We have all met people who seem endlessly accommodating. The ones who smooth over every awkward silence apologize for things they did not do or agree to favors they do not have neither time nor energy for. Sometimes, we might even be that person. We smile through gritted teeth while agreeing to something we really did not want to do. Or we said yes to helping a colleague on Friday night or laughed off a joke that hurt. We tell ourselves we are being nice, but deep down, we a

In a life that constantly demands more, faster growth, better habits, and quicker improvement, it is tempting to believe we can push others into becoming who we think they should be. Whether it is our partner, our child, a friend, or a coworker, many of us fall into the trap of thinking that if we just explain it better, nudge harder, push a little more, or talk them into it, they will finally change. Instead, we are disappointed to see our well-intended efforts backfire and

Storytelling is a part of our existence that has been around since prehistoric times. We all love stories, whether it is fairy tales, science fiction or the latest gossip. They captivate us, make us laugh, cry, or chew off our fingernails with excitement. Our brain loves stories (see deep-dive #1 )! It stores them like a library full of instruction manuals, from which it draws depending on the situation and need. With their help, we master life, feel safe, understand complex

Oh, our Vagus nerve ! There is so much more to explore about it that fits into one deep-dive. In deep-dive #4 we learned that there are two antagonists in the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) : the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) and the Sympathetic Nervous System (SPS). Little did we know: In 1994, Dr. Stephen Porges discovered, that our oh so mighty “traveler” is divided into two more branches: The Ventral Vagus : Two hundred million years young, endearingly called the

Our mind just loves to think. Have you ever tried to sit calm and listen to your own thoughts for a couple of minutes? If you have then you might have heard a busy chatter of rambling, commentary, opinions, and judgements - whether you like it or not. Think of your mind as a quiet, introspective art gallery, where each thought is a different painting hanging on the walls. These paintings, the thoughts that circulate through our consciousness , hold immense power over how we