Detective John McClane has taken on terrorists before, but you know what’s an especially hard way to die? Diarrhea. Water-related diseases aren’t fun.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISrRyL7Q0yI
Detective John McClane has taken on terrorists before, but you know what’s an especially hard way to die? Diarrhea. The symptoms of water-related disease aren’t very fun in general. Check out our trailer for Die Hard: Wet and Wild.
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“What am I carrying inside of me today?”
A snap reaction in a heated moment can be difficult to control. Sometimes an unexpected experience brings out the best in us—or, all too often, the worst. The Mindset Mentor Podcast, hosted by personal coach Rob Dial, explains how cultivating a healthy mindset can help you stay calm and composed when life “bumps” into you.
Using a story of an ancient monk teaching his students about enlightenment, Dial highlights that whatever we carry within ourselves rises to the surface when life gets hard. Beginning the day with a healthy mindset matters.
A monk teaches his students about enlightenment. He asks them to imagine holding a cup of coffee when someone bumps into them, causing it to spill. When he asks why the coffee spilled, the students quickly reply that it was because someone bumped into them.
The monk responds, “You spilled the coffee because that’s what was in your cup. Had there been water in the cup, you would have spilled water. Had there been tea in the cup, then you would have spilled tea.”
Dial goes on to explain the impactful meaning behind the monk’s simple philosophy:
“When life shakes you, which it will, whatever you carry inside of you will spill out. So if you’re carrying anger, or fear, or hatred, or jealousy, then that is what is going to spill out of you in those moments. But, if you’re carrying love and kindness and compassion and empathy, then that is what is going to spill out you.”
If this is the challenge we face each day, the real question becomes: how do we prepare ourselves for what life might throw our way? Dial suggests the answer lies in an intentional pause. “Each morning,” he says, “it’s important for you to stop and close your eyes and ask yourself, ‘What am I carrying inside of me today?’”
That small act of self-awareness can shape everything that follows. If we choose to bring despair, judgment, and negativity, those emotions will most likely surface when things don’t go as planned. But if we choose to center ourselves in kindness and compassion, we’re far more likely to respond with those qualities instead.
Significant time and research have gone into understanding the benefits of a morning routine. These practices help build a kind of “spiritual armor” that prepares us to face the day with confidence. Simple habits like getting sunlight, drinking water, moving our bodies, and practicing mindfulness can boost energy and improve mood.
A 2024 study found that morning activities like loving-kindness meditation can positively affect people’s mental health. Individuals with a regular practice tend to be more positive, mindful, and compassionate. The length or specific details of the practice have little effect on outcomes when compared with one another.
Another 2024 study found that framing problems in a positive way helps people recover faster from stress. Staying motivated during difficult situations and feeling more emotionally stable are skills that can be built through mindset. The simple fact is that study after study demonstrates that positive thinking directly supports mental health during difficult periods in life.
Dial offers a simple concept: what we carry within ourselves influences how we respond to life’s challenges. The students say it’s because they were bumped. The monk explains it’s what’s in the cup. The real preparation for the day isn’t just what we do, it’s what we choose to carry. “What am I carrying today?”
You can watch this short video on starting a morning meditation practice:
Straightforward and zero pressure.
As time flies, relationships can naturally change and fade. Often, you mean to send a text or make a call, only to look up and realize it’s been two years since you last communicated with that person. So how do you reconnect without making it weird?
Sara Sutton, the founder of FlexJobs and a networking expert, shared a simple, 10-word message that can help create reconnections: “You crossed my mind, and I wanted to say hi.”
Sutton believes this straightforward message works whether you’re trying to reconnect with a colleague for professional reasons or rekindle a faded friendship.
The message may seem too simple for some, but that’s the point. It’s simply a statement of fact: you’re thinking of the person. Offering a simple “hello” also acknowledges them without adding pressure to respond.
People typically feel good when they know they’re being thought of, and this message offers a way to express that without making things awkward. It also avoids any sense of manipulation or pressure to respond. It puts the ball in their court to say thanks, reply and re-engage, or simply let it lie. In any case, you’ll likely get a sense of whether the person genuinely wants to reconnect.
It can still feel awkward to reconnect with someone, even if the “You crossed my mind, and I wanted to say hi” message works. Plus, not every relationship is equal. Your connection with this person may have ended with unresolved conflict or lingering feelings.
Fortunately, there are other approaches if you want to rekindle a friendship. If it’s been a while since you last spoke, you might start by sending a friend request and a message on social media. You could also share a photo of the two of you and say, “Came across this and wanted to say hey,” or something similar. If you have a shared interest, such as having been teammates in college, you might reference a recent article about the team you both played for.
With former colleagues, you may not have their personal contact information or feel comfortable using it after such a long time. Experts suggest using LinkedIn for initial contact, since that’s the platform’s purpose. Alternatively, sending a festive email during the holiday season with a quick reminder of who you are (“Happy holidays from your former cubicle mate at [Company]”) can help break the ice.
Whatever method you choose, it’s best to make it easy for the other person to respond quickly, if they choose to. Make no mistake: initiating a reconnection can still feel awkward. But it’s likely the other person hasn’t reached out for similar reasons. At worst, they’ll feel good knowing you thought of them and move on. At best, they’ll thank you for taking the first step to reconnect.
This could help solve one of the fundamental challenges of solar energy.
Every day, the sun shines more energy on the world than we could ever need. Yet the moment it sets, that power supply disappears—a limitation that challenges green energy sources like solar to keep the lights on after dark.
Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara, now say they can “bottle the sun.” They have developed a new molecule that could free solar power from the constraints of bulky batteries. The tiny structure twists open and closed, allowing sunlight to be stored and later released as heat.
The major challenge of solar energy has been storage. Massive battery systems, which are inefficient at storing energy over long periods, have posed a costly problem. Researchers reported in Science that they looked to DNA chains to recreate a molecule that changes shape when exposed to sunlight.
The team of scientists created a synthetic structure that stores and releases energy reversibly. The new material captures sunlight, stores it in chemical bonds for extended periods, and then releases it as heat when needed.
The molecule acts like a mechanical spring, twisting into a high-energy shape when exposed to sunlight. Even after long periods, it can untwist into its relaxed state, releasing energy as heat.
“With solar panels, you need an additional battery system to store the energy,” study co-author Benjamin Baker, a doctoral student, told Futurity. “With molecular solar thermal energy storage, the material itself is able to store that energy from sunlight.”
Around the world, the shift to clean energy isn’t slowing down. Over the next five years, global renewable energy capacity is expected to double, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). As global energy demand rises, so does the urgency to expand clean energy. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions found that 32% of electricity was generated from renewables in 2024. Wind and solar are the fastest-growing energy sources in the United States.
Solar energy has seen massive expansion in Asia, Europe, and emerging markets. It’s driven by global demand, not just wealthy nations. In 2025, more than 30 countries installed record levels of solar in a single year.
Solar energy output can fluctuate dramatically. Sunny days may generate around 45%, compared to roughly 10% on cloudy days. Storage capacity must scale to meet demand. A 2025 study in the International Journal of Energy Studies reports that solar growth is outpacing our ability to store it.
There is a growing demand for new and emerging ways to capture and store renewable energy. Systems that store energy as heat, such as hydrogen and thermal-hydro storage, are in high demand. Efforts to develop more efficient and reliable battery solutions remain a key focus of research.
Life on Earth has always depended on the sun. When it comes to energy, science is working toward a future that doesn’t fade into the night. These emerging technologies are bringing renewable energy storage from the promise of tomorrow into the reality of today.
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