MORGON HOUSEL

Ask open-ended questions that invite people to tell stories, rather than one-word answers.

Instead of "How was your day?" try, "What did you do today?" Other open-ended questions to try:

• "What's your story?"
• "What's the ...

When you invoke time in the mes- sage, you make more of a personal connection than when you invoce money. 

The researchers concluded that people are more willing to buy, spend more money, and like their purchases better if there’s a personal connection.

Everyone looks at money through the lens of their past experiences.

You can read what it was like to lose everything during, say, The Great Recession, but you will never bear the emotional scars of those who survived it and are now afraid to invest again. It’s impo...