How Fit Is Your Brain?
We have become remarkably sophisticated at measuring physical fitness. We track our steps, heart rate, sleep, pace, strength, and recovery. We understand that healthy behaviors support fitness, but they don't tell us how fit we actually are. Eventually we want to know what the body can do. How far can you run? How much can you lift? How long can you sustain effort? If we want to improve, we establish a baseline and train from there. We approach our brains very differently. Mo
2 min read
The Surprising Science of Happiness
There is a strange problem with happiness. Most of us spend enormous amounts of time pursuing the things we believe will create it: the promotion, the house, the relationship, the vacation, the financial goal, the next accomplishment. Somewhere underneath all of those goals is a quiet assumption: when I get there, I'll be happier. And sometimes we are. You get the promotion, buy the house, reach the goal, or finally take the vacation you've been planning for years. For a litt
4 min read
Why Avoiding Small Things Makes Life Difficult
We all avoid things. The uncomfortable conversation. The phone call we don't want to make. Speaking up in a meeting when we're not completely sure of the answer. Taking on something new where we might fail. Most of these decisions seem harmless, and in the moment they can actually feel good. You decide not to make the call and immediately feel a little less stressed. You postpone the conversation and feel relieved. That relief is exactly why avoidance can become so powerful.
2 min read
Your Gut, Your Brain, and a Network You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
You might think that by now we would have the human body pretty well mapped. Surprisingly, scientists are still discovering new ways our bodies are connected. One of the most interesting involves something called the interstitium. Think of it as a body wide network of tiny, fluid filled spaces supported by connective tissue that surrounds our organs, blood vessels, muscles, and nerves. Scientists have known about interstitial tissue for a long time, but newer research suggest
2 min read
How to Influence Others When You Lack Authority
At some point in almost every career, you discover an uncomfortable truth: the people you need most often do not report to you. You need another department to prioritize your project, an executive to support your idea, or a colleague to change how they are working. This is where influence becomes a critical workplace skill. You can no longer rely on your title. You have to build enough understanding, trust, and motivation for people to choose to move with you. 1. Understand T
3 min read
Emotional Contagion: Your Nervous System Walks Into the Meeting Before Your PowerPoint Does
Have you ever walked into a meeting and immediately sensed that something was wrong, even though nobody had said anything? We tend to think meetings begin when someone starts talking, but our brains are reading the room long before that. Facial expression, tone of voice, pace, posture, and behavior all provide social information that helps us determine whether something feels calm, uncertain, or threatening. Psychologists call part of this emotional contagion, the tendency fo
2 min read
Bloomscrolling: What If We Changed Our Scroll?
I was on my phone the other night looking for new places to hike. One trail led to another, then to a beautiful mountain range, and before I knew it, I had spent ten minutes exploring places around the world I had never been. When I put my phone down, I noticed something: I felt better. Calmer. More content. Maybe even a little more optimistic. We hear so much about doomscrolling, distraction, and what our phones are doing to us, but it made me wonder: What if it isn't only h
2 min read
Sharenting: What Is It and What Are The Hidden Costs?
As parents, there are few things we enjoy more than celebrating our children. From first steps and birthdays to championship games and graduation ceremonies, we naturally want to share those special moments with family and friends. Social media has made that easier than ever. In just a few seconds, a photo can be seen by hundreds or even thousands of people. Most of us do it without giving it a second thought. But what if one of the greatest parenting questions today isn't wh
2 min read
What If Our Children Are More Capable Than We Think?
What if our children are more capable than we think? When news broke that four children had survived for 40 days alone in the Colombian Amazon after a plane crash, the world was captivated. The siblings, ages 13, 9, 4, and an infant, had endured one of the harshest environments on Earth. They found water, located food, avoided dangerous wildlife, and cared for one another until rescuers finally found them. To many people, their survival seemed almost impossible. Yet those who
3 min read
