At age 11, Brooke Ellison was hit by a car, an accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a ventilator. Ten years later, she graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in cognitive neuroscience. At 23, she penned Miracles Happen, a memoir that was adapted into a movie, The Brooke Ellison Story, directed by Christopher Reeve. Brooke went on to earn her MPP from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and a PhD in sociology from Stony Brook University. Today, she is a tenured professor at Stony Brook. Brook talks about the story of her remarkable life, and her belief that people possess the strength and grit to fight back when we feel all is lost. Brooke is also the author of Look Both Ways.

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There’s a rise in hate speech online. Bullying is a growing problem. We have divided governments. Sometimes it may feel like we’re surrounded by hate. Matthew Williams, founder and director of HateLab and a professor of criminology, talks about how we can stop the proliferation of hate. Matthew is regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts in hate crime and hate speech. He advises and has conducted research for TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Google, The Professional Footballers’ Association, the Ministry of Justice, and the US Department of Justice. Matthew's research has appeared in numerous documentaries, radio and television programs, and on Amazon and Netflix, as well as publications worldwide. He is the author of the book, The Science of Hate: How Prejudice Becomes Hate and What We Can Do To Stop It.

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With all the friends we have on social media, are we really creating valuable, sustainable relationships? There is a growing loneliness epidemic and while we appear to be more connected than ever, many are lonelier than ever before. Why are we struggling to find the human connection we seek? Christie Tate, believes that it’s important for females to consciously recognize and elevate their friendship bonds. After realizing her life was a friendship graveyard, she embarked on a brutally honest exploration of her friendships sorting through the ways she kept the lasting bond she craved out of reach. She talks about the powerful transformative power of friendship. She is the author of the book, BFF: A Memoir of Friendship Lost and Found and of the New York Times bestseller Group, which was a Reese’s Book Club selection. She has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Chicago Tribune, among others.

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Anyone who is navigating grief often feels like there is no end to the pain. Life as they know it is over and there doesn’t feel like there is a way out. Karen Johnson’s professional career as a federal judge came to an abrupt halt when she lost her 27-year-old son to a heroin overdose. Rather than grieve in a way that made people around her comfortable, she did the unexpected. She quit her lifetime appointment career, sold her house with all her belongings, and traveled the world, finding a healing practice along the way. Karen shares her journey of transformation.

Karen is a graduate of Georgetown Law Center, a former Fulbright Scholar in Afghanistan, and holds Masters Degrees in Public Health and Public and International Affairs. She is a retired federal administrative law judge who practiced criminal and energy law for more than 30 years. She also is a former US Army officer, Major, USAR. Karen is the author of the book, Living Grieving: Using Energy Medicine to Alchemize Grief and Loss.

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Can we live our lives more fully knowing some day we will die? Barbara Becker, an ordained interfaith chaplain and human rights activist, tested the ancient wisdom of living with the end in mind by allowing death to become her teacher. Barbara discusses how we can explore our curiosity and learn to live life to the fullest. Barbara is the author of the book, Heartwood: The Art of Living with the End in Mind.

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Many of us allow fear to stop us from achieving what our heart desires. We don’t take risks. Lisa Thompson climbs mountains to challenge herself physically and to explore her own inner landscape. She teaches that we are responsible for defining our own boundaries, finding our own happiness, and facing our fears head-on. Lisa is a mountaineer, cancer survivor, and sought-after speaker and coach. Since she began climbing in 2008, she has summited some of the most challenging mountains in the world, including Everest. She has completed the Seven Summits, reaching the top of the highest peak of each of the seven continents. Through her company, Alpine Athletics, Lisa shares her message of strength and resilience. Lisa is the author of the book, Finding Elevation-Fear and Courage on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain.

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We all experience challenges in life. For some, it’s difficult to express their feelings and so they mask their hidden pain with substance abuse, anxiety, depression, isolation, or even violence. Matthew Quick understands that pain. Matthew experienced a “dark night of the soul” after using alcohol and drugs to treat his extreme anxiety and depression. He got sober in 2018, only to experience five years of crippling writer’s block. Matthew talks about how he healed and what he learned.

Matthew is the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook, which was made into an Oscar-winning film. His other books include, The Good Luck of Right Now, Love May Fail and The Reason You’re Alive. The Hollywood Reporter has named Matthew one of Hollywood’s 25 Most Powerful Authors. His new book is, We Are the Light.

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Stress adds up in our bodies. We wake up with it, we carry it with us, and we pile on more throughout each day. It’s often a challenge to handle the daily hassles of life. According to Dr. Elissa Epel, we don’t have to live this way. She offers a prescription to living with more joy and ease. Dr. Epelis an internationally renowned health psychologist who is focusing on how to live well and thrive with stress, despite the challenges we face personally and globally. She is a professor at UCSF and the director of UCSF’s Aging, Metabolism, and Emotion Center. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, past president of Academy of Behavioral Medicine, and serves on scientific advisory committees for the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Epel has received awards from Stanford University, the Society of Behavioral Medicine, and the American Psychological Association.

She is the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Telomere Effect.Her new book is The Stress Prescription: Seven Days to More Joy and Ease.

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The mind is miraculous, it never stops. It can take you to the highest highs and without warning, plummet you into darkness. According to Art Dielhenn, the mind is so relentlessly compelling that man has tried to manage it, understand it, control it, ignore it, teach it, and fix it. He offers strategies to help us get out of our head. Art had a successful Hollywood career, where he directed over 300 prime time episodes and 15 pilots including Punky Brewster, Head of the Class, Silver Spoons, Webster, and Sister/Sister. He transitioned to a career as a certified career coach and established Los Angeles Coaching in 2000. Art is the author of Get Out Of Your Head, It’s A Mess In There!

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How do we approach a loved one with Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders in a way that affirms their continuing self-identity? Dr. Stephen Post, has worked around the world helping caregivers navigate the challenges of a loved one’s cognitive decline. According to Dr. Post, focusing discussion and resources on the dignity of these individuals and the respite needs of their caregivers is vital.

Dr. Post is an elected member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board of Alzheimer's Disease International, and one of only three recipients of the Alzheimer's Association Distinguished Service Award. In 2001 he founded the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love with Sir John Templeton. Dr. Post is the founding director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. His newest book is, Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People: How Caregivers Can Meet the Challenges of Alzheimer’s Disease.

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