Noor T. Grade 12 English

What's the message by:  Yasmin Mogahed  This is an important quote by Yasmin Mogahed, which I think basically means that what happens to you , whether good or bad does not signify anything, as its the way you react and how you see the situation is what is really important and can affect your life.  When she says, "Change your lens and you change your life', for example when you look at the glass half full, rather than half empty. So when you look at the negative parts of the situation, you will only complain and be sad about that but if you look at the positive aspects, and see the good things first, your response will be different and you wont be as depressed or sad. For example, when something happens that upsets me, like my father yelling at me or losing in a competition, if I look at the situation from the negative aspect only, which is that I am angry for him yelling or me losing, it would affect my life afterwards because in the example with my father, I would stay...

Robert Waldinger in his talk was explaining the outcomes and lessons from the longest study that was ever done on happiness. He started by asking the audience what keeps us healthy and happy in life  and when millennials were asked that question, most of them would say either to get rich or to become famous. This is what society forces us to believe, he said. The Harvard study they did on adult development  since the 1930s lasted for 75 years, where they tracked the lives of 724 men, of which 60 of them are still alive till today. The men grew up with different careers, one was even president of the USA.  So, what were the lessons that resulted from this study?The most important message from this 75 year study, was that good relationships can keep us happier and healthier.  The 3 big lessons about relationships are: 1. Social connections are important and loneliness kills people. People connected to their family, friends and the community are happier and healthier an...

The video is basically Matthew McConaughey's speech when he won the best actor award, in the 86th Oscars in 2014.  I found it to be quite inspiring and I really liked not just what he said, but also the way he spoke, he was very charismatic and has an amazing sense of humor. Matthew started by thanking the other nominees and how perfect their performances were. He then thanked the director and his colleagues. He said there are three things that he needs each day: One is something to look up to, the other is something to look forward to and the third is someone to chase. He said God is the one he looks up to, as he graced his life with many opportunities that were in no-one's hand and said, " He has shown me that it's a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates". and quoted actor Charlie Laughton who said, "When you got God, you got a friend and that friend is you"! As for what he looks forward to, its his family. He thanked his late father for teachin...