Transcript - Introducing Live Happy’s Summer Reading Program With Chris Libby and Paula Felps

Follow along with the transcript below for episode: Introducing Live Happy’s Summer Reading Program With Chris Libby and Paula Felps

[INTRODUCTION]

[0:00:03] PF: Welcome to episode 573 of Live Happy Now. Summer is finally here, which means it’s time for pool days, road trips, and our favorite, summer reading. I’m your host, Paula Felps. And today, I’m joined by Senior Happiness Editor and unofficial keeper of the Live Happy Library, Chris Libby. We’re kicking off our brand new Live Happy Summer Reading Program, and Chris is sitting in with me to share what’s coming up over the next six weeks, how you can join in, and a few surprises we’ve lined up for our fellow book lovers. Let’s dive in.

[INTERVIEW]

[0:00:35] PF: Chris, thank you so much for joining me today. It’s been a minute since we’ve had you on the air.

[0:00:39] CL: It has. I’m very excited, especially about this topic. So, I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.

[0:00:44] PF: Well, you are a book guy, so it makes perfect sense for you and I to sit down and talk about that. And obviously the reason that you’re joining me today is that we’ve been working on this summer reading program. And I knew you and I were even talking about doing something like this last year. We just didn’t get it done. And so I’m really glad that we’re finally able to launch this. I was curious, because I know you’re a reader now. Were you a reader when you were a little kid?

[0:01:08] CL: Yes. Yes, I was, and I am. Road trips when you were a kid. Unlike our kids today, we don’t have screens. We didn’t have phones. All we had was books. But yeah, I was a big reader. One of my favorite types of books or genres was the choose your own adventure. Yeah, those were always really fun for me. And so, yeah. Growing up, I read a lot of books. How about you?

[0:01:32] PF: That’s so cool. Oh yeah, I was a total nerd. All I did all summer was read books and ride my bike. The highlight of my summer was pretty much the reading program at the library, because then you got a certificate at the end for reading the most books. That’s really what made me want to do something like this. I just have so much memories related to being able to spend my summer reading. And that’s kind of what got us started talking about it. And then we talked with the whole Live Happy crew, and it made sense to put together a summer program that was just a little bit different than our usual podcast episodes.

[0:02:06] CL: We do talk a lot about authors on the podcast. One thing we had to consider was how do we make the summer reading program interviews different from our regular episodes.

[0:02:14] PF: I would say the biggest difference is that in our typical Live Happy Now episodes, we really talk about themes and practices. But for our summer reading program, we dig a little bit deeper into the specific content of each book and look at it through just a slightly different lens. And then we’ve also included some memoirs, which we usually don’t do.

[0:02:33] CL: Yeah, I noticed that you did have some memoirs on there, and I realized that we don’t usually include those on the podcast. Because usually we interview experts, and then the books that they’ve written that offer all these tips for living a happier, healthier life. But memoirs are great, too. So, what made you decide to expand into that space?

[0:02:53] PF: Partly for what you just mentioned, we do talk with these experts and science-based. And that means we don’t get to some of these great stories that are completely inspiring. I know when we had the magazine, we had a little bit more room to do things like that. But with one podcast a week, we’re just not able to.

I find these stories inspiring. I think our listeners will find them inspiring, too. We’re bringing in these memoirs and story-driven books that will really inspire through personal experiences rather than just giving that expert step-by-step guidance, which is we also love, but it’s just a little bit change in approach.

[0:03:28] CL: So, that makes sense. Let’s talk about what we’ve included.

[0:03:31] PF: Let’s do it. As you know, it was really hard to choose because we get so many fantastic books that come across our computers. So, we went through and we found books that each of us thought would be a good fit for both our audience and for that summer vibe. Most of them are new, but we are kicking it off with one from 2024 because it’s such a fantastic book. I think everyone will enjoy it and benefit from it. I absolutely love this book. And it’s called You Only Die Once by Jodi Wellman. And, really, it is a surprisingly upbeat look at how being aware of our impending death can really add a lot more meaning to our lives.

[0:04:08] CL: Yeah. And unless you’re a cat, we only have one shot at it, right?

[0:04:13] PF: That is true. We might as well do it right. Okay. Then after that, our second selection is brand-new book, and it’s one of your selections, and that’s Mind Drama: The Science of Rumination and How to Outwit Your Inner Defeatist by Donna Jackson Nakazawa. This is such a terrific book. Very long title, but it is a fantastic book. Tell us why you liked it and what you saw in it.

