Chapter 8 Worksheet | The Good Life Discovery Guide

Nudge8.1

Revisit a Conversation That Went Sideways

Think of a recent conversation that felt off: tense, awkward, or unresolved.

What was said:

How it made you feel (in your body and your mind):

Any signs you missed (nonverbal cues, tone changes, shift in energy):

Mentally rewind — could a pause, active listening, or an 'I' statement have shifted the energy?

Note8.1

Map Your Communication Style

We each have a communication 'default.' Take 10 quiet minutes to reflect.

Do you tend to be direct or more careful with words?

How did your family or culture handle disagreement or strong emotions?

Are you comfortable with silence, or do you rush to fill it?

When something matters deeply — how do you most naturally express yourself?

Nudge8.2

Spot the Green Flags

Reflect on a relationship where you felt safe being vulnerable.

What did the other person do (or not do) that made you feel safe?

What signals helped you trust that your story would not be used against you?

This is your reference point for trust — what patterns to hold others against:

Note8.2

Bi-Directional

Now reverse the lens. Reflect on a time when you received someone else's vulnerability.

How did you respond?

What do you feel you did well?

What would you do differently now?

Mid-Chapter Lab

Communication Styles, Boundaries, and Bridges

Explore a communication framework, then map your boundaries and bridges.

Part 1: Explore a Communication Framework

Framework I explored:

DISC Model (Dominant, Influencing, Steady, Conscientious)Nonviolent Communication (NVC) — observation, feeling, need, request

What rings true:

What surprises me:

Where this might help me navigate tension or deepen connection:

Part 2: My Boundaries + My Bridges

My red flags for vulnerability (patterns that make trust unsafe):

Boundary statement 1:

Boundary statement 2:

Boundary statement 3:

My bridges — 2–3 people who have earned my vulnerability + what they've shown:

Nudge8.3

Reflect on a Moment of Shared Clarity

Think of a time when you and someone close talked through something that brought you closer in understanding.

The situation:

What I assumed before the conversation:

What shifted during or after:

What it felt like to understand, or be understood:

Note8.3

Explore What Made That Moment Possible

Understanding the conditions that made that conversation possible helps you recreate them.

What made honesty feel available:

What made listening feel possible:

What I offered, even quietly:

What they offered, even subtly:

A condition I want to create again:

Nudge8.4

Notice What You Have Built Together

Think about someone you feel close to.

One shared memory that still makes you smile:

What it says about your connection, in one word:

Note8.4

Reflect on What Is Missing or Ready for More

Choose one relationship where the connection feels steady but maybe overly familiar.

When was the last time you shared something new with this person?

Name one 'someday' thing you've talked about — what's the doable version?

Concrete next step (look up a trail, pick a recipe, choose a museum + date):

Good Life Lab

Designing Shared Moments

Design and try two experiences over the next 30 days — one mini, one sustained.

Mini-Experience (15–90 min) — someone you live with

What we'll do + when:

How it went / what we felt:

Sustained Moment (half-day or more) — a friend

What we'll do + when:

What could we do together that we wouldn't normally do?

How can we plan it so we enjoy each other without cramming it full?

How it went: