1: When you’re searching for something important in life, it helps to answer two questions.

“The first is general; the second, specific,” Arthur Brooks writes in The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness.

Exhibit one: Perhaps you want to find a spouse.

The general question is: “What are the characteristics of an appropriate mate?”

As in, what are the “general features of a person … continue reading

1: Human beings are really good at solving technical problems and answering specific, hard questions.

This ability has driven extraordinary progress in science and economics over the past five hundred years.

You likely believe that “while the world is incredibly complicated, with enough knowledge and hard work, every problem can be solved,” Arthur Brooks writes in The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness.

“And … continue reading

1: Think back to a moment that brought you joy.

“Choose a good moment from the last week, something that made you feel happy, hopeful, proud, or close to someone,” Kelly McGonigal suggests in her book Joy is a Risk Worth Taking.

Perhaps it’s “the pride and hope you feel when you make progress on a difficult goal that encourages you to keep striving.”

Or, perhaps it’s “the love … continue reading

It was the spring of 1967. The producers at WQED, a small public television station in Pittsburgh, had a problem.

“They had launched a children’s program—an odd, quiet little show that aired across the East Coast—and now that show was out of sponsorship money,” Daniel Coyle writes in his book Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment.

The producers worried the show would be a tough sell … continue reading

1: “Why does this matter to you?”

That’s the question author, consultant, and facilitator Peter Block asked Daniel Coyle

They had just met. Daniel, a writer, had set up an interview with Peter. They met at a coffee shop in Cincinnati, which is where Peter now calls home.

“A rangy eighty-five-year-old, Peter had settled into his chair and gave me a fond, knowing smile, as if we’d met each other … continue reading

1: Tynan thought mindfulness and meditation were “too wishy-washy and time consuming,” he writes in Superhuman by Habit.

When he tried meditating, he found it hard to keep his attention on his breath. His mind kept wandering, which left him frustrated and ready to give up.

But then he discovered something that completely changed how he saw meditation.

“If meditation were easy, it would not be as beneficial,” he writes. … continue reading

1: What do you do when the battery turns red on your phone?  You recharge it.

Yet, many people who are tired and overworked just trudge forward.

Which begs the question, “Why do you think you can force yourself to run well on empty?” Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram write in their book The 5 Gears: How to Be Present and Productive When There is Never Enough Time.

“People … continue reading

1: Each day when he’s not traveling, Kevin Deshazo, CEO of Fieldhouse Media, drives his son Gabe to and from school.

“While in transit I normally check my phone at red lights for emails and posts, trying to see what the world is up to,” he explains.

“Everything changed,” he says after learning about the 5 Gears framework.

The 5 Gears is both the title and the central metaphor … continue reading

1: Jennifer’s father was ill.
“The two things that he could do to improve his physical condition most significantly are to eat better and exercise,” she tells Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram, who write in their book The 5 Gears: How to Be Present and Productive When There is Never Enough Time.
And, “the two things he refuses to do are eat better and exercise,” she says.
Jennifer … continue reading

1: When Diane Button was new to end-of-life care, so many questions flooded her mind.

“I wondered if I would ever get to a place where I would feel comfortable stepping into the home of a dying person with ease and grace,” she writes in her wonderful book What Matters Most: Lessons the Dying Teach Us About Living.

Fortunately, she had a mentor. “Hospice chaplain Clarence Liu was was … continue reading