https://www.metisacademy.org/blogBLOG RSSSat, 07 Mar 2026 20:43:40 GMTSat, 07 Mar 2026 20:43:40 GMThttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/durable-skillsDurable skills, also known as "soft skills", are skills that are useful in many different careers and professional settings. Examples include:Communication: Being able to communicate effectively, both verbally and non-verballyCollaboration: Working well with others, including resolving conflicts and building trustCritical thinking: Being able to think analytically and solve problemsLeadership: Being able to lead othersTime management: Being able to manage your timeGoal setting: BeingSat, 07 Mar 2026 20:59:14https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/durable-skillshttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/giving-backThe holiday season is often filled with celebrations, gift-giving, and time spent with loved ones—but it’s also a meaningful opportunity to give back. Volunteering during this time of year reminds us of the true spirit of community and compassion. Whether you're serving meals, donating warm clothing, or supporting a local nonprofit, these acts of kindness help create a ripple effect that strengthens neighborhoods and uplifts those who need it most.Giving back is also incredibly beneficial forSat, 07 Mar 2026 20:43:26https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/giving-backhttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/your-brain-on-creativity-how-flow-unlocks-peak-performanceWe’ve all had those magical moments where time seems to disappear. Maybe you were painting, writing, playing music, or even running, and everything just clicked. Psychologists call this mental state “flow,” and it’s been described as the peak of creativity and focus.A new brain-imaging study is helping us understand what’s really going on in the mind when we hit that zone.What researchers found might surprise you: being in flow doesn’t mean your brain is working harder—it’s working in a moreSat, 07 Mar 2026 20:52:15https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/your-brain-on-creativity-how-flow-unlocks-peak-performancehttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/you-are-what-you-listen-to-the-health-benefits-of-musicMusic is known to evoke all kinds of emotions. It is actually very actionable and can be used to manipulate your mood. Make a playlist of your favorite upbeat and happy songs and blast it off in the morning to set the tone for the rest of the day.Benefits of listening to good music:1. It’s heart-healthy.Research has shown that blood flows more easily when music is played. It can also reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure, decrease cortisol (stress hormone) levels and increase serotoninSat, 07 Mar 2026 20:51:51https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/you-are-what-you-listen-to-the-health-benefits-of-musichttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/thought-experimentsThought experiments are mental exercises in which you imagine a situation or scenario to explore its implications, test ideas, or examine principles—without physically conducting an experiment. While commonly used in philosophy, physics, and other sciences to reason through complex problems, it can also be applied in business and any time you're looking to generate creative solutions.Famous Examples:Schrödinger’s Cat (Quantum mechanics): illustrates the concept of superposition and theSat, 07 Mar 2026 20:51:26https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/thought-experimentshttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/mindfulness-and-goal-achievementsMindfulness is awareness of one’s internal state and surroundings, and being present in the moment rather than thinking about the past or the future.  Goal Achievement is about being future-oriented.  So how to reconcile these two so that they reinforce one another rather than canceling each other out?  With a consistent mindfulness practice, you can do both – tap into the present moment free of worry or concern about the past or future.  Once this is accomplished, we can examine where, inSat, 07 Mar 2026 20:56:53https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/mindfulness-and-goal-achievementshttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/stages-of-business-developmentThe stages of business development:1. Conception/Ideation2. Start-up/Proof of Concept3. Growth4. Maturity5. Innovation/Renewal or DeclineConception (Ideation)The journey of every business begins with an idea. This is the brainstorming phase, where creativity and vision play a crucial role. During the conception stage, entrepreneurs identify a market need or a problem that needs solving and start to generate ideas for products or services that can address it. This stage is all aboutSat, 07 Mar 2026 21:00:48https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/stages-of-business-developmenthttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/the-history-mystery-of-piWhile Archimedes is often best-known for calculating Pi using the Pythagorean Theorem around 250 BCE, the concept had been discovered separately by several other cultures previously, and also thereafter – including the Egyptians, Babylonians, Chinese Indians.  The enigmatic phenomenon of different people or groups independently developing or discovering the same things is known as “simultaneous invention”, “multiple discovery” or “parallel thinking” and remains a mystery.Pi also reflects aSat, 07 Mar 2026 21:02:31https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/the-history-mystery-of-pihttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/creativity-and-communityCreativity can play a significant role in creating and fostering community in several ways.  It can bring people together around shared interests, encouraging collaboration, providing opportunities for expression and identity, and fostering a sense of belonging and support.  Creative communities can be powerful agents of positive change and connection.Here are some examples of how creativity supports community:Shared Interests:When people with similar interests come together to create art,Sat, 07 Mar 2026 21:06:20https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/creativity-and-communityhttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/scorecards-and-successOne of the paradoxes of human existence is the positive and negative aspects of comparing ourselves to others.  The benefits include providing motivation, learning and healthy competition (which have aided our evolution progress) but the downside includes envy, which is a major contributor to unhappiness.We can strike a balance by developing our own definitions of success.  