[0:04:37] CL: Well, yes, the science of rumination. Basically, those mini movies that don’t really exist that we constantly play in our minds. And everybody does it. Some do it more than others. And it can really get you bogged down and lead into some not so great areas like anxiety, depression. And even, she says if left unchecked, it can move into substance abuse, eating disorders and shame, self-defeat.

But what she does offer is these are natural things that happen within our body. I mean it’s there for a reason, and we needed it through evolution for problem-solving situations. But now in this modern world, don’t necessarily need it as much as we used to. She offers tips about how to use this as an opportunity to add more healthier habits into your life.

And one of the things to stop those mini movies from replaying over and over in your head is to identify when it’s going on. And the reason I like this, because personally, this happens to me a lot, when I feel myself going down that path, I say, “Stop. What are you doing? This isn’t real. You’ve just made up this whole scenario.” But being able to effectively recognize it and identify it, and then stop that habit, and then move on to something else, like journaling, or exercise, or things like that that are better for your brain.

[0:05:55] PF: Yeah, I love that because it’s so helpful. We all do it to some extent, and it is a great reminder of when to just, like you said, put the brakes on it and be like, “Okay, this is my mind, not reality.” And she gives great tips for how to circumvent that and how to redirect your thoughts. That was a great find.

[0:06:15] CL: Yeah. Essentially, once you realize it’s going on, you can recognize what’s happening. Then you can really focus on a solution for it.

[0:06:22] PF: Mm-hmm. Absolutely.

We’ll be right back with more of Live Happy Now.

[BREAK]

[0:06:33] PF: And now, let’s hear more about the Live Happy Summer Reading Program.

[0:06:37] CL: After that, we have a couple of memoirs that are very different from one another.

[0:06:41] PF: They are so different, but they’re both lovely. And I’m really excited for both of them. The first one is Loving the Fire. It’s from Deborah Santana, who is the ex-wife of Carlos Santana. It’s actually her second memoir. She did one years ago when she was still married to him. So that’s interesting. But this one is such a great inspiring read about how she realized how much of herself she had put aside as a wife and a mother and working in his business.

And so the whole book is about how she reclaimed herself, her spirituality, and then really became the woman that she has always wanted to be. I think it’s something our readers will really relate to, not because they were married to world famous rock stars, but because it’s so easy for us as women to get lost into the roles that we take on. And we become a wife, we become a mother, and we put our dreams on the shelf. And so, this is a great discovery book of going back and having this awakening.

So, the second book is kind of about awakening as well, and that’s Scavenging Beauty. It’s a beautiful book by a social worker named Angelica Glass. She began taking walks in nature as a way to deal with stress from her job. And then it turned into this healing journey. It took years, and took her through neighborhoods, and into the woods, and all these different places where she just started realizing the power of these walks. And it really speaks to the power of nature and self-reflection. You and I talk about biophilia and just how important that is. And this is a living, breathing example of how it was life-changing for her.

[0:08:12] CL: The thing about memoirs is they’re real life examples. And you can really relate to these stories. And it’s about connection as well. And so a lot of the books sometimes can be clinical that we talk about on Live Happy. But when we’re talking about these types of stories, it’s real world examples that we can all learn from and relate to.

[0:08:30] PF: Yeah.

[0:08:30] CL: The next one looks really interesting. I see you slipped something in there about music. Why don’t you tell me about Transported by Elizabeth Margulis?

[0:08:38] PF: Are you surprised I did something about music?

[0:08:41] CL: Not at all.

[0:08:42] PF: This is an interesting take. As you know, we have looked at the many different ways that music affects our brains and our bodies. What a playlist can do for us. Transported is completely different. Her research really deals with musical daydreams. And what she means by that is what happens in our minds when we get lost in the music. So she has some really fascinating new research. She shows how songs can trigger very vivid memories and emotions. Even if it was music that was being played when we were a child, when we’re in a high chair. We’re not aware of the music. But there’s research that shows how we connect to that. It’s really incredible to show what music does for us. And then how you can use it as like this healing tool in your lives. I’m really excited to talk with her and to share that one. It’s really a very cool example.

And then we’re going to wrap it up with another one of your choices. It’s The Dopamine Code by Dr. Sydney Ceruto. It is a great find. I’m really glad you discovered this. So, why don’t you tell us about that one?

