Humans Against Perfection

How many times have you heard the mantra “failure is not an option”? A new research concludes kids might perform better in school if teachers and parents sent the message that failing is a normal part of learning.

Acknowledging that difficulty is a crucial part of learning could stop a vicious circle in which difficulty creates feelings of incompetence that in turn disrupts learning”, says Frederique Austin, one of the authors of the study.

Teachers and parents must stop “focusing solely on grades and test scores” and emphasize progress instead.

Study by American Psychological Association

You may be forgiven for thinking you're seeing double but this bathroom at the Sochi Olympics venue in Russia does in fact features two toilets situated side-by-side.

BBC Moscow reporter Steve Rosenberg took the picture when he went to use the bathroom during a visit at the site ahead of next month's Winter Olympics in Sochi.

He uploaded the image to Twitter alongside the words: 'Seeing double in the Gentlemen's Loo at the Olympic Biathlon Centre' and the picture instantly went viral.

Although 'dual-toilets' are not common in Russia, social media users managed to post images of other side-by-side toilets from across the country, including ones in a courthouse and a cafe.

Meanwhile, others linked it to the country's controversial ban on 'gay propaganda', which led to calls from international campaigners to boycott February's games. Others claimed the second toilet was for a security guard in a nod to the tight security measures imposed in Sochi for the Winter Olympics.

"We associate vulnerability with emotions we want to avoid such as fear, shame, and uncertainty. Yet we too often lose sight of the fact that vulnerability is also the birthplace of joy, belonging, creativity, authenticity, and love"

Post-It Phrase of the Day: "Talk to yourself the way you'd talk to a best friend"

Aimee wrote, "Here's a Spring Break note from the Portland, Oregon airport!"

Hayley wrote, "My teen leadership class is participating in Operation Beautiful around our school. And it is so fun!"

Grace sent in these notes:

Willow wrote, "For each day of Lent, I wrote an Operation beautiful note!"

Grace wrote, "These have been up at my school for a week. See? People at my school CAN be nice!"

Amanda wrote, “This has inspired me to leave notes all over Targets weight loss products and magazines along with Safeway’s. I hope to become a dietitian and work with those who suffer from an eating disorder, changing one life at a time.“

Kira posted this note:

Because 'Imperfection is beauty'

Construction requires a certain level of pre-thought that a common construction worker simply cannot handle, which can lead to some hilariously funny construction solutions, that are luckily captured by the eye of the camera so that we can enjoy the photographs of these wonderful technological fails. We hope you won’t laugh your head off.

We are terribly afraid of making mistakes, somehow believing that perfection is a requirement for being accepted as a worthy member of the human race. We can confront our fear of negative evaluation from others by making mistakes intentionally. You'll need to think of mistakes that will target your particular fears.

Intentional Mistake Practice List

Trip in front of someone.

Pay for something with the incorrect amount of money.

Drop something (for example, a fork, a coin, your glasses) in front of others.

Order something that isn't on the menu.

Greet someone by the wrong name.

Ask for directions to a store, department, etc., in which you are already located.

Have your hand tremble when paying for something.

Take more than the allowed number of items allowed to try on in a clothing store.

Underestimate the size of your feet to the shoe salesperson.

Have some part of your clothing appear inappropriate such as a label showing, shirt-tail out, mismatched socks, uncoordinated clothes.

Ask for an item that obviously is not carried by the store you are in.

Ask an obvious customer for information as if he or she worked at the store.

Ask for information or directions and then request that the answer be repeated.

Ask a question of someone and either stutter or speak with an unusual accent or tone.

Attempt to purchase something without having your cash or credit card with you.

Purchase something at Wal-Mart and attempt to pay with your Target card.

Approach and almost enter the wrong restroom in a public place.

Hum or sing so loud that others can hear you.

Order an item and change your mind at least twice.

Greet or say something to someone across the room at a volume that is noticed by the other people there.

Enter a door inappropriately (push when you are supposed to pull or vice versa), push on a door that is locked, try to open the hinged side of a door, etc.

Buy something that you would ordinarily be embarrassed to purchase.

Walk against the flow of traffic, stop suddenly, or in some other way bring attention to your self by how you are walking through the mall.

Have yourself paged on a public address system.

Bump into something.

Tell a store clerk that you've lost something and ask if it's been found.