Discovering what authentically motivates us and provides meaning is a type of success itself, rather than simplySat, 07 Mar 2026 21:10:02https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/scorecards-and-successhttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/the-power-behind-the-illumination-practiceThe Illumination Practice combines four time-tested approaches into one powerful sequence that you can do, and benefit from, in as little as a few minutes a day.Consider the following benefits of each of these exercises individually and then imagine how transformative the Illumination Practice is with the combined power of all four:Top 10 Meditation Benefits:- Stress reduction resilience- Providing perspective reducing negative emotions (anxiety, depression, etc.)- Lowers bloodSat, 07 Mar 2026 21:14:00https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/the-power-behind-the-illumination-practicehttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/mental-strength-trainingMental Health can be positively affected by mental training.  We have the ability to improve our mental fitness because our minds can be trained and made more powerful through regular application.  The chain reaction that determines results begins with the mind – thoughts, feelings actions.  By developing the right thought patterns, and reinforcing them with repetition, we train our mind and body for successful results.The goal of mental training: A strong, clear, resilient, positivelySat, 07 Mar 2026 21:16:32https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/mental-strength-traininghttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/5-strategies-to-improve-business-efficiencyThese strategies improve efficiency and help create a more productive company.1. Delegate the small thingsThere is a finite number of hours in a day. Regardless of your intellectual capacity and work ethic, you'll always have something on which you could be working. Most small business owners struggle with delegation because they are habitual doers. Even if these business owners do delegate, they micromanage the tasks, defeating the purpose of delegating altogether. To run your business moreSat, 07 Mar 2026 21:18:27https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/5-strategies-to-improve-business-efficiencyhttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/the-impact-technology-has-had-on-educationTechnology now plays a larger role in society than it ever has before. Every aspect of our lives is changing and will continue to change. It is transforming the way we interact, conduct business, learn and teach, and even the way our brains work.The impact technology has had on education in the past few years has been substantial in these ways:1. Increased Access To Education -Anywhere, Anytime Learning: Books, podcasts, blogs, videos, and other forms of educational content are nowSat, 07 Mar 2026 21:22:07https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/the-impact-technology-has-had-on-educationhttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/adapting-for-successFor both individuals businesses, successfully adapting to environments is a primary determinant of whether we will survive and thrive...or not.  We are constantly adapting – to a pandemic, to a “new normal”, constant changes in the work and natural environment.  As business owners, it is particularly essential to be adaptable - to the point where we have our own term for it in the business-world – being “agile”.  Agile project management methodologies allow us to consistently monitor,Sat, 07 Mar 2026 21:24:35https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/adapting-for-successhttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/incorporating-sustainability-to-improve-the-bottom-lineSustainability and energy efficiency are popular concepts but, how do we implement them into our businesses in such a way that actually improves our bottom line? If you’re operating a facility, there are products and services that can significantly reduce your energy-related expenses. For instance, did you know that you’re paying for air in your water bill? Fortunately, a device exists that is designed to slow water turbulence and compress air so that you don’t have to pay for the air thatSat, 07 Mar 2026 21:27:46https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/incorporating-sustainability-to-improve-the-bottom-linehttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/modeling-behavior-for-effective-outcomesWhether leading a classroom, a team, or parenting, what we do is far more important than what we say.  Therefore, we must embody the behaviors and mindsets we wish to instill in those we lead. Here are four key things to remember when modeling the performance we seek to teach: 1. Always remember – your actions speak far louder than words.  We can’t just tell people what to do – but must show them by example.2. Be consistent – consistency in correct action sets norms standards.3.Sat, 07 Mar 2026 22:02:57https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/modeling-behavior-for-effective-outcomeshttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/on-success-happiness-purpose“Those only are happy who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness; on the happiness of others, on the improvement of mankind, even on some art or pursuit, followed not as a means, but as itself an ideal end. Aiming thus at something else, they find happiness by the way.Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so. The only chance is to treat, not happiness, but some end external to it, as the purpose of life.”– John Stuart MillWe are driven by theSat, 07 Mar 2026 22:00:22https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/on-success-happiness-purposehttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/online-options​How to Maximize Online Opportunities for Your Business:Ideally, your business has a website (or at least a FB page), which serves as your virtual storefront. Now is the time to review renew your website. At a minimum, make sure it has the following features:Home Page - Clean, simple to the point. What is the purpose of your website? To get inquiries or enrollments or sell something via e-commerce? Ensure that your home page conveys this purpose at the top half of the page so it's theSat, 07 Mar 2026 21:57:17https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/online-optionshttps://www.metisacademy.org/blog/how-to-breathe-correctlyWhile we’re in the midst of a respiratory pandemic, we’d like to shed light on a subject of extreme importance that effects every single one of us … we can actually do something about!In a time of so much uncertainty, where there is so much beyond our control, we encourage you to learn about focus on something that will improve your life – physically, mentally emotionally. Plus, it will boost your immunity immediately!If that sounds like an overstatement, consider – we each take 25,000Sat, 07 Mar 2026 21:54:18https://www.metisacademy.org/blog/how-to-breathe-correctly