Paramount Pictures/The Guilt Trip

My mom has an opinion on everything, and it’s usually some combination of terrible and useless. She regularly tries to get me to handle situations differently or buy useless trinkets. Last month she badgered me for two days about how I absolutely needed to watch an hour-long documentary on the bullet that killed John F. Kennedy.

But this isn’t about the weird advice or less-than-perfect parenting calls. As much as every kid hates to admit it, there are some times when mother really does know best. Here are seven things your mother was right about:

1. Be Nice.

It’s often hard to follow this advice, but your mother’s right. You’ll tend to get further in life and get what you want more often if you’re nice to those around you. Remember, if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. When in doubt, refer to the golden rule.

2. Write ‘Thank You’ Notes

Remember to say thanks – in writing – for things like gifts and interviews. No need to get fancy with it. These days, it’s often as simple as shooting off a quick email. But it really does make an impression in people’s minds.

3. Try, Try Again.

If you want something, go get it. Put in the effort to learn from your failures, pick yourself up and try again. Always try to fulfill your potential, and then push yourself a little more.

4. Stay Away From Cigarettes.

I can’t name a single smoker who likes being a smoker. It’s an unhealthy and unsavory habit. Your mother would be so proud if you didn’t smell like an ashtray the next time you went to visit. I’m betting this is true even if your mother’s a smoker.

5. Eat Your Vegetables.

Just take care of yourself in general. Eat well, exercise and stay healthy. Nothing would make your mom happier than you living a long, happy life.

6. Be Yourself.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say most of our readers aren’t in high school anymore. There’s no reason to change yourself or hide your true personality. You’ll be happier if you’re not putting on an act each day. But maybe try to work on any flaws. See #1.

7. Never Go To Bed Angry.

Embrace the mushy stuff. Make up with people, let go of grudges and be honest about your feelings. You never know if today will be your last opportunity to tell someone how you feel. Years down the road, you’re not going to regret saying “I love you” if you really meant it.

The post 7 Things Your Mother Was Right About appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Image via Flickr/ Sarah_Ackerman

Some pools have the ability to instantly transport viewers to another time or another place. These 21 pools create entirely different worlds from new perspectives.

This cave-like pool was created by Caviness Landscape Design for Twin Creek Farms. The swim-through grotto includes amenities like a bar, television, sound system and waterfalls.

Image via Flickr/ Caviness Landscape Design

This infinity pool from AMS Landscape Design Studios cleverly incorporates a tree in the middle to add a dreamlike quality.

Image via AMS Landscape Design Studios

This pool at a Singapore resort overlooks the entire city and gives the illusion that guests might just fall over the edge.

Image via Flickr/ kfcatles

Greg Marshall photographed this infinity pool in Marmaris, Turkey. It blends perfectly with its surroundings and the sky.

Image via Greg Marshall

Flickr user cloudzilla took a dip in this pool at the Hotel Villa Mahal in Turkey. He said it’s about a 20-foot drop from the edge of the pool.

Image via Flickr/ cloudzilla

This indoor pool from Deep River Partners has glass art along the bottom, creating a gorgeous runway effect.

Image via Deep-River.com

This pool, designed by Paola Lenti, uses a tan walk-in design and a teal bottom to create the illusion of a beach.

Image via Style Grésivaudan

The Nemo 33, photographed by Eric Burgers is the deepest indoor swimming pool in the world, extending to a depth of 113 feet. The pool is located in Neerstalle, Brussels and is used primarily for diving lessons. It has several simulated caves for instructional purposes.

Image via Flickr/ Eric Burgers

The San Alfonso del Mar resort in Chile is home to the largest outdoor pool in the world. It extends three-fifths of a mile and holds 66 million gallons of water. It’s the deepest pool in the world, with a depth of up to 115 feet in some places.

Image via Flickr/ lanube360

This stunning pool is in the Jade Mountain Resort in St. Lucia. It provides bright and colorful surroundings.

Image via Jade Mountain Resort

This pool in Thailand’s Anantara Golden Triangle Resort blends perfectly with the lush greenery surrounding it.

Image via Flickr/ Robert Stokes

This beautiful pool, photographed by Sarah Ackerman, is located at the One & Only resort in Reethi Rah, Maldives.

