There are many reasons why most of us struggle with self-doubt, and much of it has nothing to do with our own choices. Self-doubt is often a symptom of being raised by hypercritical parents, and it can also be caused by trauma or bullying in school. For others, self-doubt can stem from negative self-talk, perfectionism, unrealistic expectations, or good old-fashioned overthinking. Self-doubt can severely limit how we show up in the world by preventing us from pursuing our dreams, taking chances, and reaching our full potential. How to overcome self-doubt In a recent appearance on The Mel Robbins Podcast, Dr. Shadé Zahrai explained how a clear acknowledgment of our doubts, paired with a simple practice, can help us become more self-assured and confident. Zahrai is a former lawyer who transitioned into a self-leadership expert, researcher, and author of Big Trust. Step 1: Acknowledge your doubts @melrobbins How do you accept yourself if you don’t feel good about yourself? According to behavioral researcher and confidence expert Dr. Shadé Zahrai, self‑acceptance is something you build through small, intentional shifts in your focus. She says one way you can do that is with this simple but powerful tool called the Care Less List: Write down everything you want to care less about – your appearance, other people’s opinions, the comments your family makes… Then make a Care More list: write down what you want to care more about: growth, showing up, staying true to your values. This practice helps you notice thought patterns that are keeping you stuck, and where you should direct your mental energy instead. @Dr. Shadé Zahrai says it’s one of the most powerful confidence tools you have. If you’re tired of being your own worst critic, this will help you shift your attention back to what actually matters. In this episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast, Dr. Zahrai is teaching you the practical tools to strengthen self‑acceptance, rebuild your confidence, and finally beat self-doubt once and for all. “How to Eliminate Self-Doubt Forever & Build Unshakeable Confidence” Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube – search “Mel Robbins Podcast Self Doubt” ♬ original sound – Mel Robbins It all began with a big question from Robbins: “How do you accept yourself when you don’t like yourself?” The first step, according to Zahrai, is to clearly acknowledge our self-doubt. “The first one is that you need to acknowledge that until you accept yourself, nothing will change,” Zahrai said. “A lot of people don’t actually want to acknowledge their fears because they’re afraid that they’ll make them real.” A confident man. Photo credit: Canva Zahrai is on point with her advice here, as the influential psychologist Carl Jung once said: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” Psychologists call this practice emotional labeling. Putting our feelings into words can reduce activity in parts of the brain associated with fear and increase activity in areas linked to emotional regulation. Dr. Daniel Siegel calls this the “Name it to tame it” strategy. Step 2: Write a “care less” list “What you’re gonna do is grab a sheet of paper divided into two columns. On the left, I want you to write down all the things you want to care less about,” Zahrai said. “‘I want to care less about my physical appearance. I want to care less about what people in the street think of me when I walk by. I want to care less about what my family keep saying about my acne or my weight, or how I look.’” A woman flexing her arm. Photo credit: Canva Step 3: Write a “care more” list “The next step is, ‘okay, what do I wanna care more about? What do I actually want to shift my attention to?’ Because attention is such a superpower. If we’re not aware of it, we’re going to be stuck in patterns that keep us stuck. But if we can become more aware of it, be a bit more curious about how we’re thinking,” Zahrai said. “This is called metacognition. It’s the ability to think about your thoughts. And it is a fundamental superpower, cause the moment you start thinking about your thoughts, you’re no longer in your thoughts.” A 2025 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that people with healthy self-esteem are better at “decentering,” or stepping back to view negative thoughts more objectively. Therefore, learning to use metacognition can boost mental health and emotional resilience in people with low self-esteem. Ultimately, Zahrai’s advice is to clearly identify what you don’t want and focus on what you do. Once we have a clear roadmap for where we want to go and what we want to leave behind, the journey becomes much easier than fighting against the things we’re afraid to confront. The post Stop struggling with self-doubt by using this simple ‘care less’ practice appeared first on Upworthy.

