From an early age, we both had a knack and a passion for understanding and encouraging people. Youth sports and school leadership roles triggered Lee’s thirst to learn more about leading teams. Julie’s fascination with psychology started in third grade as she followed her father’s readings and her mother’s teachings. We both studied psychology at…
Your best friendswere strangersbefore someonereached out.
All growth occurs when we are uncomfortable. So, act first, then feel the benefits of your actions. Celebrities and famous athletes often tout their “platform” to communicate messages. Well, we all have our own platform called our lives. One small act can change the world of another person … and our world also. Be the…
The warm feeling of well-being that washes over you when you've done something kind isn't just in your head. It's in your brain chemicals, too. Most research on the science behind why kindness makes us feel better has centered around oxytocin. Oxytocin plays a role in forming social bonds. It's tied to making us more…
We spend so much of our lives looking down at our schedules, our deadlines, our problems, our needs, and certainly, at our phones. Meanwhile, people are all around us. People who are hurting. People carrying burdens they rarely speak about. People feeling lonely, uncertain, ashamed, or overwhelmed. People who may simply need someone to notice…
Building healthy, human connections starts with one small act of reaching out. You must go first to take that action. Going first is like tipping the first domino in a long, intricate chain. At first, it’s just one quiet, deliberate, gentle push. But that single act sets everything else in motion. It creates momentum, invites…
Julie and I have been married for over 39 years. Our daughter, Grace, and our son-in-law, Teddy, have been married for just over 39 weeks. It’s a blessing any parent can appreciate—your little princess finding her prince. Although it was different amounts of time, both of our relationships started with being a bit vulnerable. Some…
Building human connections starts with one small act of reaching out. You must go first to take that action. Ask a room of 1,000 people if they like being complimented, and you will get 1,000 hands raised (if they are being honest with themselves). That’s because receiving a compliment primarily triggers a dopamine release in…
Social isolation is an objective condition, and loneliness is the emotional state that arises from it. According to the Surgeon General’s report, the lack of social connection poses a significant risk for individual health and longevity. Loneliness and social isolation increase the risk for premature death by 26% and 29%, respectively. Further, lacking social connection…
We have a design conflict. Humans are designed to connect for survival, and ultimately, to thrive. Technology, particularly social technology, is designed to keep you engaged with your full attention on the screen. As a result, you cannot pay attention to or connect with anyone around you. This is most evident with children. The handheld…
