Podcast

In this episode, Live Happy Co-Founder and Editorial Director Deborah K. Heisz talks with Dr. Drew Ramsey about one of 10 practices for choosing joy: health. Dr. Drew is The New York Times best-selling author of Fifty Shades of Kale and The Happiness Diet. He is one of psychiatry’s leading proponents of using dietary change to help balance moods, sharpen brain function and improve mental health. What you'll learn in this podcast: The importance of getting key nutrients like B12 and zinc from food The concept of how to "eat complete" What foods to add to your diet that are beneficial to your overall health Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Dr. Drew Ramsey Order Live Happy: Ten Practices for Choosing Joy Thank you to our partner—AARP Life Reimagined!

In this episode Live Happy Co-Founder and Editorial Director Deborah K. Heisz talks with Kenneth Pargament, Ph.D., about one of 10 practices for choosing joy: resilience. Kenneth has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is professor emeritus of psychology at Bowling Green State University. He is also author of The Psychology of Religion and Coping and Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy: Understanding and Addressing the Sacred. What you'll learn in this podcast: People are spiritual, psychological, social and physical beings Spirituality adds a distinctive dimension to our lives Efforts to improve our health and well-being are incomplete when they overlook the spiritual dimension Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Purchase a copy of Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy: Understanding and Addressing the Sacred Order Live Happy: Ten Practices for Choosing Joy Thank you to our partner—AARP Life Reimagined!

In this episode Live Happy magazine science editor Paula Felps talks with Steve Leventhal, executive director of CorStone, about one of 10 practices for choosing joy: resilience. CorStone is an international nongovernmental organization that develops and provides personal resilience programs to improve well-being for youth worldwide, focusing on adolescent girls in developing countries as critical change-agents in their communities. CorStone believes that cultivating personal resilience is a foundational step in helping youth to thrive—one which is often missing in development programs worldwide. Its evidence-based programs impact three interdependent factors in well-being: emotional health, physical health and education. What you'll learn in this podcast: The importance of a resilience-based curriculum How you can apply resilience training to your life Basic steps you can take to build your resilience muscles Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Learn more about CorStone Order Live Happy: Ten Practices for Choosing Joy Thank you to our partner—AARP Life Reimagined!

In this episode Live Happy Co-Founder and Editorial Director Deborah K. Heisz talks with Ali Smith, co-founder of the Holistic Life Foundation, on one of 10 practices for choosing joy: mindfulness. Ali has more than 15 years of experience teaching yoga and mindfulness to diverse populations. Through his work at the Holistic Life Foundation, he has developed and piloted yoga and mindfulness programs with at-risk youth at drug treatment centers, juvenile detention centers, alternative high schools, mental crisis facilities and in many other underserved communities. What you'll learn in this podcast: How to incorporate mindfulness in your life How to teach mindfulness to kids Why mindfulness is important Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Learn more about the Holistic Life Foundation Order Live Happy: Ten Practices for Choosing Joy Thank you to our partner—AARP Life Reimagined!

In this episode Live Happy co-founder and Editorial Director Deborah Heisz talks with Birju Pandya, a senior advisor for RSF Social Financial, on one of 10 practices for choosing joy: giving back. Birju is also involved with ServiceSpace, an organization run entirely by volunteers that leverages technology to encourage everyday people around the world to do small acts of service. Some of the projects by ServiceSpace include a daily positive news service, an acts-of-kindness portal and a gift-economy restaurant. What you'll learn in this podcast: The importance of giving back and how it affects your happiness How to train your brain to become happier How a gift culture invites a reciprocation of kindness Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Learn more about ServiceSpace Order Live Happy: Ten Practices for Choosing Joy Thank you to our partner—AARP Life Reimagined!

In this episode Live Happy Co-Founder and Editorial Director Deborah Heisz talks with Sonja Lyubomirsky about gratitude. Sonja is author of The How of Happiness, the first book by a highly-credentialed positive psychologist to present the latest research in a “how-to” format.  Sonja’s work has been awarded a Templeton Psychology Prize, a Science of Generosity grant, a John Templeton Foundation grant, and a million-dollar grant (with Ken Sheldon) from the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct research on the possibility of permanently increasing happiness. What you'll learn in this podcast: The importance of gratitude to your overall happiness The challenges to maintaining a gratitude practice Tips you can follow to create more gratitude in your life Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Take the free online happiness course Read a free excerpt of The How of Happiness Order Live Happy: Ten Practices for Choosing Joy Purchase a copy of The How of Happiness Thank you to our partner - AARP Life Reimagined!

Holly Raynes was inspired by a family member who was a Titanic survivor and another who escaped from Poland in World War II. Her book, Nation of Enemies, combines lessons from the past with a healthy fear of the modern landscape. A longtime member of Boston’s writing community, Holly has a history of trying anything once (acting, diving out of a plane and white water rafting). Out of all the things she has tried, writing and raising children seem to have stuck. In this episode, Live Happy co-founder and Editorial Director Deborah K. Heisz talks with Holly on one of 10 practices for choosing joy—creativity. What you'll learn in this podcast: The many forms of creativity Why we need to make time for creativity in our busy schedules The importance of supporting others in their creative journeys Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Read a free chapter from Nation of Enemies Purchase Live Happy: Ten Practices for Choosing Joy Thank you to our partner—AARP Life Reimagined!

Alastair Moock is a 2013 Grammy Awards nominee and a two-time winner of the Parents’ Choice Gold Awards. His works have twice been included in The Fids and Kamily Industry Critics’ Top 3 Albums of the Year. One of Boston’s premier folk artists, Alastair turned his attention to family music after the birth of his twin daughters in 2006. The New York Times calls him “a Tom Waits for kids” and The Boston Globe declares, “in the footsteps of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, Alastair Moock makes real kids music that parents can actually enjoy.” In this episode, Live Happy co-founder and Editorial Director Deborah K. Heisz talks with Alastair on one of 10 practices for choosing joy—meaning. What you'll learn in this podcast: The unique powers of music to educate and heal It is possible to write music for kids that touches on serious issues Finding meaning in your work can help you deal with difficult situations Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Watch "When I Get Bald" music video Purchase Live Happy: Ten Practices for Choosing Joy Thank you to our partner - AARP Life Reimagined!