As it turns out, "following your heart," so to speak, is critical to success, creativity, productivity, and gratification in one's life. Find it.

Click here to find a useful list-icle and links to more information, namely a TED Talk on the work of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in operationally defining "flow."

It's never too late to reverse the script--to change how we act, what we do, the thoughts we believe--to approach our selves, others and our lives in a different way. You might like the results.

As soft in heart as he is on the eyes, BJ Miller explores with us parts of his own personal and professional journey encountering death and loss. Grief is a powerful human experience and an usher toward a threshold through which our lives change; transformation. Thank you, BJ for your courage, confidence and service.

Having hard conversations--whatever the significant disclosure is--is perhaps at the crux of sustaining healthy and lasting intimate relationships. If that's the kind of thing you want. They psychically open up both (or all) partners, which is the way we need to be for connection/intimacy to occur. And it can feel very challenging for most--for which there may never be a "best time" or feel natural or comfortable. Our survival instinct, with which we're all luckily equipped, works hard in most of us to keep us safe from harm and avoid discomfort and pain, which for many includes rejection, feeling invalid or worthless, fearing abandonment, etc. (we see how much power we can unintentionally give to others). And if we can do it, show ourselves, we can really develop and positively enhance our relationships and our selves. 

Think about a time you've felt stuck. Having hard conversations--sharing--is powerful enough to jar a person free from a stuck place to move into the next segment of life. In rock climbing the crux is the most difficult part of a route, and there may be more than one depending on the route the climber sets out to ascend. Overcoming the crux--the hardest part--literally allows the climber to ascend and continue their climb; to move into the next part. There is even a bit of technique, whereby the climber finds a point of rest before an anticipated crux. Or some arrive at a crux and back off to rest to gather their strength and focus, while others may power through it. I think there is conventional wisdom in this. Different climbers get through cruces differently, and some take more or less time than others, and not all cruces are created equally. Some fall here and return, and some choose to pause here. Some quit here, and some choose to keep working at it. I think there is metaphor here for approaching difficult points in our lives. Especially hard conversations. Ash does a lovely job talking about this subject and makes it clear and doable. Just 20 seconds of courage changes life! 
Tally-ho! 

Today let's celebrate the 50th anniversary of this momentous event. And let us give thanks to all those who came before us who peacefully paved the way to liberty, freedom and justice for us all. Although this kind of work does not get finished, we can look back today and see the strides we've made.

Here's some compelling evidence for what kind of power our thoughts could have. Keep in mind that our human bodies are approximately 60% water (according to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry). Our brains are 70% water. Babies being born have little bodies made up of about 78% water. Furthermore, it's estimated that 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by saltwater--not including the freshwater and glaciers, and water in the clouds and atmosphere.

This clip comes from a movie titled, What the Bleep Do We Know!? I usually enjoy a good review of quantum physics, neurobiology, psychology, and philosophy all rolled up into one captivating production. I thought this one was well done and put together particularly nicely. For me, it was a timely reminder to widen my gaze and open again to the infinitely broad range of possibility. To relax again into the mystery and not-knowing.

The yellow is neurological activity. Notice the absence of activity in the "depressed" brain, especially in the frontal lobe, where organization, planning, moral reasoning and much of our conscious processing of information occur. Depression hurts in many ways.

In this rare clip from 1972, legendary psychiatrist and Holocaust-survivor Viktor Frankl delivers a powerful message about the human search for meaning -- and the most important gift we can give others.

Neurologist and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl pioneered an approach to psychotherapy that focuses on the human search for meaning.