Image via Flickr/ Sarah_Ackerman

Photographed by Abe Kleinfeld, the Hotel Riu pool in Cancun is reminiscent of ancient times.

Image via Flickr/ Abe K

This pool at the Amangiri Resort in Canyon Point, Utah was built around geological formations that are 160 million years old. The result is an oasis in the desert.

Image via Amangiri Resort

This dreamlike pool is in the Mardan Palace Hotel in Antalya, Turkey. The hotel is considered Europe’s most expensive luxury resort.

Image via wherecoolthingshappen.com

This curvy masterpiece in the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort in Abu Dhabi offers stunning panoramic views.

Image via Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort

The water’s clear in this pool in Thailand’s Koh Samui Resort. The red effect is achieved with an underwater mosaic of red, yellow and orange tiles.

Image via forgethome.com

Natural lighting lends a warm glow to the Gellert Baths in Budapest, Hungary.

Image via Wikimedia

This private home in Costa Reyes, Mexico, called Casa Sol De Occidente, is perched atop a cliff with a moat-like pool surrounding it.

Image via kickassthings.com

This glass-bottom pool at the Shanghai Holiday Inn gives swimmers a look down.

Image via wherecoolthingshappen.com

Neptune’s Pools in California look like they came straight out of ancient Europe.

Image via Flickr/ Vincent Miao

The post 21 Of The Most Insane And Amazing Pools From Around The World (Photos) appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Image via We Heart It

Money can’t buy me love. Or, as it turns out, a lot of other stuff. There are some things that are just more important than money. Here are a few.

1. Sleeping In On The Weekends

Would you rather sleep late on Saturday or drag yourself back to work at 9 a.m. to make a few extra dollars? Yeah, I thought so.

2. The Newest Gadget

People keep shelling out cash for the latest iPhone, so I can only assume it’s more important than the few hundred bucks it costs.

3. Having A Good Job

Having a slightly larger paycheck isn’t worth holding down a job you hate. For most people.

4. Skills

If you’re skilled at what you do, the money will follow.

5. Followers And Likes

Your online reputation is pretty dang important these days for everything from getting a job to getting a date. Untagging those risque weekend pics and getting more followers on Twitter seem to be on everyone’s to-do lists.

6. Life Experiences

Your experiences can’t be replaced for anything. They’re what make you unique and they’re what make your life special. Go camping, get your heart broken, make up a secret handshake even though you’re way too old for that.

7. Fun Experiences

Don’t skimp out on fun just because it can hurt your wallet. Skip going out for lunch tomorrow, and use that money to upgrade your skydiving package. Or, you know, use it toward whatever else you want to do.

8. The Last Episode Of Your Favorite Show

Big fans of any show would pay just about anything to see the ending. You wouldn’t want to be the only one who missed the Breaking Bad finale.

9. Freedom

Financially, politically or emotionally, freedom’s an important thing to have. Plenty of countries have a lower cost of living, but you probably wouldn’t want to move there.

10. Games

Go spend a few more hours playing Candy Crush. That’s definitely more important than money.

11. Knowledge

We pay enough for college in this country. Education better be more important than its price tag. Otherwise, we’re all doing it wrong.

12. Family And Friends

You can’t buy new friends, at least not ones as good as yours. Yours are the best.

13. Health

You need your health, first and foremost. Money can help pay for fancy doctors and herbal remedies, but nothing will replace a clean bill of health.

14. Time

To be young again! Whatever age you’re at, enjoy it now. You’ll never be this young again.

15. Karma

No one knows your Reddit username but you’re still oddly proud when your repost gets six upvotes. Go ahead and gloat.

The post 15 Things That Are More Important Than Money appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Image via House Of Cards/ Facebook

If you’re looking to beef up your brain muscles, take notes from people who are already mentally strong. Do what they do, and more importantly, don’t do what they don’t do. Here are 30 things that mentally strong people don’t do.

1. Dwell On The Past

Overthinking the past does nothing to improve the present or the future. Mentally strong people don’t waste time on what could have been.

