Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project Guest: Shawn M. Ehler, M.B.A., Vice Chair – Human Resources | Mayo Clinic – Arizona     We live in a society that requires us to effectively live amongst and interact with other humans. If we can navigate those interactions well, we tend to be more successful. A large part of living amongst others, is feeling like we belong amongst others. This feeling of belonging sits at the root of our purpose and allows us to fulfill our mission. So why is it so many of us struggle to understand the concept of “belonging” and start to feel like we “belong.”   To help us get a better handle on this, our expert guest today is Shawn Ehler and the three big questions we are going to answer for you are: What exactly is “belonging” and why is it so important? Why do we struggle: to feel like we belong, and to ensure that others know that they belong? What daily habits can we take to create an atmosphere of genuine belonging at work and at home?   How to start a Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project “Pod-Club”:Step 1: Find 2-30 friends who want to get betterStep 2: Choose your episodes (can be focused on specific themes or random)Step 3: Listen to/watch the episodesStep 4: Meet with your group to work through the provided discussion questions for each episode, and feel free to add your own!Step 5: Celebrate the fact that you are turning passive knowledge into action!   Discussion Questions for this Episode: 1) How do you personally define “belonging”? For you, is this definition the same at home as it is professionally? How is your definition the same or different from others in your group? 2) Do you think that you have to “belong” in order to be your most successful self? Can you be successful in a place where you feel like you don’t belong? If so, how does success in that type of environment look compared to success in an environment where you feel like you do belong?    3) Prior to reviewing the content, what were you prior perceptions of the concept of “belonging?” In what way have those changed after reviewing the content and discussing with others? 4) What do you think are some of the most common misconceptions you’ve seen (or felt yourself) around the concept of belonging? 5) If you felt like you were surrounded by people that fundamentally understood you and accepted you for who you are, how do you think that would impact your ability to be productive and accomplish your goals? 6) Is it more important for you to be surrounded by people who understand and accept you, or people that are just like you (these are not always the same thing)? 7) Tell your group at least one new thing (action step) you are going to do or behavior you are going to adopt to improve your sense of belonging based on the steps listed for individuals in section three of the session. 8) After others list the "one new thing" or "action step" they are going to do, help them refine that to make it more: clear, objective, measurable, and simple. The more we can make our actions clear, objective, measurable, and simple, the more likely we are to do them and enjoy the process!   Learn more about the Human Optimization Project at: https://ce.mayo.edu/optimizeX: @MayoHumanOpProjInstagram: @MayoHumanOpProjYouTube: The Human Optimization Project - YouTube Email: optimize@mayo.edu