R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness

having a career outside of your career is healthy, and it allows you to continue to grow as a person.

It allows you to continue to do great things for yourself, while other people are standing on the sidelines.

Starting and growing a #business, doing #phd research, or any idea is a challenging journey for everyone.

It begins with a simple step, acknowledging that the path ahead will often make you feel inadequate and filled with self-doubt.

Doubt is a natural part of the process.

You may never feel fully prepared or confident.

You to feel like a failure.

You’re never gonna feel good enough.

Self-doubt is common, and external criticism can exacerbate these feelings. Remember, if someone looks down on you, the issue lies with THEM, not with your age, size, or intelligence.

Often, these negative perceptions are shaped by limited interactions; perhaps a ONE individual whose opinion has weighed heavily on you. So?!

Initiating your #venture opens opportunities to meet like-minded individuals who will offer the encouragement and support you need, cheering you on with a resounding 'hell yeah!'

Don’t let yourself get in the way of a good idea.

I used to wonder why people often give up on tough tasks. It's not about their productivity. In fact, focusing too much on productivity can actually backfire.

The real issue is how they see themselves. If people feel good about themselves, they're more likely to keep trying day after day.

Simple solutions like getting up early, rewarding productivity, or using productivity hacks might actually make things worse.

It truly is amazing to see older people that do things together as a couple. It’s important to have somebody to share your life with, and to get out of the house as much as he possibly can.

we talk about how to change research with the R3ciprocity Project, and what might that look like.

The #1 lesson I learned from creating the #R3ciprocity Project: YOU DON’T CARE.

What you must understand with all things in your life is this:

Ultimately, you are on your own.

It is solely up to you to rise again and persevere.

When I embarked on the R3ciprocity Project, I naively believed that rallying support would be straightforward. Given the project’s significance—creating a platform to help create non-rejectable #research papers and grants, I assumed diverse groups would eagerly contribute.

#Scientists, #researchers, #universities, and #students would be driven by the universal struggle with research papers and grant proposals.

Yet, I was vastly MISTAKEN.

While these issues are widely acknowledged, I’ve learned that people primarily look out for their own interests; they are not as eager to change the world as they might claim.

The reality is that many shy away from being part of the solution.

You get simple responses, “You are a nice guy for doing that,” or the most common, the hollow stare.

Faced with this hard reality, you have two choices:

Wallow in frustration or adapt to meet people where they are.

I choose #resilience.

Screw ‘em. I will see you in a decade.

I will continue to stand strong and push forward. Persist in your efforts and release any expectation of assistance.

It’s up to YOU to forge your path and make things happen.

Making sure that you always win at all costs can lead to problematic behaviors. It is very easy to want to impress other people as there is often a lot of benefits that come from these positive impressions.

However, it often leads to challenges in the long run where you do not match with what is expected of you.

Keep being you, my friends!

Help me thank a #PhD today by rethinking what success means in academia.

Traditionally, we view success through a narrow lens, often defining it in ways that favor our personal achievements. This perspective can lead to significant biases, particularly when we choose benchmarks of success that highlight our strengths and ignore the broader spectrum of academic contributions. Furthermore, we often base our evaluations on the actions of individuals whose circumstances or attributes differ markedly from our own, skewing our understanding of what success truly entails.

Instead of fixating on these conventional metrics of success, let’s shift our focus towards being genuinely good individuals.

It’s about putting up our blinders to the relentless “competition” and reframing our definition of “success.”

By emphasizing #kindness and generosity, we redefine what it means to be successful in academia. It's not the accolades or the recognition that truly count but the positive impact we have on others through our work and interactions.

Let’s celebrate those who contribute meaningfully to their communities and fields, not just through groundbreaking research but also through acts of kindness and mentorship.

Let’s redefine success to reflect the virtues of compassion and contribution.

This is a call to redefine academic “success” to encompass the full breadth of what it means to contribute to society and to each other’s lives with generosity and kindness.

#Educators: Live Authentically To Be Happy in #Academia. Stop Listening To The Metrics & Criticisms!

One critical lesson that has profoundly influenced my approach to personal and professional life is the realization that you don't need to prove your “worth” to anyone. This mindset, grounded in the pursuit of authentic living, emphasizes the importance of prioritizing one's happiness and health over the validation of others.

When I was younger, I had the profound sense of wanting to be liked, and perfecting myself so that I would be accepted.

Now, I say “screw em.”

Engaging in environments where the expectation is to impress others, or where you're made to feel inadequate, fosters unhealthy dynamics. Frankly—it is flat out wrong.

In contrast, relationships that nurture support, psychological safety, and affirmation for one's true self are foundational to well-being.

This perspective advocates for a shift from seeking “external approval” to embracing one's genuine identity. Emphasizing this shift can lead to a more fulfilled life, both within and outside academic circles, where the pressure to conform and impress is prevalent but often counterproductive.

In essence, the journey to a happier, healthier life in academia and beyond lies in the courage to be oneself—to say “screw em”, dismissing the urge to seek affirmation from external sources.

Be being you!

You are already remarkable.

We almost always default the thinking that our time is actually worth something. The truth is is that it’s only worth some thing when you reach out and begin something that makes no financial sense in the first place.