Good day and happy holidays!  Wishing your family and lineage peace and joy in this and all seasons :)  This month, some pieces by authors of recent books that speak to the motif of this newsletter, we hope you enjoy!  Regards, Birju

Happiness is Overrated - Finding Meaning in Work

Emily Esfahani Smith has researched the role of meaning in our lives for years, and recently wrote a book on it. Turns out there are definable elements of meaning, we can cultivate it, and the value has been shown to be lasting and societally impactful in a way happiness alone has not. Read Full Story »

'The Influential Mind' Knows How to Change Minds

Cognitive neuroscientist Tali Sharot's recent book focuses on how and why minds don't change through our culture's dominant approaches. She offers a series of alternatives that push boundaries for ourselves, and blur boundaries with others. As a bonus, another author Ozan Varol has a similar book on the topic, with valuable guidance as well. Read Full Story »

Awakening Compassion in the Workplace

A recent book focusing specifically on practices of compassion in the workplace is highlighted by Stanford Social Innovation Review- what kind of activities that could be, internal and external to the org, examples of who is practicing them, and measurable and ineffable results from this frontier of business practice. Read Full Story »

Unconscious Social Bias, and its Role at Work

Brain Pickings highlights the work of Shankar Vedantum, who wrote The Hidden Brain. The note highlights the importance of practicing awareness of where we are each swimming with, and against, the current. To have a broader context of the journey of each person we're in relationship with. Read Full Story »

Be the Change

What is one thing you can actually practice (as in, regularly incorporate through a system) to bring more meaning into your work?  How can work be just a little more SACRED in your life?  Be well!