Episode 611: Why 40 Million People Quit Their Job in 2024
The Dr CK Bray Show
What if loving your job has nothing to do with passion, purpose, or perks and everything to do with how often you get to be yourself at work? In this interesting episode with Dr. Bray, he unpacks a powerful idea from Marcus Buckingham that challenges how leaders think about engagement, retention, and performance. Most people are not burned out because they work too hard. They are burned out because they rarely get to do the parts of the job that give them energy. The moments where time disappears. The conversations that feel natural. The problems they solve instinctively. Those moments are not...
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Episode 610: This is the Year You STOP!
The Dr CK Bray Show
As the year comes to a close, many people feel it. A mix of relief, pressure, and a quiet sense that something needs to change. Not because they failed, but because despite doing many things right, the year felt heavier than expected. In this episode, Dr. Christopher K. Bray explores a different way to approach the New Year. Instead of setting bigger goals or trying to fix yourself, he invites you to stop and look at two things that may be quietly holding you back. The first is the automatic behavior that shows up when you are under pressure. How you communicate. How you protect yourself. How...
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Episode 609: Design Your Brain Not Your Goals for 2026
The Dr CK Bray Show
Everyone is talking about goals right now. New habits. New plans. New resolutions. But what if the most important thing to design for the New Year is not your goals, but your brain? In this episode, Dr. Christopher K. Bray introduces a different way to think about the year ahead. Instead of focusing on what you want to accomplish in 2026, he explores how your daily pace, stress, attention, and recovery are quietly shaping the brain you will live with all year long. And why that matters more than most people realize. Drawing on neuroscience and real-world examples from high performers, this...
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Episode 608: The Holiday Brain
The Dr CK Bray Show
The holidays look simple from the outside, but inside the brain they are anything but. This week, Dr Bray explores why this season stirs up so much emotion and how small rituals, tiny moments of connection, and simple sensory cues can create the holiday season you really want. You will hear stories, science, and a few practical ideas and tips you can use to bring more meaning and calm into the next few weeks. If the holidays feel wonderful, complicated, or a little of both, this episode will help you create a season that feels grounded, joyful, and full of meaning. Quotes by Dr. Bray...
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Episode 607: A Season of Surprising Shifts
The Dr CK Bray Show
Sometimes a single month can hold enough joy, loss, wonder, and meaning to rearrange the way you see your entire life. In this episode, I share three moments that arrived unexpectedly and changed me in ways I didn’t anticipate. You’ll hear about neighbors who taught me something about legacy, a newborn who altered my sense of what truly matters, and a friend whose final wish reminded me of the impact one life can have. It is a story of beginnings and endings, presence and absence, and the quiet space where both shape us. I rarely talk about my personal life at this depth, but this season...
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Episode 606: The Language of Leadership: Seven Phrases Every Leader Should Use
The Dr CK Bray Show
If you want to level up your leadership in under fifteen minutes, this episode is for you. Dr. Bray is breaking down seven simple phrases that can completely change how your team collaborates, performs, and shows up every day. These are not clichés, and they are not soft skills. They are powerful signals that shift how the brain responds to stress, trust, and connection. In this episode, Dr. Bray explains why these phrases land, how they change the way people think and act, and how you can start using them right away. One conversation can change a culture. One phrase can change the tone of an...
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Episode 605: The Meeting Habit That is Ticking Everyone Off!
The Dr CK Bray Show
In this episode of the Dr. CK Bray Show, Dr. Bray unpacks the “Fester List," Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky’s bold move to expose the quiet problems rotting his company from within. The top offender? Leaders and teams glued to phones during meetings, including Chesky himself. Dr. Bray goes beyond the headlines, exploring why people are on their devices and the impact it is having on internal meetings and, even more importantly, external client meetings. You’ll discover the surprising reason some CEOs encourage discreet texting (yes, really), the 60-second team ritual that turns...
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FAN FAVORITE Episode 306: Thankful, Grateful and a Dose of History
The Dr CK Bray Show
We all need a day to celebrate and acknowledge all that we are grateful for. No matter where you live in the world today listen to the story of Squanto and how he changed Thanksgiving for numerous immigrants. Also, take up the Thanksgiving challenge to do service for others and be an individual someone else is grateful for! Dr. Bray starts off the United States Thanksgiving week right. Quotes by Dr. Bray: “This week the assignment is: be a blessing, do service, or have someone be grateful for you.” “No matter where you live in the world, it’s a great time to be grateful, thankful, and...
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Episode 604: The Science of Stillness: Quieting the Brain
The Dr CK Bray Show
We live in a world that glorifies speed, noise, and constant doing. But what if the secret to thinking better, leading better, and living better is actually found in the moments when we stop? In this episode, Dr. Bray dives into the neuroscience of stillness; why your brain needs quiet to perform at its best, and how doing nothing may be the most productive thing you can do. He will share the story of a high-performing executive who thought he was burning out, when in fact, his brain was begging for a break. We’ll explore what happens in your mind when you slow down, how silence rewires your...
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Episode 603: Why You Don’t Need to Worry When Things Don’t Work Out
The Dr CK Bray Show
We have all been there. The job that didn’t happen, the plan that fell apart, the moment that left you wondering, what now? In this episode, Dr. Bray explores what happens in your brain and body when life doesn’t go as planned, and why learning to let go, reframe, and keep moving forward is one of the most powerful things you can do for your mental health and resilience. You will learn why holding onto anger, regret, or comparison quietly drains your brain’s energy, how your nervous system responds to disappointment, and how small mindset shifts can rewire your focus and restore clarity....
info_outlineEver noticed that the athlete standing in second place sometimes looks less happy than the one in third? Turns out, it is not just your imagination, it is neuroscience.
In this episode, Dr. Bray dives into thirty years of research showing why bronze medalists often leave the podium smiling while silver medalists are silently stewing. The culprit? The way our brains process expectations, comparisons, and reward prediction errors.
He will explore:
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Why your brain is wired to feel loss when you almost win, but joy when you barely make it
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How dopamine, the amygdala, and the prefrontal cortex play tug of war with your emotions
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What Olympic medalists can teach you about managing expectations in your career, leadership, and life
So, whether you are chasing your own gold medal or just trying to survive your inbox, don't miss this episode. You will walk away with strategies to feel happier, perform better, and cut yourself some slack the next time you finish in third place.
Quotes by Dr. Bray
"Happiness doesn’t always come from being the best. It often comes from how we frame our situation and what we expect to happen."
"Train the brain to see opportunity rather than loss."
"Silver is coded as loss because the brain expected gold. Bronze is coded as gain because the brain expected nothing or less."