype - Queerty

Photo: Entrepreneur Network

Why the Self-Help Industry Has Depression Wrong

If youve ever wondered why self-help works for some, but not for others, especially when one is battling depression, this is essential viewing. In this cinematic video, Entrepreneur Network partner Ben Angel shares his own experience with depression, and why he believes the self-help industry has gotten it seriously wrong.

Want to become unstoppablein business and in life? Take this60-second quiznow to find out what's really holding you back, and be sure to grab a copy of Angel's new book,Unstoppable,today.

Related:'Why Can't I Focus?' Here's What the Science Says.

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Related:Why the Self-Help Industry Has Depression Wrong#6 Ways How Sleep Deprivation Is Killing You Slowly and SteadilyThe Death Road: How Entrepreneurs Can Fight Suicidal Thoughts & Not Give Up

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Why the Self-Help Industry Has Depression Wrong - Greenwich Time

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If you have been feeling a little off lately or have just been looking for some extra inspiration, than lookno further than the list of best-selling self-help books on Amazon. These books are sure to help you find that pep in your step and positively re-evaluateyour goals or create new ones! Check out 10 of the most popular self-help books out now in the gallery below!

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10 self-help books to help you feel reenergized and inspired - AOL

So, in this Student Opinion question, we invited them to read about the things Times employees do to take care of themselves, and then share their own. Here are some of their tips for preserving and improving their mental, physical and emotional health:

Whenever I get stressed out, I draw. I know, I know, its a clich, but its what I do. As a high school student, I generally have a stressful life, what with schoolwork, extracurriculars, and spending time with my family. In order to not go insane, I often need to decompress. To do this, I put on some music, grab a pencil, and get drawing. If I didnt do this, Id snap. Drawing allows me to escape from all that chaos and just be.

Lucas Kruger, Hoggard High School, Wilmington, NC

With school, sports, and homework finding time to get good sleep during the week is close to impossible. Taking time to simply just lay down and take a nap is by far one of the most important things for me. 2 hours. Thats all the time I need to re energize myself and feel good again.

Now, dont get me wrong online shopping helps a lot too but there is no immediate energy boost. I reserve time every weekend possible to just take a nap. The amazing feeling of laying down after a long week and just forgetting all your responsibilities is by far one of the best feelings that one can encounter.

Kali Hatcher, Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC

Crying, I realized, can be a good way to relieve excessive emotions. This leads me to understand why some people would need to power cry. I then tried it myself a couple of times and got to experience its power, although I rarely do it anymore since there isnt that much stress in my life if I prioritize.

Yuwei Hu (Emily), Hinsdale, IL

My idea of self care is simply listening to music at home everyday after school. Being very introverted, school can be extremely exhausting for me and I often find schoolwork to be overwhelming. Taking time to listen to music everyday and relax really helps me deal with the stress and pressure of school. It gives me a break from thinking about homework, grades, and my peers.

Eliana Donohue, Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC

Everyday after school, I head home, and before even thinking about homework, food, or anything else, I blast music. Nothing will make me feel more at ease than playing a Ben Platt song at full volume and screaming out the words.

Kayla Young, Bryant, Arkansas

When I was in 9th grade, my dad made me go to some religious classes every weekend and they spent an hour every morning doing yoga. I always thought yoga was just something that moms do but I realized a lot over the past few weeks at yoga. It was calming and it let me release the breath I didnt know I was holding in. Im a very extroverted person and I really enjoy being around other people but this was a new experience for me. This was a time spent to myself where I could ponder on my thoughts. I never realized the point of it all but when I noticed that this was the moment just for me I started to feel like I can catch my breath.

Bhavana Dronamraju, Hinsdale, IL

Excerpt from:
What Students Are Saying About: Their Political Views, Self-Care and Travel Memories - The New York Times

Absurdly Drivenlooks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek.

I'm not fond of the self-help book, proverb-like statements that supposedly revealdeep life truths andmotivate people to greater things.

Indeed, somewhere on my laptop there's a manuscript called Proverbial Nonsense that explains just how far my lack of fondness extends.

