January 2023

By The Science of Happiness podcast, Greater Good Magazine, January 19, 2023 When did you last take a moment to really look up at the sky? Shifting your gaze upward can help us be more creative, it improves our capacity to focus - and it’s a gateway to awe. Episode summary: Natalie didn’t spend much time finding shapes in the clouds as a small kid. And when she got older, looking up was even worse for her. Natalie spent time in jail, where she spent most of her days indoors under harsh...

By Dacher Keltner, Photo: webted, Greater Good Magazine, January 24, 2023 In a study I conducted with collaborators Yang Bai and Maria Monroy (under review), we provided people with the definition of awe—“being in the presence of something vast and mysterious that transcends your current understanding of the world”—and then they wrote their own stories of awe. The participants were from 26 countries, including adherents to all major religions, as well as denizens of more secular cultures...

As the world starts a new year, we start a new day — and every day is an opportunity for growth and change. Every day is a good day to take care of ourselves. You don’t have to start on January 1 st with a New Year’s Resolution , and you don’t have to wait until next year if you have already missed starting on the first. Give yourself permission to start taking care of yourself every day! Last blog post article I wrote, I provided some guidance on how to notice your needs with compassion .

“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel.” – Maya Angelou Finding hope, let alone holding hope as a thread through life these days, can seem like a tough task for so many. Trauma survivors often struggle to find or hold hope in their lives. It’s understandable when so much pain has been endured in life — when you have not been able to trust anyone to do the relational job they were supposed to. It’s so very hard...

As workforce challenges continue to hinder human services organizations, leaders are searching for concrete action steps to support staff who are emotionally and physically exhausted. Especially given the added stressors faced by direct service staff, organizations need proven approaches to address staff morale and mitigate the threat of high turnover. Join this webinar to hear from Social Current experts on topics including: Advancing a brain-science approach with staff Building...

By Ari Shapiro, Megan Lim, and Christopher Intagliata, Illustration: guoya/Getty Images, National Public Radio, January 15, 2023 Happiness can be hard to quantify, because it can mean something different to everyone. But let's say you could change one thing in your life to become a happier person, like your income, a job, your relationships or your health. What would make the biggest difference? That's the question that Dr. Robert Waldinger has been investigating for decades as the director...

The Healing Place Podcast moved into the TOP 2% globally out of over 3 million shows and continues to positively impact the lives of thousands of listeners worldwide with messages of hope, healing strategies, research, faith, compassion, empathy, and love.

I'm excited to share a project I recently completed! You can visit https://www.risetoresilience.org/resources to access the guide, Relationship Commitments template with example, and a supporting tool to explore your past, present, and desired future beliefs. Categories on the template include topics such as dealbreakers, core values, relationship values, love languages (giving and receiving), priorities, personal agreements, and more. Who is this for? Anyone, really! Whether you practice...

By Jill Filipovic, Photo: Hinterhaus Productions/Getty Images, The Guardian, December 29, 2022 Here is a much-needed resolution for many of us in the new year: make new friendships and shore up old ones. Americans are an increasingly lonely bunch, spending more time solo and on our devices than with others. A decade ago, the average American spent about six and a half hours a week with friends. In 2014, time with friends declined, while time alone shot up. By 2019 – before the pandemic –...

Hi Everyone! The good news is after seven years, with a five-year break (AKA stall-out), I have finally finished my new book and have titled it: It's Not About Food, Drugs, or Alcohol: It's About Healing Complex PTSD Although my book won't be available to the general public until its launch date on Feb 21 st , 2023, I am offering FREE advance reader copies to a limited amount of people this week. Below is a summary of what my book's about and how to qualify to get a free copy this week.

By Sophia A. Nelson, Photo: PeopleImages/iStockphoto/Getty Images, CNN Opinion, January 1, 2023 It’s the start of another year, and we are still working our way through a once-in-a-generation, life-changing pandemic almost three years after it began. We’ve all been affected by Covid-19’s scourge of sickness, hospitalization, death, loneliness, isolation, work dislocation and family disruption. Perhaps, like me, you even got sick with the coronavirus and are living with its long-term effects.

New Year's Thoughts and a Song to share - May you have Love, Light, Peace, Joy and Safety in your life. By My Side Live at the River Ledge - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhnwvQXdsmc Take care, Michael