Welcome. I'm Kevin Miller. This is a podcast for your personal evolution. In this episode, the science around, can I succeed, do I belong, am I loved? And we're with Stanford psychology professor, Dr. Gregory Walton. So look at those, listen to those, three questions again, can I succeed? Do I belong? Am I loved?

I'm tempted to feel these questions address the root issue of every human on earth. And as I continue

to research personal identity and how we as a culture seem to be more fragile and threatened than ever.

I feel these questions are just primary.

So I had a conversation with Dr. Gregory Walton.

So Greg is the co-director of the Dweck Walton Labs.

That's Dweck as an Carol Dweck, the legend of mindset. Well, Greg's also a professor

of psychology at Stanford, and much of Greg's research investigates psychological processes

that contribute to major social problems. His research is supported by many foundations,

including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

And as weighty as all this sounds, Greg's quest is to discover simple psychological shifts that build trust,

belonging, and confidence. He's culminated his findings in a new book. It's titled

Ordinary Magic, The Science of How We Can

Achieve Big Change with Small Acts? So, can addressing these huge questions really be so simple?

Well, what I came to as we talked and you're about to hear was yes. I mean, the answers can be simple because they cut to the root issues,

the root cause issues of ourselves, our very selves. But, and I'm going to put a butt in there,

I don't call them necessarily easy, simple, maybe not easy. I mean, not really at all. I mean,

at the top of the show, I pull this quote out from Greg. This is actually in his book.

He says, an hour-long surgery can change your life forever.

Is there any reason a precise psychological exercise can't do the same?

Well, sure.

And going under the knife, it's a big decision.

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