Lecture: 'If Life Is Passing You By'

We’re haunted by anxiety and longing; the joy of life is forgotten. Days pass, leaving behind emptiness. We live as if someone else’s life, or we don’t really live at all. It feels like we’re constantly taking an exam for success, but we never reach the goal. Psychologist Elena Novoselova warns that every day we create our own story, and it’s dangerous to put life off for later. In the lecture, we’ll explore how to get out of a vicious circle and where to find «simple human joy.» We’ll discuss whether a busy adult can enjoy life the way they did as a child; how to feel the fullness of life when it seems there’s no time or money for it; what changes await us if we stop and notice pleasant moments in the world; how to stop chasing success or running away from fear by developing healthy self-interest. Success is when life is bright and full specifically for you, and time doesn’t slip away. What is necessary for that? How to preserve inner resources so that you not only manage to do everything, but also enjoy it? We weren’t taught this, but we’ll start with what we have now—because there won’t be another life, Elena Novoselova insists. Elena Novoselova is an experienced psychologist, consultant, popular expert on family relationships, author of books, and host of TV and radio projects; a member of the Russian Psychotherapeutic League, and a regular contributor to "Pryamaya Rech" (Direct Speech).