I met my high school boyfriend when I was upset and swung open my locker door so fast I banged him on the head as he was leaning into his locker. Not everyone can take such a first encounter in stride let alone retort with a grin, “If this is how you treat strangers how [...]

The sum of us can be more powerful (and fun) than one of us… sometimes. The confounding thing is exactly how we make it happen.
Even when we have a strong desire to collaborate, we are  likely bump up against into each other because, as in love,  good intentions don’t always lead to mutually satisfying behavior. Yet, [...]

“.. .she pointed the audience to people who were great examples of living their dreams with a very motivating and empowering attitude,” Heather Parlato wrote about Colleen Wainwright.
Praising individuals in the audience is especially helpful when facing a tough crowd as I described in a comment here. Bill Clinton, at his best, is a master [...]

It is the moment when people see your best side.
That’s most likely to happen when you really click with a person or situation. Conversely a bad reaction can quickly spiral down into conflict, even enmity.
What’s the most likely way for someone to see you at your best? It is when you bring out their top [...]

“Here’s your latte. Want to sit there to decide which of those people to put on the team? Here let me move my computer bag over so you have room.”
Imagine you were the person who took the latte in that scene. Subconsciously you’re being primed. You’re getting sensory cues that influenced how you felt about [...]

While happiness books are all the rage, none begin by showing us the inescapable first step to connecting with others.   Yet having social ties is the single best predictor of a longer, healthier, more satisfying life. 
That seemingly mundane step? Attention.
When hired by Disney to observe what infants and toddlers paid the most attention to at [...]

When things go wrong, we tend to blind ourselves to other’s feelings. We are more likely to fall into a destructive behavioral trap. Sadly, when we do, we cannot be empathic. We weaken that human bond that’s vital to re-grouping and resilience. These blinding mindsets make us feel dumb, powerless … and alone. (Of course [...]

“When you deeply listen and get where people are coming from, and then care about them when you’re there, they’re more likely to let you take them where you want them to go.” ~ Warren Bennis
Thoughtful questions enable you to strengthen relationships. They can be disarming, breaking down barriers so you can begin to talk [...]

Just as Daniel Gilbert discovered in Stumbling on Happiness that we aren’t adept at knowing how happy we will be in the future, Gal Zauberman and John G. Lynch found that we get it wrong about how much free time we’ll have. They dryly dub this effect, “Resource Slack.” 

Sphere: Related Content

Brisk early morning walks along the Sausalito waterfront as the sun comes up over Angel Island are somehow sweeter, when shared with a friend or three.

Walking in step in the fresh air, pointing, turning – all that motion makes unexpected memories come to mind. Talk is unexpected, sometimes more candid yet one comes home refreshed, [...]