Captivations v.21

Captivations is a monthly feature with links, stories and news that captivated me. Take a look at all the things captivating me lately.

What Makes a Good Life?
After tracking 724 men for 75 years, researchers found the relationships in their lives were the big predictor of happiness and healthiness – not money and fame as the men said at the beginning of the study. As psychiastrist Robert Waldinger mentions in his TED talk, relationships are messy, complicated and hard work, but if you want a good life, lean in and build those close relationships!

Every March, Austin’s rodeo springs to life, showcasing bullriders, cowboys and country music. We went for the Turnpike Troubadours concert but got there early for the rodeo show. Just one of the many fun events that come to Austin!

This inaugural event is coming to Austin on Saturday, April 16! Join in the fun by entering the cook-off competition or buy a ticket to try lots of delicious curry recipes.

Did you know Austin has a basketball league? It’s nice to have other options other than college football. The Austin Spurs is the San Antonio Spurs’ development league and the night we attended, they played the Texas Legends, the Dallas Mavericks’ development league. The arena was filled with kids and families, which is very fun to watch as they’re encouraged to dance and cheer.

During SXSW, I attended an event hosted by Dove about their new #SpeakBeautiful tool. Dove has been a leading brand in positivity and self-esteem, and their new initiative gives us a way to analyze how we are using social media. Sometimes it’s hard to see how subtle negativity – as unconscious as saying we don’t like our hair today – affects us and the people who encounter our updates. This is especially important for young girls. I’m glad Dove and Twitter are leading the way to change the conversation!

The Austin Food Bloggers Alliance has published its 2016 City Guide with the best places to eat in Austin. Guides were created for a variety of dishes, cuisines, and neighborhoods. Check out the full City Guide to find the best eats in Austin.

As you may have noticed in the past months, minimalism has been on my mind. I love this thoughtful quote from this article:

“There’s a pretty widespread misunderstanding that embracing a minimalist lifestyle is about denying yourself the things you love. But the point isn’t to get rid of what you love, it’s to make room for those things to shine by clearing out everything you don’t.”