【推荐1】Four Top Skills I’ve Learned From My Kids

In my journey as an entrepreneur (企业家), one of the best sources of leadership development is parenthood. There’s one thing that being a parent and being a business leader have in common.     1    . So what are some of the lessons that parenthood can teach us about business leadership?

As a parent, I’ve learned that there’s only so much control you can really have over your kids. They need to make their own decisions — and mistakes — and learn from them. You can try to control your kids when they are young.     2     .

    3     . You never know when someone might get hurt or sick and make troubles in your plans. Parenthood is a non-stop exercise in flexibility and adjusting to difficulties. The business world can be much the same way.

We all make mistakes, and it can be tempting to hide those mistakes, especially from people you want to look up to you. But since we teach our kids to admit when they’ve made a mistake and apologize if they hurt someone, it’s important that we do the same when we make a mistake that hurts them.

Emotional intelligence is one of the most important skills for effective leadership. And there’s nothing like being a parent to help you better understand people’s emotions and motivations.     5     . The empathy is a valuable skill for a business leader.

【推荐2】Asking for or accepting help can bring up a wide range of complicated emotions, like there’s the fear of being seen as needy or weak. Although accepting help from others is difficult, giving and receiving is a necessary part of life.

    1    . For many people, the difficulty in asking for or receiving help is tied to childhood. As psychologist Lisa Firestone points out, these feelings often develop from having our requests go unnoticed at an earlier age.

Sometimes these unnoticed requests are a result of neglect or because parents are too busy to notice. Maybe they were undertaking some jobs to make ends meet or didn’t have additional family support to spare.     2    . When your needs go unnoticed, it can create feelings of shame about asking for or receiving help, while also forming an extreme sense of independence.

How do you get better at accepting help? One way to get better at accepting help is to start with small requests, such as asking for directions.     3    . Practicing this in good environment can ease some of the emotions that can appear suddenly.

    4    . If you feel very uncomfortable, wait a few moments to let these feelings calm down before accepting or denying the help.

Helping others feels good. Although asking for help is hard, one way to make it a little easier is to focus on how it feels when you help others.     5    .

【推荐1】New research suggests that night owls may be more likely to develop heart disease or diabetes than early birds. People who get up early in the morning seem to burn more fat as an energy source and are often more active than those who stay up late.

According to a study in the journal Experimental Physiology by Rutgers University researchers, early risers use more fat during both rest and exercise, regardless of their aerobic fitness, compared to night owls. The former are also more active throughout the day, using more fat, while their late-night counterparts tend to store more.

While the two groups had similar body compositions, the early risers were more sensitive to insulin (胰岛素) blood levels and burned more fat during exercise and rest. The study found that night owls used carbohydrates for energy instead of burning fat for fuel.

Dr. Steven Malin, the study’s lead researcher, mentioned that his team had not decoded why these two groups had differing metabolisms (新陈代谢). It could be due to a “mismatch” between their bedtime and natural circadian rhythms (昼夜节律).

Night owls are reported to have a higher rate of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease compared to early birds. This could be because they become misaligned (不重合) with their circadian rhythm, especially among adults who work and may have to wake up early, disrupting their natural body clock. This chronic misalignment is often referred to as “social jet lag.”

In addition to health risks, the article pointed out that night owls are more likely to engage in risky behaviors and consume more tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine. They also tend to skip breakfast and consume more food later in the day.

This research adds to the understanding that being a late sleeper has been associated with a higher risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. While some night owls may outperform early birds on certain cognitive tasks, the study highlights the potential health consequences of staying up late. It suggests that morning people may have better metabolic health, even if night owls are more alert during late hours.

【推荐2】While the educational aspects of a university and its fit for you remain the most important factors in a college decision, you can also keep in mind some of the fun “extras” offered by the school. Here are some of the coolest:

Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey

·Free laptops for all students

All incoming freshmen are given free laptops through the university’s Mobile Computing Program. First-year students receive laptops already set up with all the necessary student software. Then, after two years, they receive new, updated laptops designed to carry them through graduation and beyond. According to the Seton Hall University website: “That second laptop is the one you will take with you when you graduate from Seton Hall, providing you with a laptop for that first job after college or for use in graduate school. ”

New York University, Manhattan, New York

·Free museum admission

If you’re a fan of museums, NYU is the perfect university for you. Not only will you be located in the heart of a city featuring some of the best museums in the world, but the university will provide you with free admission to many of them. These include the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum and the Frick Collection.

Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan

·On-campus ski resort

Michigan Technological University sets itself apart with its on-campus ski resort, Mont Ripley, which is accessible and free for all students. Instead of hitting the campus gym, you’ll be able to get your exercise outside on the slopes. The resort includes 24 different tracks, conveniently located near great restaurants, nightclubs and shops.