Costco is beloved by its loyal customers around the world. There are more than 800 locations worldwide, according to Costco. The world’s smallest Costco warehouse is located all the way in Juneau, Alaska. The Juneau Warehouse was opened on November 4. 1993. YouTuber Adam Legg (@LeggLife), a creator from Anchorage, Alaska, gave a full-fledged tour of the big box store dubbed a “tiny but legendary Costco location.” “I think it is also one of the most beautiful settings of any Costco,” says Legg in the video, as he later shows the building’s backdrop that features an evergreen forest, fog, and snow-covered mountains. “This is a unique one. It is roughly half the size of a normal Costco.” For reference, a typical Costco warehouse is around 160,000 square feet. Products in the world’s smallest Costco Despite its size, the world’s smallest Costco is still impressively stocked. “It carries more than half the amount of products. So most ‘normal’ Costco’s carry right around 3,800-4,000 products,” says Legg. “This Costco carries about 3,200. So even though it is half the size, it carries more than half the amount of products.” When it comes to prices, Legg explains that “everything in Juneau comes in either by ship or by plane. There are no roads to Juneau, Alaska.” As he walks in, there is the familiar electronics section with TVs and more, including some massive inflatable water toys for the yard that Legg did not expect. @lolasalty Things in our Alaska Costco that would confuse people from the lower 48 blackout curtains because the summer sun literally does not go down in parts of Alaska hiking sticks because “going for a walk” here can accidentally turn into a mountain hike fishing waders because salmon fishing is basically a personality trait in Alaska mosquito spray because Alaska mosquitoes are genuinely terrifying in the summer camping gear (SEASONAL) because half the state disappears into the wilderness every weekend this time of year paddle boards and kayaks immediately hit the shelves the second breakup season starts Xtratuf boots because they’re basically the official state shoe fire extinguishers near the entrance once wildfire season starts bear spray sold casually like it’s sunscreen bcs we are is bear country and we all own a least a can or two! Living in Alaska means one Costco trip can prepare you for fishing, hiking, camping, wildfire season, and a bear encounter all in the same afternoon Where are you watching from? Which one surprised you the most? #fairbanks #alaska #livinginalaska #lifeinalaska #fyp @Costco Wholesale ♬ original sound – Lola•RN•MILSO • AK Unique items Immediately, Legg notices some items ‘unique’ to the Juneau location. These include some XTRATUF rain boots that Legg himself is wearing to the store, a necessary staple for Alaska’s climate. There’s also some University of Alaska-Fairbanks clothing. Legg notes that the clothing section is “smaller than most Costcos.” There are also home goods items, furniture, and mattresses. Legg then shows some other “interesting” regional necessities: bear spray and mosquito/tick repellant. Legg explains that there are also many summer Alaska essentials, like backpacks, coolers, and “giant family tents and canopies.” Food items Legg makes his way to the grocery section. He points out that a large watermelon is $12.99, and bananas are $2.99 a pound. Moving on to the prepared meat, the baby back ribs are $7.99 a pound, and chicken wings are also available. However, one iconic Costco item is not available at the location: the rotisserie chicken. “The rotisserie chickens was one of the things I was wondering about, but they don’t have them,” Legg says. There are still many meat and seafood options available, including plenty of the prepared meal kits. As he ventures to the frozen and refrigerated section, he reassures viewers: “If you were wondering, yes they do have samples.” Two dozen organic brown eggs cost $7.69, and, in the dry goods section, the big box of Lucky Charms is on sale for $5.39. Additionally, Legg points out that customers can also purchase alcohol at the Juneau warehouse. @itshelbyduh Even I’m annoyed at how many times I’ve been to Costco in the last 2 months Sitka to Juneau for a quick trip! #boattrip #alaska #southeastalaska #sitka #juneau #boating #boatlife #islandlife #alaskaliving #alaskacruise #cruisetok ♬ Walking Around – Instrumental Version – Eldar Kedem Additional comparisons and contrasts Legg points out the Juneau Costco does have a pharmacy, as well as an optical department and Tire Service Center. Hearing aids are also available there. However, there is no bakery. The food court also has classics like the infamous Costco hotdog and chicken bake. However, there is no pizza available. “There is no seating inside the food court, but they do have tables outside,” says Legg. After shopping the entire warehouse, Legg gave his final thoughts: “I absolutely loved that…it was super simple. It has the vast majority of stuff you want your Costco to have,” he says. He points out that there are only three cities in Alaska with a Costco: Anchorage, Fairbanks, and of course, Juneau. “I love this concept. I bet not every town could support a full-sized Costco, but I bet a lot of towns could support something this size,” he shares. “I hope Costco starts doing more things like this. Not every Costco has to be the huge, giant, over-the-top warehouse.” The post The world’s smallest Costco is in Juneau, Alaska. Tour the ‘tiny but legendary’ location. appeared first on Upworthy.

