The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact

2: Deepen ties. What if Panda Garden House rebranded “fortune cookies” as “friendship cookies” and included provocative questions inside, intended to spark conversation at the table? You might break open your cookie to find: “When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?”

His question, “What did you guys fail at this week?” was a push to stretch. It was an attempt to normalize failure, to make it part of a casual dinner conversation. Because when you seek out situations where you might fail, failure loses some of its menace. You’ve been inoculated against it.

“Imagine that you have a group of dream students. They are engaged, they are perfectly behaved, and they have perfect memories. . . . Fill in this sentence: 3–5 years from now, my students still know . Or they still are able to do . Or they still find value in .”

Researchers have found that if you conduct a gratitude visit, you feel a rush of happiness afterward—in fact, it’s one of the most pronounced spikes that have been found in any positive psychology intervention.

ROUND 1 Question 1: Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest? Question 4: What would constitute a “perfect” day for you? Question 8: Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common. ROUND 2 Question 13: If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future, or anything

The students gain confidence from rehearsing such fraught and delicate conversations. “We’ve found that when students practice, even for one session, it makes them so much calmer and more prepared when they have to do it in real life,” said Rabbi Penner. It takes courage to offer counsel in such traumatic situations, and that courage is strengthene

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. (“Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.”) 2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard. 3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings. (“Many people suppressed

The researchers concluded that perceived pain increases “prosociality,” or voluntary behavior to benefit others. They argued that extreme rituals—and specifically the shared experience of pain—can be seen as “social technology to bind in-groups together.”

1. Moments of connection bond us with others. We feel warmth, unity, empathy, validation. 2. To spark moments of connection for groups, we must create shared meaning. That can be accomplished by three strategies: (1) creating a synchronized moment; (2) inviting shared struggle; and (3) connecting to meaning. • Sharp’s recommitment to the customer e