2. Repeat The Past

While you shouldn’t actively think about it all the time, your history makes you who you are, and you should be getting smarter and wiser all the time. Learn from your mistakes and avoid repeating the past.

3. Ignore Advice

Strong, secure people know they’re not perfect, and they embrace that. To that end, they’re always open to taking advice and hearing constructive criticism. It’s one way to drive them to improve.

4. Avoid Change

Change is inevitable, and it’s useless to try to stop it. Accept that change is going to happen, even if you don’t like the specific changes. They could lead to a better future.

5. Keep A Closed Mind

Strong individuals are always open to new ideas and experiences. They’re always looking to expand their horizons, and they understand that everyone around them has something to teach.

6. Stay In Their Comfort Zones

Along the same lines, confident people are willing to reach beyond what they know. They’ll try new foods and visit new places in order to branch out and create experiences.

7. Get Envious

A little jealousy can be a healthy driving factor. It can provide motivation to improve. But excessive jealous and envy become negative, creating anger instead of motivation. Be happy for others and for yourself.

8. Avoid Decisions

To be strong, you must take control of your life and your own decisions. Don’t let others decide your life for you.

9. Let Others Control Them

Likewise, strong people stand up for themselves. You’re the only one who has control over your life, and you shouldn’t let anyone take that away from you.

10. Avoid Risks

Calculated risks are a part of life, and they’re just one way you should be leaving your comfort zone. Push yourself to succeed in new areas and accomplish new goals. But don’t gamble blindly.

11. Think About Failure

Whether its a past failure or the potential for a future one, push it out of your mind. You can’t change mistakes of the past. And as for the future, you’re well-prepared. If you do fail, you’ll know you gave it your best shot.

12. Be Pessimistic

Mentally strong people feel good about their lives and their futures. They never get down about temporary or unimportant things.

13. Throw Pity Parties

If you don’t like something in your life, work to change it or overcome it. There’s no sense in feeling sorry for yourself.

14. Dwell On Their Weaknesses

Everyone has weaknesses and flaws. They’re normal and often good, because they set you apart. If you feel you have room to improve, put in the effort to improve yourself rather than feeling defeated.

15. Try To Please Everyone

At the end of the day, you need to feel good about yourself and your actions. You’ll never be able to please everyone in your life. While it’s important to make an effort for those in your life, remember that you answer to yourself.

16. Find Blame And Fault

Life isn’t perfect, but pointing fingers doesn’t solve problems. Rather than blaming others (or yourself) for any predicament you’re in, work hard to change your predicament and improve your life.

17. Avoid Taking Responsibility

Likewise, you must take responsibility for your actions and for the state of your life. If you’re not where you want to be, make a realistic plan to get there and follow through with it.

18. Be Uncertain

Mentally strong people know exactly what they want in life. They set goals and work hard to achieve them.

19. Be Unclear

They also know how to communicate their goals to others. They are clear about their intentions and actions.

20. Worry About The Future

If you’re certain about what you want and take responsibility for your goals and actions, things will probably work out for you. And even if they don’t, you gave it your all. Worrying about the future won’t better prepare you for what’s ahead.

21. Feel Entitled

Expect that you need to work for everything you want. Some things might be handed to you and make life easier. Feel grateful for those things, not entitled.

22. Let Fear Control Them

Don’t base important decisions on irrational fears. Something could always go wrong, but it rarely does. Work on overcoming your fears and not letting them hold you back.

23. Try To Change Things They Can’t

You can work hard for a lot of things in life, but some things are still out of your power. Accept the things you can’t change, and focus on the ones you can.

24. Make Rash Decisions

Keep your goals in mind, and don’t make rash or impulsive decisions that would mess up your plan. Think things through and decide what you really want to do.

25. Try To Be Secluded In Life

Everyone needs others in their lives. Strong people accept that they need a network of friends, family and support. They don’t try to do everything alone.

26. Avoid Being Alone

There are some times in day-to-day life when you’ll find yourself apart from your support system, and that’s OK, too. Strong people are comfortable being alone with their thoughts.

27. Expect Immediate Changes

Working toward your goals doesn’t mean you’ll achieve them overnight. Show patience and diligence in everything, and know that change is coming.

