And how to replace them with healthier allowers — Not long ago I got rid of a tiger mom. Her perfect kid goes to school with my twins, has all A’s, and is neat and well-mannered. The mom is always chatty and every minute of their family time is impeccably organized: museums, theater, weekend getaways, music school, and karate. …

The golden lancehead quickly makes you dead — Only 30 kilometers (21 mi) off the coast of Brazil, there is an island called Ilha da Queimada Grande or Snake Island. With a mild climate and surrounded by the crystal-blue sea, it looks heavenly: The rocky coast ideal for cliff jumping and a lush forest above for chillin’. …

The line of change looks like a heart attack — You can’t really be thankful for anxiety. Yes, your nervous ancestors noticed the cave lion first and saved the whole tribe. But now that you live between a washing machine and a computer, you don’t need this crazy alarm to ring dozens of times every day. Some people are afraid…

An army of women and a dozen children — Fidel Castro (1926–2016) was a sex machine. That’s what his bodyguard Juan Reinaldo Sánchez claims in his book The Double Life of Fidel Castro (2015). The personal aide states that the former Cuban lifelong president slept with more than 35,000 women. Líder Máximo obviously lived his life to the max…

Turn that negative voice in your head into confident self-talk — I remember the first time I felt anxiety and couldn’t explain it. One day in high school, while we were going down the steps, I scratched my best friend’s head as hard as I could. All my five nails scraped down her scalp. …

Your early childhood decisions still determine your reality — I have a friend. A great guy, in his early thirties. Set off to another continent to study at 19, then stayed abroad and moved from one corporation to another. A project manager in top companies, a good sense of humor, and great people skills. But he’s edgy. A bit…

Military academies worldwide still teach the Battle of Kolubara — Once upon a time, an army of barefoot peasants won a battle against a mighty European force. The impossible Battle of Kolubara took place during World War I (1914–1918) between the Serbian troops and the Austro-Hungarian empire. Before the crucial battle, the ruthless forces of this dual monarchy had been…

Anxiety is like constipation. — Imagine staying at your partner’s parents’ house for the first time. To make a great impression, you match your socks with the shirt, have royal table manners, and really don’t want to go to the bathroom unless you have to. You‘ll do it when no one is around so they…

Diana Budisavljević’s kindness cost her mental health — Schindler rescued 1,200 souls during the Holocaust. Diana Budisavljević (1891–1978) saved 12 times more from Nazi death camps. Still, she died practically unknown. Married to a respectable Clinical Professor of Medicine, Diana could have stayed away from history. …