The Sandbox Edition.

Do you enjoy being bad at something new? Starting from scratch can feel vulnerable, clumsy, and exposed, especially when you’re used to competence. You should try funny.

This book came out of my own decision not to aim for polish while learning to write in English. Instead, I switched my PLAY network on; the emotional system in the brain that makes trying new things out enjoyable, when you’re not good at them yet.

The result is this book. It’s grounded in science but told with humor. It’s a lighter starting point for you to everything I teach.

If you're curious about how your emotions work, but you're not quite in the mood for a textbook, this is a good place to begin.

The serious edition will be waiting when you're ready.

In Cultivating Emotional Health, I invite you to explore the latent workings of your emotional world. I encourage you to notice how emotions ripple through you: the tightening in your chest before a difficult conversation, the quiet resistance that keeps you from a task for days, the raw edge that emerges when you’re tired, or the sudden wash of shame in the midst of a simple interaction. In this book, I guide you to see how emotions shape what you notice, how you respond, and who you become.

Drawing from affective science and evolutionary theory, we carefully unfold how emotions evolved: not for your happiness, but to safeguard your genes. We examine how these ancient patterns can sometimes stand in the way of your most important relationships, decisions, and values. I show you how to observe these patterns with compassion, discern what no longer fits, and nurture a more deliberate and aligned way of feeling and being.

If you’re spirited for clarity, steadiness, and confidence in understanding how emotions weave through your life and how to adjust their sails, this book offers a grounded and science-based path toward mindful, lasting change.