28. Let Their Emotions Control Them

Of course emotions are natural and necessary, but decisions and actions shouldn’t happen in the heat of the moment. Take a step back from any situation and try to view it logically.

29. Give Less Than Their All

Try your best whenever you start a new endeavor. You’ll never have to wonder what would have happened or regret not giving your all.

30.Give Up

Persevere in everything you do, and try as many times as it takes to succeed.

The post 30 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Image via Twin Design/Twin Design/Shutterstock

Photo app Instagram has never been more popular. It now has 150 million active users each month and 55 million new photos added every day. And it’s safe to say an awful lot of those photos aren’t just in-the-moment snaps. They’ve been manipulated, retouched or filtered with any number of built-in features and additional apps. Join the masses and make your Instagram better with these apps.

1. Pic Stitch

Image via iTunes/Pic Stitch

This free iPhone app let you put several photos into a grid to style them and share them all together.

2. Photo Grid

Image via Google Play/Photo Grid

This free app has the same basic principle as Pic Stitch, but it’s for Android users.

3. PicsArt Photo Studio

Image via Google Play/PicsArt

This is a free Android app that lets you edit photos, draw on photos and create collages.

4. Camera+

Image via iTunes/Camera+

This app brings professional photography tools to your iPhone for $1.99. Zoom, focus and improved clarity are some of the many features included.

5. Camera ZOOM FX

Image via Google Play/Camera Zoom FX

This Android app offers a full photo editing suite for $2.99 with optional free add-ons.

6. Pudding Camera

Image via Google Play/Pudding Camera

This free Android app gives you access to some professional photo tools and effects. It offers a variety of aspect ratios, camera and lens effects, and retro-style filters.

7. Retromatic 2.0

Image via iTunes/Retromatic 2.0

This $1.99 iPhone app can turn a picture into something you’d see on a 1950s poster.

8. Rakuga-cute

Image via iTunes/Rakuga-cute

It’s all in the title. This free iPhone app turns photos into cutesy, girly snaps with lots of effects.

9. PicLab

Image via iTunes/PicLab

This free app is available for iPhone and Android. It lets you add artistic, typographic text to photos and has some standard features like filters and effects.

10. InstaSize

Image via iTunes/Instasize

This free app lets you post entire photos to Instagram instead of the standard square photos.

11. Perfect365

Image via Google Play/Perfect365

This free app for iPhone and Android is like Photoshop for Instagram. It lets you alter and “enhance” your face, add virtual makeup and try on different hairstyles.

12. Afterlight

Image via iTunes/Afterlight

This $0.99 iPhone app lets you adjust lighting effects for an artistic touch.

13. Slow Camera Shutter Plus

Image via iTunes/Slow Camera Shutter Plus PRO

Create long-exposure photos with this free iPhone app.

14. Tiny Planet

Image via iTunes/Tiny Planet

This $0.99 iPhone app turns your surroundings into tiny, spherical planets.

15. TiltShift Generator

Image via iTunes/TiltShift Generator

This free app for iPhone simulates tilt-shift photography for a toylike look.

16. DXP

Image via iTunes/DXP

This free iPhone app combines photos for a dreamy, double-exposure look.

17. Double Photo

Image via Google Play/Double Photo

This is the same idea as DPX but for Android users.

18. Superimpose

Image via iTunes/Superimpose

Separately adjust the foreground of your photos or give yourself an entirely new backdrop using this $0.99 iPhone app.

19. Tangent

Image via iTunes/Tangent

This $1.99 iPhone app lets you add geometric shapes and patterns to your photos for an artistic twist.

20. Instarchive

screen shot via Instarchive, by Recollect

This isn’t an app per se, but it’s still useful. Back up your pictures and save them on your computer with Instarchive.

The post 20 Apps To Make Your Instagram Better appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group. Image via Prometheus72/Shutterstock

High school is a necessity for anyone who wants to find a job today. Even a college degree is a prerequisite for most jobs. Some people couldn’t care less about that. Instead they forge their own path, changing the lives of countless others in the process.  These individuals remind us that anything is possible.

