Max is 36, married, and has a good job in sales. He’s a capable and committed partner to his wife, Kristen, and a likeable friend and coworker to others. Max prides himself on his ability to keep his cool and problem-solve, which he considers among his strongest traits. The only problem is, when Max doesn’t know how to handle a situation or he needs help, he has tremendous trouble asking for assistance.

Debbie’s daughter, Carrie, is in her second year of high school, and Debbie offered to help organize the school’s annual spring fundraiser. She’s regretting her decision because one of the other mothers, Laura, is a former high school rival, and Debbie is remembering all the times she felt the need to compete with Laura for friends and recognition. Laura’s experience as a part-time event planner makes her better equipped to handle the job at hand; because of Laura’s work connections, it has been easy to book a location, find caterers, and hire entertainment. All of the other volunteers are delighted by how easily the event is coming together, but Debbie is focusing on how little she’s been able to contribute.

Meet Jim, a 48-year-old father of two. His son and daughter, Jack and Christy, are now in high school. Jim has always had high standards for his children and pushed them to excel academically. While his expectations produced positive results in the past, he now feels extremely challenged by their lack of effort. He hates feeling disappointed and angry with them, but doesn’t know what to do.  

Sarah and Jack have been dating for just over a year, and their relationship has generally been problem-free. In the early stages, Sarah was pleasantly surprised by Jack’s nurturing behavior; it seemed he was constantly surprising her with flowers, picking up her favorite foods on trips to the store, and leaving notes for her to find. More recently though, Sarah has begun to question what drives Jack’s considerate actions.