The Open Book

Within The Playful Couple , intention is the quiet force that shapes every moment of connection. It moves beneath words and gestures, guiding the emotional tone of what we create together. This essay explores how intention directs energy, forms relationship climates, and reveals the unseen driver behind our actions. The Furnace Beneath Action Intention is the driver behind what we do, the burning furnace that powers everything built above it. We can easily blame our external

Within The Playful Couple , rapport is the quiet rhythm that brings warmth back to connection. It softens protection, invites play, and helps the nervous system return to harmony. This essay explores how the frequency of rapport moves through relationships and the subtle ways it breathes life into connection. The Spark of Recognition Rapport is that spark of recognition when energy flows easily between two people. It carries excitement, warmth, and a sense of we . The mind op

Within The Playful Couple , curiosity is a nervous system practice. It restores play and empathy by turning questions into invitations. This essay explores how wonder reshapes the climate of connection. Rethinking Curiosity When I hear the phrase curiosity killed the cat , my mind immediately asks, Did it?  Even the warning makes me curious. We have been taught to treat curiosity as something risky, something that might lead us too far. Yet curiosity is not one thing. It move

When we begin to see ourselves and others with new eyes, it can stir discomfort. Our old sense of identity starts to shift, and that can bring stress, shock, or even resentment. Yet when change is guided by kindness and acceptance, the transition becomes smoother. Heart-based leadership begins in that space, where compassion becomes a stabilising force for growth. A new direction for leadership Many leadership models have used force or threat as a way to drive results, often