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The first lesson I learned in The Greater Good Science Center's Science of Happiness course is that I had the wrong definition of happiness. Happiness isn't solely our positive states, we learn from Science Director Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas . It's feeling content within our whole human experience, which of course, includes emotions like grief and sadness. What's the most enduring way to cultivate...

When Tembi Locke was in her twenties she left a letter in a drawer at a coffee shop that read: "I want to live a life of love and companionship." Her heart-expanding memoir and Netflix series, From Scratch , encapsulates its manifestation across three love stories: With her late husband Saro, daughter Zoela, and mother-in-law, Nonna. From Scratch begins with Tembi landing in Italy for a semester a...

"Where you stand, be the soul of that place." This Rumi quote always reminds me of Manish Chandra . He's not only the soul of every place he's in. He illuminates the soul of every person he meets, as a father, friend, and the founder of Poshmark . Manish is an incredible teacher who I'm honored to call my friend. I was thankful to explore the spirit he embodies in today's episode — One of love and...

"My faith lies in the belief that when I help people I live a happier life." Rebecca Minkoff became an emblem of these words early in our friendship. The more I watched her create change, the more I admired her. I'd soon learn that her optimism isn't just a mindset. It's an active commitment to be a force for good. Our conversation is a collection of stories that illustrate this; From being one of...

When Justine Lucas was 22 she got Love & Rage tattooed on her forearm. It symbolizes the way her late friend, Eric, signed his letters. What began as a way to honor him went on to shape her perspective in an enduring way. "I often glance at it and reflect on the evolution of its meaning," she says. "I give myself permission to let in and give out all of the love. But, I also recognize that there i...

The morning I watched Pati Jinich's documentary on the US-Mexico border coincided with a jarring decision being made in our country. It's the reason that I remained hopeful amidst the news. La Frontera is a manifestation of Pati's mission to share the souls of people and places and the food that brings us together. That morning, it was also a lesson on the hope we inspire when we focus on the best...

How can I make this person feel seen, heard, and valued in the most authentic way possible?  Girls Who Code CEO Dr. Tarika Barrett asks this question before every conversation. Her exuberance sharing it became an anchoring insight in our Inspiring Hope series…  "These are vital acts — Be it with your children, colleagues, family, or friends…We don't give joy its due; By being agents of joy, we can...

"The word health originates in a word for wholeness," says renowned physician, author, and speaker Dr. Gabor Maté . "Whether one looks at it from a medical or spiritual point of view: To be healthy is to be whole. As I pondered what I saw with my patients and in my own journey, I realized that the fundamental issue is not: How do we become whole? But, how do we lose the wholeness that is our birth...

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." — Mother Teresa  Today, we're beginning a new mini-series, Inspiring Hope: A collection of five conversations with admired chefs, activists, and leaders about how they design lives of meaning and impact.  Each episode will explore a question that helps us do so. Through answering them, our guests awaken us to the...

"If there is one thing that has made a difference in my life, it is the courage to turn and face what wants to change within me." Elizabeth Lesser 's gift is putting words to the feelings and longings that shape our human experience. She's helped over a million people realize them through her life's work co-founding the Omega Institute . Still, what I admire most about her is her courage opening t...

  "We've really become something quite special. I think at the time of my death, I will remember you."  My eyes filled with tears when The Dalai Lama said this to Archbishop Desmond Tutu during their last conversations captured in Mission: Joy.  They center on the concept of Ubuntu that the Archbishop describes — "We can only be human together." — and awaken us to our belonging to the human family...

"Have you ever had that sense of: 'I've got to go back!'? If you ever hear 'Turn around' inside, do it! That's the universe telling you: You missed something good back there."  Acclaimed illustrator Wendy MacNaughton heeded that call when she passed a boot making workshop on a road trip. In sharing the unforgettable friendship that transpired, she invites us to pause and truly see each other. 

"Letting go gives us freedom and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If in our heart we still cling to anything — anger, anxiety, or possessions — we cannot be free." — Thich Nhat Hanh This week, we're looking at letting go through the lens of forgiveness. In sharing her courageous journey forgiving her father, Dr. Michele Harper illuminates that forgiveness not only offers us peace in th...

"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique…It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open." — Revered Choreographer Martha Graham This week, Bob Roth shares how we can keep the channel open. Renowned Transcendental Meditati...

In this episode snippet, pilates and wellbeing leader Erika Bloom illuminates our body's quest for equilibrium and invites us to approach the balance question from a new lens.  What is one signal your body is giving you this week? How might you slow down and listen to it?   

"In the moment of pause, there is something sacred."  This week, we're excited to share an invitation to pause and appreciate the beauty around us from Reverend Jen Bailey, Founder of Faith Matters Network and Co-founder of The People's Supper.  What feels sacred to you? How might you pause to honor it this week?   

"Your past shapes your present. It doesn't have to define your present."  In this episode snippet, psychotherapist and Frame Co-founder Sage Grazer illuminates the impact of the stories we tell ourselves and how to rewrite them to serve our wellbeing. 

In this episode snippet, author and renowned life coach Martha Beck illuminates how we can awaken to our inner freedom and live in integrity to sustain it.

We often hear that awareness is the greatest agent for change. Our guests teach me it's also a gift of understanding.  Insight around how dopamine influences our behavior is one I carry with me from Dr. Anna Lembke, Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford and Chief of their Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. Her description of dopamine deficit states offers a moment of clarity when I find mysel...

When Maggie Doyne was 18 she saw a young girl breaking stones to sell in a dried riverbed in Nepal. She was taking a gap year until Hima stopped her in her tracks. All she could think was: "What am I supposed to do? In this moment, in this life? What are we, as a human family, supposed to do and be?" Maggie's initial calling to send Hima to school was the seed of a mission that soon became the Bli...

This week, we're illuminating life's most beautiful moments with an exercise from Dr. BJ Miller, Mettle Health Co-founder and hospice and palliative medicine physician…  "Close your eyes and think about this last week. Where — even for a millisecond —  did you get the feeling that everything was okay, even if it's falling apart?  Oftentimes, it's an aesthetic moment — a sunset, a meal, laughing wi...

In leadership, as in life - there's no greater currency than Trust.   Without it, no relationship, let alone team or organization can endure. Reflect for a moment on the last time someone in your inner circle betrayed your trust - How did it make you feel?   Likely not great - and regardless of the emotion, it's a feeling that won't easily be forgotten.   On the flip side, think about a relationsh...

"There's deep interdependence that is a biological reality…When we cultivate healthy habits of mind, it actually changes our brain and our bodies. So, when we show up with another person and we're kind, it's not only affecting our biology. It's going to affect the biology of the person with whom we're interacting."  Dr. Richard J. Davidson studies human flourishing as the Founder of the Center for...

Growing up, Kathryn Schulz and her sister's favorite nights were the ones their dad narrated his own stories about the adventures of Yana and Egbert from Rotterdam; A town he chose because he knew it'd make them laugh. The intentionality behind Isaac's stories are representative of the abundance of love he aspired to share with his daughters — The love Kathryn now shares with her own. This is wher...

"If we really used good intentions behind everything we did, we would make the world a better place. But, that world can't be a better place and we can't have completely good intentions if we don't know who we are." Shantell Martin invites us to embark on this journey. Acclaimed visual artist, philosopher, and facilitator, Shantell's art utilizes questions to inspire self-discovery and the freedom...