The food might have brought us together; the bonding kept us coming back.

The word hygge or coziness comes to us from the Danes and it describes the feeling associated with “good drinks, good friends, and conversation” says Dan Buettner. Conjure up the vision, if you will, of a warm candlelit room with civil and convivial interactions.

One study examined “the association between eating together and team performance.” In particular, the researchers investigated “field research within firehouses in a large city” They found “eating and talking intertwined as long as the neighboring eaters are familiar with each other.”

NOTE: I arrived at the same findings some 60+ years ago sitting around the table in my Aunt Philomena’s kitchen.  Maybe not the same research rigor—but definitely similar findings. And better meatballs, I’m sure.

Another study found a “50% increased likelihood of survival for participants with stronger social relationships.” In other words, according to these findings, if we can move beyond weak social ties to more meaningful and authentic connections our chances for longer life expand.

Harvard has been tracking adult male development since 1938 and has found that “good relationships keep us happier and healthier.”

When I look back at my Aunt Philomena’s weekly gatherings I do not remember much about the food. Sure, I remember it was delicious, plentiful, homemade, and spicy.  But I would be hard pressed to name a specific dish or to say her meatballs or lasagna were better than my mother’s.

What I remember (in pretty good detail) about those meals focuses on conversation (often times loud conversation), bocce (bocci)  in the backyard, and laughter. The food might have brought us together; the bonding kept us coming back.

Video recommendation for the week.

Make no mistake, “coming together” brings with it a myriad of challenges.  Click here for John Lennon performing Coming Together. And click here for one interpretation of the give-and-take-and-give-and-take-and-give-and-take of collaboration.

Make it an inspiring week and H.T.R.B. as needed.

For information about and to order my book, Stories about Teaching, Learning, and Resilience: No Need to be an Island, click here.  A number of colleges and one state-wide agency have adopted it for training and coaching purposes. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same.

The paperback price on Amazon is now $14.99 and the Kindle version stands at $5.99.

My podcasts: The Growth and Resilience Network® (http://stevepiscitelli.com/media-broadcast/podcast).

My programs and webinars: website  (http://stevepiscitelli.com/programs/what-i-do) and (http://stevepiscitelli.com/programs/webinars).

Pearson Education publishes my student textbooks for life success—Choices for College Success (3^rd edition) and Study Skills: Do I Really Need This Stuff? (3^rd edition).

(c) 2018. Steve Piscitelli. All rights reserved.
The Growth and Resilience Network®