“Mooseless. Ferina. Tai kon.” If you’re confused by these words, it’s probably because they’re not quite words. Instead, they’re sounds heard by people for whom English is not their first language. “Muscles. Foreigner. Chicken” are what they were attempting to repeat, but due to the English language being notoriously difficult, they just couldn’t quite pronounce them. In a recent viral TikTok, @alanthedude asked people from different countries worldwide, “What is the hardest English word for you to pronounce?” Answers coming from French, Austrian, Polish, and other nationalities were understandably stumped at times. It’s no secret English doesn’t always follow the same rules as other languages. @alanthedude #learnontiktok #learnenglish #streetinterviews #language #culture ♬ original sound – alanthedude The post has received nearly two million likes and over 11,000 comments. Even English speakers are often bewildered by the language. One writes, “As an English speaker, I cannot say rural.” Another shares the confusing nature of certain words being so close in spelling, yet having such different meanings and pronunciations. “Thought, though, tough, through, thorough, throughout.” Cristina Miguelez, the Digital PR Manager and Specialist for online tutoring program Preply, shares some of the most common words in English that non-natives have a tough time pronouncing. Many, some will find, aren’t so easy to pronounce for English speakers either. Worcestershire This one throws out most of the rules for vowels in particular. Miguelez shares, “Often considered the ultimate pronunciation nightmare, ‘Worcestershire’ completely ignores how it looks on paper. Most learners try to pronounce every syllable, but native speakers usually shorten it to something closer to ‘WUSS-ter-sheer.’ The silent letters and compressed sounds make it incredibly difficult for anyone learning English phonetically.” Entrepreneur This word, “borrowed from the French language,” can confuse some due to syllable emphasis. “‘Entrepreneur’ contains vowel sounds and pronunciation rules that do not naturally exist in many other languages. The ending alone confuses, with many speakers unsure whether to pronounce the ‘r,’ the ‘eu,’ or both. In English, it’s pronounced ‘on-truh-pruh-NUR,’ with the final syllable carrying the strongest emphasis.” Rural As mentioned, this word was discussed in the TikTok comment section and can be difficult even for people whose first language is English. “‘Rural’ contains back-to-back ‘r’ sounds that are particularly hard for speakers whose native language doesn’t heavily use the English ‘r,’” Miguelez explains. “Even native English speakers sometimes struggle to say it clearly at speed. Most people pronounce it something like ‘ROOR-uhl,’ although saying it quickly can easily make the sounds blur together.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Please Please… Don’t Quiz Me! (@pleasedontquiz) Colonel This word, as Miguelez describes, looks “nothing like it sounds.” She adds, “One of the least phonetic words in the English language, ‘colonel’ is pronounced ‘kernel.’ The disconnect between spelling and pronunciation makes it incredibly confusing for learners. Although the spelling suggests otherwise, it’s actually said as ‘KUR-nuhl.’” Squirrel Miguelez notes that she has found this word to be especially difficult for certain nationalities. “‘Squirrel’ combines awkward consonant clusters with the difficult English ‘r’ sound, making it one of the most commonly mentioned words by language learners worldwide. German, Japanese, Spanish, and Chinese speakers frequently cite it as especially difficult. In most accents, it sounds roughly like ‘SKWIR-uhl,’ with the middle ‘r’ sound making it tricky to say smoothly.” Also on Miguelez’s list were “February,” “coup,” “brewery,” “hyperbole,” and “phenomenon.” Whether it was the seemingly random placements of consonants or vowels, these words often trip up even the most fluent English speakers. The post People around the world reveal the English language words that are near impossible to pronounce appeared first on Upworthy.

