It's been said that it takes 21 days to form a habit. I don't know about you but it sure seems difficult to break the bad habits and keep the good ones going. You may have several good habits you've formed in your life that have become second nature to you.

For me, running has become one such habit. What started out as a legitimate way to lose some extra pounds and help speed up my metabolism eventually turned into my favorite sport and primary outlet for competition. The daily run is something I look forward to as it leaves me feeling energized and full of life.

It's been said that it takes 21 days to form a habit. I don't know about you but it sure seems difficult to break the bad habits and keep the good ones going. You may have several good habits you've formed in your life that have become second nature to you.

For me, running has become one such habit. What started out as a legitimate way to lose some extra pounds and help speed up my metabolism eventually turned into my favorite sport and primary outlet for competition. The daily run is something I look forward to as it leaves me feeling energized and full of life.

Our most commonly held formula for success is broken. Conventional wisdom holds that if we work hard we will be more successful, and if we are more successful, then we’ll be happy. If we can just find that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But recent discoveries in the field of positive psychology have shown that this formula is actually backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. When we are positive, our brains become more engaged, creative, motivated, energetic, resilient, and productive at work. This isn’t just an empty mantra. This discovery has been repeatedly borne out by rigorous research in psychology and neuroscience, management studies, and the bottom lines of organizations around the globe.
           
In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor, who spent over a decade living, researching, and lecturing at Harvard University, draws on his own research—including one of the largest studies of happiness and potential at Harvard and others at companies like UBS and KPMG—to fix this broken formula. Using stories and case studies from his work with thousands of Fortune 500 executives in 42 countries, Achor explains how we can reprogram our brains to become more positive in order to gain a competitive edge at work.
           
Isolating seven practical, actionable principles that have been tried and tested everywhere from classrooms to boardrooms, stretching from Argentina to Zimbabwe, he shows us how we can capitalize on the Happiness Advantage to improve our performance and maximize our potential. Among the principles he outlines:
 

   • The Tetris Effect: how to retrain our brains to spot patterns of possibility, so we can see—and seize—opportunities wherever we look.
   • The Zorro Circle: how to channel our efforts on small, manageable goals, to gain the leverage to gradually conquer bigger and bigger ones.
   • Social Investment: how to reap the dividends of investing in one of the greatest predictors of success and happiness—our social support network

 
A must-read for everyone trying to excel in a world of increasing workloads, stress, and negativity, The Happiness Advantage isn’t only about how to become happier at work. It’s about how to reap the benefits of a happier and more positive mind-set to achieve the extraordinary in our work and in our lives.

The Energy Bus, an international best seller by Jon Gordon, takes readers on an enlightening and inspiring ride that reveals 10 secrets for approaching life and work with the kind of positive, forward thinking that leads to true accomplishment - at work and at home. Jon infuses this engaging story with keen insights as he provides a powerful roadmap to overcome adversity and bring out the best in yourself and your team. When you get on The Energy Bus you’ll enjoy the ride of your life!

Volume 1 of the Cole Coonce drag strip reader. Churned out between races while sitting in a trackside porta-potty, Coonce's collection of incendiary drag strip journalism was written during his days at Super Stock & Drag Illustrated, Full Throttle News and Nitronic Research, between his stints as a guitar player in Braindead Soundmachine and his return to show business as Angelyne's fluffer in Studio City, California. Its 256 pages of ack-ack includes "Viva La Nitro!" and "Who's Afraid of Arley Langlo?"

Volume 1 of the Cole Coonce drag strip reader. Churned out between races while sitting in a trackside porta-potty, Coonce's collection of incendiary drag strip journalism was written during his days at Super Stock & Drag Illustrated, Full Throttle News and Nitronic Research, between his stints as a guitar player in Braindead Soundmachine and his return to show business as Angelyne's fluffer in Studio City, California. Its 256 pages of ack-ack includes "Viva La Nitro!" and "Who's Afraid of Arley Langlo?"

The 2009 International Fuel Gas Code sets forth requirements that address the design and installation of fuel gas systems and gas-fired appliances, based on the most current information and technology available. The requirements are performance-driven, making this an effective tool and valuable addition to any Code library.

What should I eat? The question dogs all of us on a daily basis, but it’s perhaps most vexing for runners, who rely on food to fuel their workouts and feel good. Most runners take in lots of calories and nutrients in the form of energy bars, nutrient-enhanced drinks, and fortified packaged foods. The problem is, "real" foods—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats—are better for you than fortified products. That’s because there’s more to a carrot or a sweet potato than just vitamin A. Within the body, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients work together with literally thousands of other compounds, such as color components in fruits and vegetables, special starches and fibers in whole grains, and unique fats in seeds, nuts, and dairy. And it’s the whole package that promotes good health and peak athletic performance.

Of course, protein bars and calcium-fortified juices seem like a convenient way to take in all of the nutrients every runner needs daily. But getting them—and more—from real food is preferable, and it’s easy. Runner's World Essential Guides: Fast Fuel shows you exactly how. The foremost authorities on running on the planet have collected the best information, tips, and advice about eating on the run. This indispensable guide covers everything from eating for optimum energy, to cooking simple, healthy meals to snacking smart, and shopping for the best of the best foods to store in your pantry and fridge.

The Runner's World Essential Guides: Fast Fuel contains everything you need to know about eating right to feel better, run stronger, and recover faster.

What should I eat? The question dogs all of us on a daily basis, but it’s perhaps most vexing for runners, who rely on food to fuel their workouts and feel good. Most runners take in lots of calories and nutrients in the form of energy bars, nutrient-enhanced drinks, and fortified packaged foods. The problem is, "real" foods—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats—are better for you than fortified products. That’s because there’s more to a carrot or a sweet potato than just vitamin A. Within the body, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients work together with literally thousands of other compounds, such as color components in fruits and vegetables, special starches and fibers in whole grains, and unique fats in seeds, nuts, and dairy. And it’s the whole package that promotes good health and peak athletic performance.

Of course, protein bars and calcium-fortified juices seem like a convenient way to take in all of the nutrients every runner needs daily. But getting them—and more—from real food is preferable, and it’s easy. Runner's World Essential Guides: Fast Fuel shows you exactly how. The foremost authorities on running on the planet have collected the best information, tips, and advice about eating on the run. This indispensable guide covers everything from eating for optimum energy, to cooking simple, healthy meals to snacking smart, and shopping for the best of the best foods to store in your pantry and fridge.

The Runner's World Essential Guides: Fast Fuel contains everything you need to know about eating right to feel better, run stronger, and recover faster.