We don’t even ask for happiness, 

just a little less pain

 

 

Our bodies play host to trillions of bacteria and other microbes. 

They live on our skin, in our guts, up our noses. Microbes are found in almost every part of the body. Microbes help us produce vitamins and stimulate our immune system. They break down food and perform many other functions that we need to survive. 

Microbes may sound like uninvited guests, but most live harmoniously in and on our bodies. We need a diverse set of microbes working together to stay healthy. They're an essential part of our systems. 

It turns out they're right where they belong.

 

We ignore things. 

We stay under the covers. We don't pick up the phone. We don't face the music and all that crap. 

But the longer we hide, the worse it can be.

 So open the test results. Have the hard conversation. Say what you mean. Good or bad. You may be surprised at what you find. 

And at the very least, you'll know what you're dealing with.

 

In the late 16th century, a father-son team made a groundbreaking discovery. 

They found that when they put lenses at the opposite ends of a tube, it enlarged objects. 

Their invention was the first compound microscope. 

And as basic as it was, their invention was a gamechanger for science and medicine. The simple use of curved glass to bend and refract light revolutionized how we see the world.

 In many ways, it's not all that different from everyday life. 

Sometimes seeing life through a different lens opens a new world of possibilities.

 

Researchers studied why some people perform better on tests. 

They found that it's not necessarily related to intelligence. 

Some people become anxious during exams and divert mental energy toward anxiety instead of expending it on finding the right answers. 

Others have a better grasp of how tests work. They use process of elimination and other techniques to help them make better choices. 

Some people study harder. They start early, make flashcards, rely on repetition to retrieve answers when they need them. 

Tests don't always measure how much you know. They measure how well you take tests. 

And tests certainly don't measure your worth. 

But knowing that doesn't make it hurt less when you don't succeed.

 

When the body's exposed to rising temperatures, it has the ability to cool itself down. 

We sweat, our blood vessels dilate, and our heart rate increases. Our body releases as much excess heat as it can. 

But when the temperature starts to inch above 100 degrees, our bodies have to work overtime, leading to heat exhaustion. We become nauseated, dizzy, and confused. And we fight like hell to cool down before it's too late. 

For some, the boiling point is more about stuff bubbling up from the bottom. It's about stuff you haven't thought about in a while. It's about stuff that's been heating up while you weren't even paying attention. 

The question is, how well can you contain things before they boil over?

The thing is, even if things don't boil over completely, they can still simmer. 

And as long as you're careful how you handle yourself, you won't get burned.

 

Everyone knows that frozen peas are as fresh as the moment the pod went pop. But what about frozen meat... is that as fresh as the moment the cow went nnyeh nnyeh aaahh ayayayay-uhh?

 

Dying people lie too. 

Wish they'd worked less, been nicer, opened orphanages for kittens. 

If you really want to do something, you do it. 

You don't save it for a sound bite.

 

You want to make things right? 

Too bad. 

Nothing's ever right 

 

People like talking about people. 

Makes us feel superior. 

Makes us feel in control. 

And sometimes, for some people, knowing some things makes them care

 

die with dignity.

 There’s no such thing. 

Our bodies break down, sometimes when we’re ninety, sometimes before we’re even born, but it always happens and there’s never any dignity in it. 

I don’t care if you can walk, see, wipe your own ass, its always ugly. 

Always! 

You can live with dignity, you can’t die with it.