1: Is this person supportive? Ambivalent? Or demeaning?

How often do I interact with them—frequently or infrequently?

These are the two questions Sahil Bloom suggests we ask, as outlined in his book, The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life.

We begin by making a list of the key relationships in our lives.

“These can include family, friends, partner, or coworker relationships,” Sahil writes. “For … continue reading

1: The year was 2022. Dave Prout was scrolling through Twitter when he saw a post by Sahil Bloom.

“Call your parents more often,” Sahil wrote, “they won’t be around forever. When you’re young and arrogant, death is a theoretical construct. Realize the people you love won’t be there forever. If your parents are 60 and you visit once a year, you may only see them 20 more times … continue reading

Harvard Study of Human Development, 2003 Questionnaire

Q: “What is the secret to aging well?”

A: “Happiness, caring.  Watch what you’re eating.  Try to get out and do a little walking or exercise.  Have friends.  It’s so good to have friends.” —Harriet Vaughn, Study participant, age 80

1: What does it feel like when we love someone?  Or when we know someone loves us?

“Think about how you experience … continue reading

1: The year was 1946. 

John Marsden and Leo DeMarco were both at major crossroads in their lives,”  Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz write in their book The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.

Both men had volunteered to serve in the military during World War II.  John served stateside, while the Navy assigned Leo to duty in the South Pacific.

Both John and … continue reading

1: “People are terrible at knowing what is good for them,” Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz write in The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.

There are several reasons for this reality.

First is our belief that happiness is something we achieve. “As if it were an award you could frame and hang on the wall,” Bob and Marc write.  

“Or as if it … continue reading

Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.

Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations.  On Friday, I share something about myself or what we are working on at PCI.

Summertime is my favorite time of the year.  For families like ours with school-aged kids, school is out, which means there are many fewer activities and commitments. 

Which means we have … continue reading

1: Unchecked power, control, or authority can work, Kim Scott writes in her book Radical Candor.

“They work especially well in a baboon troop or a totalitarian regime,” Kim writes.

But if we’re reading her book or this blog, that’s likely not what we are shooting for.

Kim had just started coaching Ryan Smith, the CEO of Qualtrics.

Ryan asked Kim the most important question for new leaders.  The … continue reading

1: That was all writer Neil Paine could think of to say.

Neil’s a numbers guy. He had formulated an algorithm to determine who was the best NBA coach ever, analyzing “player performance metrics to predict how many games a team should win,” Daniel Coyle writes in The Culture Code.

“The vast majority of NBA coaches win roughly the number of games they should win, given their players’ abilities,” … continue reading

1: And how do we create more of them?  

Those are amongst the questions Chip and Dan Heath pose in their terrific book The Power of Moments.

Chip and Dan share the research of Harry Reis, a social psychologist who has spent his career studying this mystery.

Turns our there is a simple answer:  Our relationships are stronger when we perceive that our partners are responsive to us.

2: What does … continue reading

That is an understandable question, writes FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss in Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It.

The answer? Everything.  

Because “life is negotiation,” he writes. “The majority of the interactions we have at work and at home are negotiations that boil down to the expression of a simple, animalistic urge: I want.

“I want to free the hostages,” may be relevant only … continue reading