This week, I talk with Dr. Scott Sonenshein, a member of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business Center for Positive Organization’s Research Advisory Board and currently a professor at Rice University about the concept of "stretching" when it comes to our minds and how we can create more satisfying lives by being happy with what we already have versus always trying to get more.
Dr. Sonenshein talks about how "less" can turn into more if we are mindful of what are goals are and use the resources we already have.
He says people can be more productive and learn more if we expect more from them, as long as those expectations are credible.
Sonenshein says when we embrace scarcity and constraints, we ironically give ourselves a license to do things differently and that often in better ways.
He says the opposite of "stretching" is "chasing," which can be emotionally and mentally exhausting to always have to be chasing things.
Sonenshein says "stretching" is not a strategy to settle for less, but is actually a strategy to end up with more, by embracing less.
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— Lisa Barry is the host of All Things Considered on WEMU. You can contact Lisa at 734.487.3363, on Twitter @LisaWEMU, or email her at lbarryma@emich.edu
