December’s Joyful Connection Masterclass created space to pause at the end of the year and reconnect with what matters most. Rather than rushing toward goals or resolutions, the session invited participants to notice moments of joy, share meaningful stories, and reflect on the motivations shaping the year ahead.
The masterclass balanced connection with self and others, helping participants close 2025 with presence and step into 2026 with clarity. Through simple, research-grounded activities, the session reminded everyone that connection grows through awareness, honesty, and shared experience.
Every activity was approachable, repeatable, and designed to make connections feel natural rather than forced.
True For Me by Hansen Hunt
Host of the Connection Crew by Covve
Hansen opened the session by creating a safe and welcoming container, grounded in presence, confidentiality, and shared values. As a community builder and mental health advocate, his work centers on helping people feel seen and connected.
True For Me invited participants to recognize shared experiences without words. By responding visually to honest prompts, participants quickly saw how many of their private feelings and life moments were shared by others. The activity dissolved isolation and built belonging through simple recognition.
How to try it yourself
- Turn all cameras off
- Call out a series of human, relatable prompts
- For each prompt that is true, invite participants to turn their camera on
- Pause to notice shared experience before moving on
Hunting for Tiny Joys by Vanya Boardman
Co-Founder of PlayInnové
Vanya guided participants toward gratitude that lives in the everyday. Rather than focusing on big achievements, Hunting for Tiny Joys emphasized small moments that quietly improve well-being and often go unnoticed.
Supported by research from UC Davis, Harvard Medical School, and UCLA, the exercise showed how brief gratitude practices can increase optimism, reduce stress, and deepen relationships. Sharing these small moments with others transformed individual awareness into collective warmth.
How to try it yourself
- Reflect on the past 24 hours
- Identify three small, ordinary moments you feel grateful for
- Share one story with another person, including how it made you feel and why it mattered
The Shortest Distance by Paul Jones
Founder of Bridgio
Paul introduced storytelling as one of the most powerful tools for human connection. His work focuses on helping leaders and teams build relationships that feel human rather than transactional.
Stories create context and reveal who we are beyond surface-level facts. By sharing a meaningful memory, participants learned more about one another in minutes than traditional networking allows. The exercise reminded everyone that attention and curiosity grow naturally when we share stories.
How to try it yourself
- Choose one prompt: a favorite holiday memory or an adventurous experience
- Share your story with a partner
- Reflect together on what you learned about each other through the story
Meeting Your Motives in 2026 by Kelly Mackin
CEO at Motives Met
Kelly closed the session by guiding participants inward through the Motives Framework, a research-based model identifying 28 human motives across 10 domains.
The core insight was that thriving is personal. There is no universal hierarchy of needs. Each person has a unique mix of motives that matter most in their current season. The activity invited an honest check-in to identify one unmet motive and consider how to support it moving into 2026.
How to try it yourself
- Review the Motives Framework
- Identify one motive that matters deeply to you but feels unmet
- Share it with someone and name one action you want to take in the year ahead
A Rhythm for Reflection and Renewal
- Hansen helped participants feel less alone
- Vanya invited joy into the ordinary
- Paul showed how stories deepen connection
- Kelly offered clarity around personal motivation
Together, the session offered a grounded rhythm for intentional connection that was reflective, practical, and human. It reminded us that connection is built through noticing, sharing, and becoming more aligned with who we are.
Thank you to everyone who joined December’s Joyful Connection Masterclass. We look forward to continuing the journey together in the new year with curiosity, intention, and care.
Written on 21 Jan 2026.
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