How Small Symbols Can Help You Thrive

In a recent episode of A Bit of Optimism with Simon Sinek, I was struck by an interesting revelation from Dr. Amy Cuddy, a renowned Harvard psychologist and TED speaker. As she shared, she is a "Dead Head," a follower of the Grateful Dead. This intrigued me because Dr. Cuddy is widely recognized for her groundbreaking work on body language and how our actions influence our physiology. For her to mention the Grateful Dead in such a personal way added a layer of depth to her persona that I hadn’t expected.

It all began to make sense, though, when Dr. Cuddy shared the origin of the Grateful Dead's name. The band’s name comes from an ancient proverb about a man who helps pay for the burial of a stranger. In gratitude, the dead man’s spirit becomes a "guardian angel" to the one who helped. This idea of reciprocity and kindness is embodied in the very essence of the Grateful Dead. Jerry Garcia, inspired by this proverb, named the band "The Grateful Dead."

Dr. Cuddy emphasized that this sense of kindness and gratitude is woven into the fabric of the Grateful Dead community, or “Deadheads.” At their concerts, she observed how Deadheads are not only supportive and kind to one another, but also extend this kindness to everyone they meet. In her high school years, Dr. Cuddy would travel from city to city to follow the band and witnessed countless acts of generosity and goodwill firsthand.

One particular story Dr. Cuddy shared on the podcast was particularly moving. She described a moment when she was frustrated and angry while driving in traffic. As her frustration mounted, a man pulled up alongside her and made the Deadhead sign—a hand gesture with the index and middle fingers extended and the pinky finger straightened out, similar to the "rock on" gesture. The man recognized her Grateful Dead sticker on her car and, in that simple gesture, reminded her of the values of kindness and gratitude. In an instant, her anger faded away, and she was brought back to a more centered, compassionate mindset.

This story is a powerful reminder that, in our fast-paced and often chaotic world, we all need symbols to guide us back to our best selves. While you don’t have to be a Deadhead to benefit from this, having a symbol that represents kindness and gratitude can be incredibly helpful in moments of stress. It could be a sticker on your computer, a pendant hanging from your rearview mirror, or even a simple sticky note on your fridge.

These small symbols act as anchors, grounding us when we need it most. They can remind us to pause, to choose kindness, and to embrace gratitude in the midst of our daily struggles. In a world filled with constant distractions and stress, we all need gentle reminders to stay on course— to be our most compassionate and grateful selves. And when we do, we can truly thrive.

About the author:

Dr. Gregg Steinberg is a keynote speaker who speaks on peak performance, resilience and purpose-driven leadership. He is ranked by Golf Digest as one of the world’s greatest sport psychologist, and is a professor of human performance at Austin Peay State University. Dr. Gregg is the author of the Washington Post bestselling business book "Full Throttle" as well as many other self-development books. See more about the author at www.DrGreggSteinberg.com and to book Dr. Gregg for your next event please contact him at [email protected]