Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience

we have to have some level of knowledge or awareness before we can become curious.

There are too many people in the world today who decide to live disappointed rather than risk feeling disappointment.

is that a deeper sense of belonging and “connection to a larger humanity gives people more freedom to express their individuality without fear of jeopardizing belonging.”

Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.

I also learned that when you hold someone accountable for hurtful behaviors and they feel shame,

Too often we forget about the “what is okay” part, and that leads to unnecessary disconnection. When people set a boundary with us, we can feel that they’re denying us our right to our thinking and feeling. When we explain up front what’s okay, we move the focus to where it belongs: This expression of your feelings or thinking is the problem. It’s

I can’t wait to share my project presentation with the team tomorrow. They’re going to be blown away and really appreciate how hard I’ve worked. Is there a way to feel validated other than your team’s saying something? It’s dangerous to put your self-worth in other people’s hands. Again, no matter what you do, you can’t control other people’s respo

I think back to a quote from the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein that I came across in college: “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”

We see the pain caused by the misuse of power, so we numb our pain and lose track of our own power. We become terrified of feeling pain, so we engage in behaviors that become a magnet for more pain. We run from anger and grief straight into the arms of fear, perfectionism, and the desperate need for control.