Two for You — take two minutes to live and lead with intention
Episode 2.9
Do you intentionally create small, quick connections with people in your community? Micro-moments of positivity resonance increase our well-being and connections with others. Take a moment to learn more about initiating small moments of connection with others.
Resources
- Watch this lecture from Dr. Fredrickson on positivity resonance on Coursera. She mentions they increase oxytocin synchrony between two people, which can help to build cooperation and compassion.
- Get Dr. Barabara Fredrickson’s book, Love 2.0: Finding Happiness and Health in Moments of Connection.
Transcript
Note: Two for You written transcripts are generated using a combination of speech recognition software and human transcribers, and may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before referencing content in print.
[Lori] Hello and welcome to Two for You. So I'm going to start with a question today. Denise when's the last time or tell me about a recent time in your community where you connected with somebody really quickly.
[Denise] So just yesterday morning, I was walking to work and I had a pedestrian crosswalk and a gentleman came up in his truck and stopped and as I walked by I kind of waved to him and said, you know, mouthed, "Thank You" and he looked at me and he looked a little surprised but he smiled and he waved and he said, "You're welcome." And I think we both felt kind of good after doing that.
[Lori] So that's what we're going to talk about this this month. Barbara Fredrickson talks about in her research these two different parts that really were highlighted in Denise's story. The first one - micro-moments - these really short connections, these quick connections that happen with others that create a positive feeling and they don't have to be long. So it could be checking out with somebody or seeing the same cute dog in the park or laughing at the same jokes or just finding something, a really short connection. What she talks about is the importance of those micro moments because they create something called "positivity resonance."
[Denise] So the positivity resonance that Lori mentioned is that sense that you have these emotions going back and forth between the two of you, so it's like a mind meld, which i think is a great picture to think that the two of you have become one, just for that micro moment, you become one.
[Lori] From research, we knew about this a little bit earlier with parents and children, but it's interesting they're finding even these micro moments are doing that and what's happening is, it's creating both these positive emotions in your own body, so you're increasing your own well-being, your own health, and all the other positive attributes that research has found, and also is creating (because of the mind-meld) this positive well-being in others and what it does is it also breaks down this kind of barrier we have when we first see others and it creates kind of this ability to see others kind of as the whole person. So increases social connection in community.
[Denise] Right and so this month as you live and lead with intention, we ask you to reach out to the people in your community as leaders, and simply make that connection with someone. Create your own micro-moment.