Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart

Best-selling author Brené Brown combines research, storytelling and compelling scenes from film and television to tackle the central question raised in her most recent acclaimed book, Atlas of the Heart: how can we cultivate meaningful connection with ourselves and others? The language of emotion is introduced as an important new portal to meaning-making, connection, self-awareness and learning. As we explore anguish, awe and wonder, Brené’s guest Dr. Susan David shares insights on the valuable skill set of emotional granularity.

Brené grapples with some of our most uncomfortable emotions -- including stress, anxiety, vulnerability and feeling overwhelmed. With help from Harvard-trained psychiatrist Dr. Percy Ballard and University of North Carolina associate professor of neuroscience Dr. Karen Lindquist, Brené goes on to explore how accurately identifying and naming feelings such as worry, avoidance, dread and fear can help us work through them more productively.

Brené connects with her audience on the topic of social comparison and the ways it can affect our relationships and self-worth. Exploring envy, jealousy, admiration, reverence and resentment, Brené discusses how these feelings often fall outside of our awareness and how unconscious actions can prove hurtful to ourselves and others, instead encouraging connection over comparison.

Brené examines some of our more ambiguous and seemingly contradictory emotions, including sarcasm and self-righteousness. Brené’s guest, fellow bestselling author Susan Cain, explores the intricacies of life's bittersweet moments before historian Stephanie Coontz unpacks the complicated relationship we can have with nostalgia and the implications it has for creating change.

Brené maps out a new framework for cultivating meaningful connection by exploring three skill sets that emerged from her research: developing grounded confidence, practicing the courage to walk alongside and story stewardship. The relationship between compassion, empathy, sympathy, pity and boundaries is explored and, with the help of writer and therapist Prentis Hemphill, we look at the important role that embodiment plays in facilitating healing and creating change.