Our self-concept is so fundamental that we don’t notice that we created it and we continue to create it all our lives. For those of us who are our own worst critics, we can expand our self-concept purposefully.

We’ve all heard that meditation brings happiness, inner peace, better focus and even better health. But many of us struggle to calm our minds, or avoid meditation altogether because it seems too challenging. Make it easy and fun with this simple shift.

Awe is an important cousin to gratitude. When we look up from our daily grind and allow awe in, every moment of our lives appears miraculous, worth savouring and living. Learn to be astonished and life will wink at you.

What are your thoughts when someone disappoints you? If you feel mired in resentment, consider adopting a different approach, supported by surprising social science research, to help you move forward: that person is actually doing the best they can.

Leaders across industries agree that we need courage in our workplaces. It’s impossible to express our full potential when we’re working in an atmosphere of fear and timidity. But how can you design courage into the workplace? It’s simple, but not easy.

Gratitude has been called a natural anti-depressant, but many of us never learned how to tap into this powerful emotion. We know we should be grateful, but knowing that doesn’t really lift our spirits--it can even make us feel guilty. How do we get beyond the knowing, and allow true, joyful gratitude to arise in us?

President Zelensky reminds me of a soldier who stops a retreat by grabbing the fallen flag out of the mud, carrying it high and charging ahead in full voice. His courage inspires everyone to reverse direction and join him. Where does this courage come from? I found some clues in his past.

It’s easy to take our thoughts to be our core self. After all, they are inside us, and no one else can hear them. But when we notice that we are not our thoughts, they lose their grip on us, and life gets easier.

It feels good to be the person that others count on, the one who always offers help, but hidden within that identity, there can be a sneaky trap. My holiday reflections on this dilemma led me to the wise words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

When we think of ourselves, we call up a certain self-image that we hold in our minds. When we think of others, we call up an image for them as well. But these images can distance us from our deeper essence and that of others. When we let go of images, we can connect at a deeper level.

It can be scary to realize how one conversation may determine the future of a project, a relationship, or even a life. Four researchers spent twenty years studying how to navigate such moments, and distilled their findings into a short, practical book. Here are my five takeaways.

We all have instincts that steer us away from uncomfortable or threatening situations, inner guardrails that help keep us safe. But sometimes we have to question them in order to activate our strengths and expand the arena of our lives. Here’s how a simple pair of words helps me remember to step up to a challenge.

Do you get overly hurt when someone judges you, or expresses anger at you?

I have so been there. And here’s what I’ve found.

Many of us hold high standards for ourselves and have trouble accepting the times when we fall short. Does this sound familiar? We may think that our self-criticism or self-blame is a way to hold ourselves in line, but sometimes it paradoxically prevents us from moving forward.

Is there a person who continually annoys you or causes problems in your life? Someone you struggle with, but never seem to get through to? Here is a simple yet powerful story to help you take a new approach.

Have you ever bumped into someone who seemed to have a higher perspective than you do? Who seemed more grown up? These people often have a special quality of presence, a deep peace; they are not holding back; they are radiantly alive. If you’d like to grow more, all the tools you need are already inside you.

Do you sometimes feel like your buttons are being pushed? Sometimes our reactions are so fast and strong that we think someone else is causing them, but there is a simple way to take back control.

They say that the way a person does one thing is the way they do everything, and I can attest that if I bring peace and attention to one thing every day, that sense of peace expands into the rest of my day. I might as well start by bringing attention to one of my favorite activities: eating.

If you could get a complete printout of all the thoughts that go through your mind in one day—every single thought—what would it look like? What do you think you would find out about yourself?

I used to think of self-love as holding a high opinion of oneself or prioritizing one’s own wellbeing. But recently I discovered a way that self-love is just there, no matter what.