Roadkill. Car crashes. Sickening news stories. Talking about death. Even doomscrolling endlessly. Many of us find that it’s the most unappealing sights and topics that pique our interest the most. It’s a phenomenon called “morbid curiosity,” and even though it’s perfectly natural, it’s a source of shame for a lot of people. It’s easy to feel like there’s something wrong with you for not being able to resist reading about a murder or craning your neck to look at roadkill. Psychologists say otherwise. Morbid curiosity has been studied for decades Morbid curiosity has long been understood as an evolutionary mechanism. But our grasp of its function, and where it comes from, has evolved over time. In 1986, one of the first published papers on morbid curiosity introduced a scale known as CAME: Curiosity About Morbid Events. Early research like this study focused on the kinds of people who were interested in death and things that can lead to death, rather than the why. It was viewed as a trait of people who sought thrills and stimulation. Later theories began to link morbid curiosity to our will to survive. Some researchers posited that morbid activities—say, watching a violent horror film—were a way to “practice” the act of being mortal while still being safe. In other words, it’s a rehearsal or a test-run that prepares us for more life-threatening situations. Later still, psychology began to understand that morbid curiosity could be related to our ancestors’ need for threat detection. A dead animal could indicate that there’s a predator nearby, for example, so it would make sense that we’d be drawn to look at it and not away for our own safety. Scientists were interested in how this mechanism could override our natural sense of disgust. But there were gaps in all of these theories that couldn’t explain all the different forms morbid curiosity can take. New paper makes key distinctions about our morbid fascinations A paper in the Psychological Review builds on previous research through an evolutionary lens. David S. March argues that morbid curiosity isn’t just about thrill-seeking, fear management, or even survival. It’s a combination of many of these things; a concept he calls “resolving ambiguity.” Simply put, when something is related to death or danger, we want to know more about it. It could mean that a predator is nearby, but it could also be an opportunity: a dead animal, to use the example again, could also have been a food source for earlier humans. It’s a theory that helps unify all the ones that came before, and it helps explain why our morbid curiosity takes many forms. It’s not just roadkill and horror movies; it’s also doomscrolling and true crime. It’s natural, and evolutionary, for us to be interested in anything that might contain survival-relevant information. One study referenced in Psychology Today found that true crime listeners, for example, were adept at paying attention to and remembering tricks potential victims used to escape or spot a threat before they got hurt. That’s the kind of survival relevant information we can glean by not shying away from things that would otherwise trigger disgust or fear. March’s new theory has yet to be put to the test. It’s a new theoretical model rather than a revealing new dataset. But it changes the way we think about our own morbid curiosities and, hopefully, helps reduce any feelings of shame we might experience. Being drawn to murders and roadkill and the worst news stories imaginable doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. It’s just your brain seeking to make sense of all the information available, reduce ambiguity, and find any and all information that might later help you survive. The post Fascinating new research finally explains humans’ ‘morbid curiosity’ appeared first on Upworthy.

After a pilot’s long-awaited final flight was unexpectedly canceled, a rival airline stepped in with an incredible gesture of respect. Their heartfelt surprise gave the veteran pilot the meaningful farewell he truly deserved.