However, one that's always been suffused with a tinge of truth is that it's good for the mind and soul to endure a little failure.

It makes you appreciate your limitations and examine your hubris.

It forces you to focus on the radical ephemerality of life.

It's easy, though, to get annoyed at tech types who insist you should fail fast and go on to greater glories.

Too many of these people actually saw success too young, with the result that our world is now a parlous bag of tripe.

But enough about Mark Zuckerberg.

EntitledEarly-Career Setback And Future Career Impact, this study involvedwise, purple-sweatshirted management scientists examiningwhether there really is some sort of connection between early failure and ultimate success.

At least, among junior scientists applying for R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health. (Disclosure: my wife is a scientist who has had some success writing similargrants.)

The researchersadmit that the conclusions drifted into the opposite direction from their expectations.

They did discover that early career failure made around 10 percent morejunior scientists quit altogether than those who had narrow successes.

However, swathes of hope also emerged from the pits of despair. As the scientists put it:

Individuals with near misses systematically outperform those with narrow wins in the longer run. Moreover, this performance advantage seems to go beyond a screening mechanism, suggesting early-career setback appears to cause a performance improvement among those who persevere.

The ones with near-misses may get less funding. They do, though, end up writing more "hit" papers that are cited more often.

This result isn't to be underestimated. As study co-author Benjamin Jones explained:

The fact that the near-miss group published more hit papers than the just-made-it group is even more surprising when you consider that the just-made-it group received money to further their work, while the near-miss group did not.

Yes, when you fail people look down upon you. They lose confidence in you.

You feel like -- in the charming American vernacular -- a loser.

The researchers say they looked at all sorts of possibilities as to why those who initially failed went on to enjoy elevated success.

In the end, all they can posit is that quaint characteristics such as determination and, well, the ability to learn from failure spur people onto greater things.

It seems that these effects are being observed beyond the area of scientific grant proposals.

It's worth, then, looking for narrow failures early in your career. They won't be entirely demotivating and they'll spur you to great things.

Please don't imagine, though, that these results exclude the ideathat -- holds nose -- success breeds success.

We've all seen how the self-regarding young things of Silicon Valley have infinite dollars thrown at them the minute they sell a tiny app that makes investors -- and them --money before it disappears into a large, dark hole.

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

Read more here:
Want To Be A Big Success? This Is How Quickly You Should Fail First, Says A Surprising New Northwestern Study - Inc.

Despite the fact that she has absolutely no chance of winning, Marianne Williamson is still running for President. Also, she is very upset with the media and the Left in general for making her out to be some kind of "crystal woo woo" lady when she has in fact never even done the whole crystal thing and is an altogether different variety of "woo-woo lady."

Speaking to Yahoo News, Williamson vented her frustration with the way she has been portrayed in the media "This idea that I'm a crystal woo woo lady ... the crystal woo woo lady image, to some extent amusing, has no relation to reality[...] I've never had a crystal, I've never written about crystals. I've never talked about crystals. I've never had a crystal onstage with me."

Is this just a misreading of Williamson based on the fact that she is very New Agey and believes a whole lot of other ridiculous things, like for instance that excess body fat is made up of "negative thoughts? Or because she based her whole self-help empire on a book by a lady who thought she was channelling Jesus when she wrote it? Not according to Williamson. According to Williamson, this whole thing is actually a "well-designated strategy," an orchestrated plot to take her down. Orchestrated by whom? She does not know. But probably the Illuminati.

Sure! You could say that the reason writers went for words like "anti-science" and "anti-medicine" and "crazy" was because of crap like this...

Or this...

Or this...

Or the fact that her entire self-help empire is based off of a book written by a lady who claims it was actually written by Jesus, whom she said she was channeling at the time.

It could be any of those things! But probably it is a nefarious plot to make people not take her seriously as a candidate for President of the United States, a thing that people would definitely do otherwise. I mean, if I hadn't been sent that memo from an unknown email address instructing me to say that Marianne Williamson is a kook, this article would probably be about how super normal it is that she thinks AIDS can be cured with prayers.

