Instead of using simple affirmations, Helms records videos of himself giving specific pep talks. Watching these during difficult moments creates "self-distancing," allowing him to receive encouragement from a calmer, more objective version of himself who isn't caught up in the current failure.

When faced with profound trauma like a loved one's terminal diagnosis, the act of writing becomes a lifeline. It is not about crafting a narrative for later but about processing overwhelming events as they unfold, creating a way to survive the horror.

While any sense of purpose can help buffer against criticism, values that connect you to a larger whole (community, humanity) are particularly effective. Research shows these self-transcendent values lower reactivity in brain regions that track threats when receiving challenging feedback.

Purpose isn't exclusive to high-status professions. Any job can become a source of deep purpose by connecting its daily tasks to a larger, positive impact. A NASA custodian can be "putting a man on the moon," and a parking attendant checking tire treads can be ensuring driver safety. Purpose is a mindset.

Hope is not just a personal suspension of disbelief. It is a communal resource built from small, everyday interactions—like giving someone your full attention or witnessing kindness between strangers. These moments are 'hope in action' and create the foundation for pursuing larger, more challenging collective goals.

When former NFL player Anthony Trucks heard a classmate use their shared foster care background as an excuse, it was a pivotal gift. It externalized his own internal narrative, making it sound hollow and prompting him to reject it as a future excuse for his own life's trajectory.

The meaning of an event is not fixed but is shaped by its narrative framing. As both the author and protagonist of our life stories, we can change an experience's impact by altering its "chapter breaks." Ending a story at a low point creates a negative narrative, while extending it to include later growth creates a redemptive one.

Before quitting his job, Sal Khan received persistent, unsolicited calls from an entrepreneur who discovered his work. Acting as a quasi-therapist, this mentor repeatedly told Khan that his side project was his true purpose, providing the external validation needed to make the leap.

While gratitude journals are beneficial, they can make individuals feel like passive recipients. Research shows that “contribution journals,” which focus on what you've given to others, create a more active sense of mattering and inject greater meaning into life by highlighting personal agency and impact.