From titans of industry to a United States president, some high school dropouts have made a name for themselves without the help of a diploma. Here are 11 of the most successful high school dropouts in history, in no particular order:

1. Vidal Sassoon

Vidal Sassoon and wife Ronnie/Image via s_bukley/Shutterstock

Known for styling the hair of celebrities Vidal Sassoon had meager beginnings. He spent six years in an orphanage before being reunited with his mother, who encouraged him to find work at a salon. There, at the age of 14, he fell in love with hair. He dropped out of high school to pursue a hairstyling career. Possibly the most well-known stylist in history, he had a net worth of $130 million shortly before his death.

2. George Foreman

Image via Flickr/ eschipul

George Foreman was a feisty kid who often got into fights. He dropped out of high school and went on to become an Olympic gold medal boxer. He eventually moved on to his big money-maker, the George Foreman Grill, and has sold more than 100 million to date.

3. Francois Pinault

Image via Francois Pinault Foundation

Currently the third-richest man in France, Francois Pinault left high school to work in his father’s lumber mill. Today he’s known for his luxury goods conglomerate, PPR, which owns fashion houses such as Gucci. He currently has a net worth of $15 billion.

4.Kirk Kerkorian

Image via Joe Seer/Shutterstock

Known as “the smiling cobra,” hotel mogul Kirk Kerkorian helped make Las Vegas what it is today. He had a hand in the making of both Caesars Palace and the MGM Grand Hotel, earning him a fortune. With a net worth of $3.9 billion, he’s now one of the richest men in the world. And he’s done it all without a formal education, since he dropped out of school in eighth grade.

5. David Karp

Image via Flickr/ web09

This 27-year-old dropped out of high school during his freshman year on his mother’s advice. He knew at an early age that he wanted to work with computers, but programming was so new that his high school didn’t offer any courses. He dropped out and continued his education on his own. The bold move paid off when he founded Tumblr and later sold it to Yahoo for $1.1 billion. Though it worked out for him, Karp discourages others from dropping out. He said in one interview, “That is not a path that I would haphazardly recommend to kids out there.”

6. Dave Thomas

Wendy’s

Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas dropped out of high school at age 15, eventually earning his GED 45 years later. He’s not the only fast food mogul to take this path. Colonel Harland Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken and Ray Kroc of McDonald’s also dropped out of high school.

7. Richard Branson

Image via Helga Esteb/Shutterstock

Billionaire Richard Branson is best known as the man behind Virgin Group and has recently been making headlines for his latest venture, Virgin Galactic. Before all that, he dropped out of school at the age of 16.

8. Charles Dickens

Image via Wikipedia

This author is best known for classic novels like A Tale of Two Cities and Oliver Twist, and his famous works were possible with little help from a formal education. When his father was imprisoned for debt, Dickens was forced to leave school at age 12 to begin working. He started off by working 10-hour days at a boot-blacking factory before eventually turning into a writer. Other notable authors who never finished high school include William Faulkner, Mark Twain and H.G. Wells.

9. Albert Einstein

Image via Wikimedia

The famous physicist didn’t care for formal schooling and dropped out of high school. He didn’t let that hold him back, however. He took special entrance exams to get into college and eventually became one of the most important scientists and researchers in history.

10. Walt Disney

Image via Wikimedia

The Disney empire is proof that you don’t need high school to hone your creative side. Walt Disney dropped out at age 17 to serve in World War I. When he returned in 1919, he began work as a commercial illustrator and quickly set up his own shop.

11. Abraham Lincoln

Image via Wikimedia

Our former president may not even count as a high school dropout. He dropped out at age 9, long before making it to high school. This was a result of his mother’s death, after which he needed to work in order to support the family.

The post 11 Of The Most Successful High School Dropouts appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

screen shot via YouTube/OneFrenchCanadian

Watch this cat and cat-sized pug fight each other all around the living room in a cute wrestling match. It’s safe to assume this is just a playful scuffle between siblings. Two tip-offs: the cat never hisses, and the dog wags his tail intermittently. Also if they were fighting for real, I’d hope the owner would put down the camera and break it up.

The post Pug And Cat Battle In The Most Adorable Wrestling Match (Video) appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Image via Unsplash/Elisabetta Foco

Living in the past is a sure way to reduce your happiness today and in the future. It holds you back from reaching your potential and becoming more successful in life. If you’re having trouble letting go of yesterday, remind yourself of these 15 reasons letting go of the past will benefit you today and in the future.