Personally, I do kind of hope she stays in the race, and also I hope that she chooses this lady who channels not Jesus, but Freddie Mercury as her running mate. Because hey, at least it would entertaining.

Channeling Freddie Making a Mends youtu.be

Anyway.... this is now your open thread! Enjoy!

[Yahoo]

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Continued here:
Marianne Williamson Denies Being A 'Crystal Woo-Woo Lady,' Is Still Every Other Kind Of 'Woo-Woo Lady' - Wonkette

EDITORS NOTE: This post was edited on Oct. 5 to correct one of the graduate senators names.

Last week, the Student Government Association hosted its first town hall for the SRU community, providing a chance for concerned students or faculty members to ask President William Behre any question about community affairs.

Opportunities like the town hall are essential to having your student perspective understood at the administrative level. However, if you missed the town hall or didnt understand the context behind the questions, heres some insight for you:

1SRUs price tag will most likely go up next year.

Both SRU and PASSHE didnt increase tuition this year; however, this left SRU with $1 million in the hole according to Behre.

Because of this, there will be a proposed tuition increase, although the percentage increase has not yet been announced. Behre said that part of this increase will be dedicated to go back into financial aid, a move that is aimed to help attract students whose families make less than $100,000 annually to attend SRU.

Conversations regarding the tuition for next year are in progress, and those decisions will be discussed at future council of trustees meetings.

2Graduate student representation will be an SGA priority.

The graduate student experience was a largely-discussed topic, but the reasons behind these questions require a bit of context.

Last year, Matt Lerman (current SGA parliamentarian) was the only graduate senator in the SGA senate. A couple weeks ago, Tabea Ohle and Danielle Dovgan were sworn in as graduate senators. Ohle studies marketing and management at the Regional Learning Alliance in Cranberry, and Dovgan is a second-year students in the doctorate of occupational therapy program at SRUs Harrisville location.

The graduate student representation doesnt stop there. Dallas Kline and Riley Keffer, who both previously served on the SGA executive board during their undergraduate careers, are both student affairs in high education masters students who are on the SGA board of directors.

Having five graduate senators heavily involved in SGA is certainly unique to this year and informed many of the questions concerning the graduate student experience, especially when it comes to communication and transportation. Expect this topic to be a priority from SGA for the next year.

3Expect cross involvement between organizations this year.

So far, College Republicans and Young Progressives have started this off by co-hosting a voter registration drive. With the 2020 election coming into view, this solidarity is a great first step to reduce political polarization on campus, and Im personally excited to see how the College Republicans and Young Progressives continue this partnership.

During the town hall, Behre suggested that the two organizations work together on Relay For Life, for example. Be on the lookout for the possibility of this type of collaboration this year.

4Despite the broad range of questions discussed, only about 40 people attended to ask the questions.

Most of the Smith Student Center (SSC) theater seats were left empty at the forum, and most of the students in the audience were directly affiliated with SGA or the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership.

SGA did offer ways for students who had class (including me) or other commitments to submit questions on CORE prior to the event. WSRU-TVs live stream of the event also made the discussion more accessible for students who couldnt attend. That video gained about 180 views within 48 hours.

However, especially after Behres forum last February attracted over 600 people, its shocking that this forum didnt attract even one-tenth of that audience. For context, Behre held a town hall discussion after a Black History Month poster was vandalized in Rhoads Hall. The audience for that discussion filled the entire ballroom.

Personally, I highly doubt that one specific issue ties into this attendance. However, I hope to see more promotion from SGA, professors and other student organizations to get a better turnout for next time.

5The next town hall will address self care and mental health.

The next SGA town hall will be Nov. 7 at 5 p.m. in the SSC Theater. This time, there will be a panel discussion about self care and mental health on college campuses. Panelists will be announced at a later date.

Unfortunately, SRU is too familiar with the nationwide college mental health crisis; however, if I know anything about this small town community, its that we band together to make changes in the hardest times, and I sincerely hope the attendance at this event shows our dedication to make a change.

In short: show up, represent yourself and your peers and use your voice to make a change.

See the article here:
Editor's column: What you need to know from SGA's town hall - SRU The Online Rocket