Our monthly reading edits are compiled by Francine Thompson, W&D’s Content Manager, Bridgette Dutkowski, W&D’s Project Manager, and me! Every month we get together to talk about the content going on W&D for the upcoming weeks, which is most often inspired by articles, timely topics, and cultural touch points outside the lifestyle category. We hope that we enjoy these links and get as much out of them as we do!

In last month’s Reading Edit we were all ready to slow down a bit. Well, it doesn’t look like that’s happening anytime soon. But the good news is there’s a renewed feeling of focus and intention in the way I’m approaching work. It’s probably the ticking time bomb in my stomach, but either way, I’m grateful for clarity. You’ll find some good reads in this month’s round up. June, here we come.

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+ On a glossary of positive words: “There must be other expressions like it, he thought—words in foreign languages that described positive traits, feelings, experiences, and states of being that had no direct counterparts in English.” The Glossary of Happiness – by Emily Anthes via The New Yorker

+ On coupling up: “You’re in an environment together, and you’re appraising that environment together, and making decisions together. And through that process, you become linked physically, not just emotionally.” Longtime Couples Get In Sync, In Sickness And In Health, Lindsay Peterson via NPR

+ On when (and how) we lose self esteem: Despite all the advancements in child care, and despite no one really meaning for this to happen, it becomes very easy to pick up some really unhelpful lessons in these early years, way before we really understand what is going on.” Overcoming Childhood, The School of Life  (Click here for more TSOL videos)

+ On closing the gender gap with digital technology: “Given this environment, women are a significant source of untapped talent in the global workforce, and increasing their digital fluency can help move them into the jobs that employers have trouble filling.” Access to Digital Technology Accelerates Global Gender Equality – by Julie Sweet via Harvard Business Review

+ On simple ways to boost your mood: “Drag yourself through these 7 easy steps and you just might come out the other side feeling like the human equivalent of a daisy. Nary an ohm, sit-up or grain of farro lies below.” How to Trick Yourself Into Feeling Awesome – by Haley Nahman via Man Repeller

+ On increasing luck awareness: “Humans don’t, as a general rule, do well with ambiguity. We like to tell clear, coherent stories about the world we see in front of us, and success is no exception.” – Why Americans Ignore the Role of Luck in Everything, by Jesse Singal via Science of Us

+ On redefining and redesigning kids’ wardrobes: “In other words, today’s movement has extended beyond a resistance to pink or princess-themed attire among parents of girls, and is aimed more squarely at inclusivity and more broadly redefining what’s available for all children to wear.” The Princess Revolution – by Adrienne LaFrance via The Atlantic

+ On realizing you’re probably not that busy: “I didn’t discover a way to add an extra hour to every day, but I did learn that the stories I told myself about where my time went weren’t always true. The hour-by-hour rhythm of my life was not quite as hectic as I’d thought.” The Busy Person’s Lies – by Laura Vanderkam via The New York Times

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Image: Acama