1. You Can Try New Things

Let go of the way you did things in the past and embrace new ideas and practices. If certain techniques haven’t made you successful in the past, they sure won’t make you successful now.

2. You’ve Grown As A Person

No matter what happened in the past, you’ve matured and changed since then. Go forward with new expectations of yourself so you can continue to grow and improve.

3. You Can Pursue Happiness

Decide what would make you happy, and take steps to make that happen. The good old days may be in the past, but you still have plenty of days ahead of you to make into good new ones.

4. You Can Push Yourself Further

Your past limitations may have led to past failures, but you can overcome a lot of them now. You’ve learned from your mistakes; now just get back up and try again rather than dwelling on the past.

5. You’ll Shed Negative Feelings

Once you let go of the past, along with any regrets and grudges, you’ll be happier and more productive. You’ll have brain power to focus on what’s ahead.

6. You’ll Forgive Yourself

Everything is clear in hindsight, but that doesn’t mean it’s worth dwelling over. You need to be happy with yourself in order to be happy and successful in general.

7. You Can Open The Doors To Bigger And Better Opportunities

Trying to go back to how things were means giving up on ambitions to excel. You have better opportunities ahead of you than you ever had behind you. You have more life experience, more knowledge and more practical skills.

8. You Can Be Happy Romantically

To find happiness with another person, you need to put aside the idea that someone else used to make you happy. There’s someone better suited for you, but you won’t find the person while you’re hung up on someone else.

9. You Can Motivate Yourself

If you’re going to think about the past, at least use it as motivation. Think about it in terms of how far you’ve come and how far you still want to go. Be better than your past self and always strive to improve.

10. You’ll Recognize Impermanence

Your life today isn’t the same as it was yesterday or 10 years ago, and that’s a good thing. Once you realize that, you’ll realize that your future life will be different, too, and that’s also good.

11. You Can’t Change The Past

Time spent dwelling on the past is time wasted, since you can’t do anything to change it. You can change the future, though, and you’ll have more time to focus on that if you refocus your thoughts.

12. You Don’t See The Past Clearly

Memories are imperfect and malleable. Amazing things and horrible things in the past may not have been as extreme as you remember. Be happy with where you are and where you’re going.

13. You Can Appreciate Yourself

The past shaped you into the person you are today. For that reason, you should appreciate your own history. But no one’s perfect. Think about how you want to continue to improve yourself, and set goals for the future.

14. You Can Take Responsibility For Your Life

The only way to be successful is to take steps in the right direction. Know that while you can’t change what’s already happened, you can take charge of your life from now on, working toward your goals.

15. You’ll Find Peace

Letting go of the past can give you a newfound peace of mind that will carry over into every aspect of your life.

The post 15 Reasons You Need To Let Go Of The Past To Be Successful appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Image via Flickr/ Kouki Kuriyama

GoPro announced today that it’s going public. The popular videocamera maker is filing for a confidential initial public offering, which allows the company to keep financial information closely guarded until just weeks before the stock starts trading.

A confidential IPO is available only to companies generating less than $1 billion in annual sales.

The company grossed $521 million in 2012, and Forbes predicted it would double that number in 2013. Though it’s clear GoPro didn’t reach the $1 billion mark, the information suggests that the company is close to it.

GoPro is the latest of a string tech companies expected to go public this year. And many are filing for these secret IPOs, including Twitter and cloud storage company Box, so as to keep operating information out of public view for as long as possible.

The post GoPro Files To Go Public With Confidential IPO appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

screen shot via YouTube/Stephen Parkhurst

Facebook is releasing hundreds of thousands of “Look Back” video compilations to its users, highlighting when users first joined the social network, their most popular posts and their most liked pictures. Stephen Parkhurst wanted to know what the quick videos would look like if they were a little more honest. After all, most time on Facebook is spent writing unpopular posts, avoiding family members and stalking crushes.

The post Here’s What Facebook ‘Look Back’ Videos Would Really Look Like If They Told The Full Story (Video) appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.