When something in our daily lives catches our attention and it seems eerily related to something we are going through in our own lives, for some it may be synchronicity, a kind of sign; for others mere coincidence. Can we go beyond being one or the other? Should the two approaches be opposed to each other? We talk to four different experts with four different backgrounds on the meaning of synchronicity in our lives.

If we want to have a successful day, we have to get up early, right? After all, the early bird catches the worm. But one initiative in Denmark shows us a different perspective. One that can be good for our productivity, health, businesses and schools. We talked to Camilla Kring: This is the story of the B-Society.

In the West we all care for our domestic dogs in much the same way. We put our dog in a crate when we go to work, and we have to do things to remind him who’s boss. But just because we all do these things, does that make it okay? According to welfare professional Judith Versluis, there is room for improvement. This way we can also become our dog’s best friend. This is her story.

As we walk through life, we can focus on our busy day ahead and on all the things that could go wrong. Or we can spot Glimmers. Here, Deb Dana, a trauma specialist who coined the term, tells us how subtle, tiny magical moments of goodness are all around us. How they can help us see the world in a different light and how our specially-equipped nervous systems, minds, bodies and souls will all thank us for it. We may even feel better connected to others.

Once upon a time – let’s call it before air conditioning (BAC) – we kept our homes cool in the summer without electricity. Even in the desert. Nowadays we can’t imagine life without air conditioning. Despite the electricity bills and links to poor health and, ironically, to global warming itself. From Indian skywells to Middle Eastern windcatchers: Can we learn from age-old passive cooling methods?

Is a naturally-grown apple really that much healthier than a conventional one? We talk to Marco van Es of Bac2nature. His research foundation links crop soil, the microbiome, the quality of our immune system, and our health. Turns out, for more and more experts like van Es: It really is about the bigger picture.

Conventional thinking tells us that if we have to choose between freelancing and working for a company, the latter is always the better choice. It’s less risky, it offers stability, and it’s the most responsible thing to do. It means we are adults. But while working for ourselves may not work for everyone, and while there are clear benefits to working for a company, are there no other sides to this story?

If only we had more willpower and self control to see things through. We would eat the right foods, exercise regularly, say no to alcohol, smoking and – god forbid – to drugs. Procrastination would never happen, and we would save money rather than spending it. We would be achieving all sorts of virtuous goals in life. We would be admirable. Right? Time to review an old perspective?

Most of us know a thing or two about what psychologists might call family dynamics. Why we clash with one person over and over again for no reason. Or how our reaction relates to our past. But do we also have this insight at work? If we did that, says psychologist Dr. Niloo Dardashti, it would improve everything at work: From colleague relations to our work performance.

Are we ‘limited’ when it comes to our health? An increasing number of health experts say we are not. Dr. Kim D’Eramo talks to us about surrendering to what lies beneath the surface of our understanding of health, and about not getting in the way of the body’s healing ability.