1: What happens to your brain when you connect with someone or something bigger than yourself?

In moments like this, you experience “presence,” Daniel Coyle writes in his book Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment.

Lisa Miller, a psychologist at Columbia University, has spent years studying what happens in the brain during these deeper connections.

In one study, she tracked brain changes in twenty-seven people … continue reading

1: You and your friends are at a karaoke bar on a Friday night.

The moment has arrived. It’s your turn to hit the stage and grab the mic.

Picture yourself saying, “I’m excited.”

Will you sing better if instead you say “I’m nervous”?

2: “Many people would probably say no, because we presume that singing ability is a stable skill, dependent on factors like experience, interest, and practice,” Daniel … 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