As I work with people who are passionate about improving health and wellness, I find that the same two-track road leads most reliably to every destination.
On the one track, we have spirit: the deepest values that drive us to become our best selves. Spirit is powerful, and it is elusive. It can be described, but not defined. Its fruits can be observed, but the creator of those fruits is invisible to the naked eye. A journey on the spirit track is inspired by faith.
On the other track, we have science: humanity's current theory about how things work. Science observes. It is skeptical of anything inaccessible to the senses. Science tests hypotheses and discards those that do not hold up when challenged by facts. Science is pragmatic: if a theory doesn't work, it doesn't survive. A journey on the science track is grounded in evidence.
Personal growth calls for change. We want some aspect of ourselves and our lives to be better a year from now. The spirit path points us in the direction of change and fires us with a passion for action. Science shows us in practical terms how to get there.
The science of behavioral change has various academic homes: organizational development, social services, health care. A common theme across disciplines is the desire for alignment. An organization wants employee effort to align with its mission. Doctors want patients to align their habits with the requirements of health and longevity. Social workers want the skills of their clients to align with the demands of productive and independent lives.
A successful personal journey aligns our actions and habits with the well-being we intend. Spirit infuses our intention with direction and power; science helps take us there. Some approaches to behavioral change are more effective than others. In Sharing the Journey, I look forward to discussing those scientific findings that I find most helpful to a traveler on the road to greater health and happiness.
The past two decades or so have seen an explosion in our understanding of the human brain. In recent years, brain-research findings have been increasingly framed in practical terms and made available to lay readers. Much of the science I will be sharing falls into this new genre of writing. See "From the Bookshelf" for some of my favorites.