[0:09:41] CL: Yeah, this is a great book. It’s about dopamine, which a lot of people think dopamine is the pleasure chemical that makes us happier. But what she argues is that’s a common misconception. And it’s really the brain’s motivation and reward prediction system. In other words, dopamine drives pursuit more than satisfaction.

The central idea is that we become trapped in these cycles of high stimulation and low fulfillment, like scrolling, or achievement chasing, stuff like that. But instead of that short-term happiness fix, what she says is we can replace those bad behaviors, if you will, with ones that will give us long-lasting happiness. She said the problem is not that pleasure is bad. It’s that the brain becomes conditioned to expect constant stimulation.

[0:10:34] PF: When we’re scrolling, we’re just thinking it’s going to be constant.

[0:10:37] CL: Yes. Yeah. Basically, instead of compulsiveness, you can strive for mindfulness. Or instead of instant gratification, we can work on mastery. And so that way we get that eudaemonic type happiness, that sustained lasting happiness.

[0:10:52] PF: That’s so cool. And I know that she has a workbook that accompanies it. The Dopamine Code Workbook is coming out in October. So that’ll be fun for us to circle back on and check out, because she does give a lot of great advice on what to do and how to do life differently.

[0:11:05] CL: Yeah. Absolutely. And every chapter is kind of a review, and it gives you a checklist and the things that you can do. This is a great book.

[0:11:13] PF: Yeah, it’s very actionable. That’s one of the things that’s so cool about it. She doesn’t just tell you what’s going on. She’s telling you how to resolve it. That’s awesome.

That’s it. That is our inaugural summer reading program lineup. I think it’s a great lineup of books. You and I had put a lot of thought into selecting these. And I think the audience is really going to get a lot out of it. Chris, tell them how to participate.

[0:11:37] CL: Yeah. Well, we’ve made it really easy. We’ve created a worksheet that you can download from any of the podcast landing pages, including this one. That will help you keep track of what you’ve read and what you’ve learned from each book. It’s pretty simple. Listen to the podcast episode, each episode, read or listen to the book, and then download the bonus that we’re offering each week. We’ll have some book giveaways, some free PDF guides, and a lot more to make it really fun and interactive.

[0:12:05] PF: Yeah, there’s a lot of cool things going on with it. And we’ll be talking about it on social media as well. But wait, there’s more. That’s not the only thing that we’ve got going on with books right now. Do you want to tell us about the new column that we’re launching?

[0:12:18] CL: Yeah, sure. As you mentioned, we do receive a lot of books at Live Happy. I mean, we have stacks. But there’s no way we can really do a podcast episode on all of them. So, when we had the magazine, our books column was really popular. This seemed like a great time to bring it back. We’re introducing a new monthly column called Shelf Care. Pretty clever. Once a month, I’ll write a review of a new book. And we’ll also have a column each month called Self-care for Kids from our new family and relationships writer, Allison Longley. It’s a great way to give the audience more resources for living a better and happier life.

[0:12:53] PF: Awesome. I love it. Yeah, we’re trying to cover a lot more territory this year, expand out, give more books, more newsletter information, just more Live Happy. Because I think this is the time to be doing that. I, for one, am super excited about all the things that are happening here at Live Happy. Looking forward to a great summer. And Chris, thank you so much, first of all, for helping me put the program together. And then secondly, for sitting down with me today and talking about it.

[0:13:21] CL: Yeah, right on. Reading is fundamental. And you can’t have fundamental without fun.

[0:13:26] PF: I love it. All right, Chris, always a pleasure to have you on the show. We’ll talk to you again soon.

[0:13:30] CL: All right, thank you.

[0:13:36] PF: That was Live Happy‘s own Chris Libby, sharing all the details about our Live Happy summer reading program. If you’d like to explore the books we’ll be featuring and download your weekly reading tracker, just visit us at livehappy.com and click on this podcast episode.

That is all we have for today. We’ll meet you back here again next week for an all-new episode featuring author Jodi Wellman and the first book in our summer reading program, You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets. Until then, this is Paula Felps reminding you to make every day a happy one.

[END]

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How the Live Happy Summer Reading Program works — and how to follow along each week
What’s on this year’s reading list and why these books were chosen
The new book‑lover goodies coming to Live Happy, including Shelf Care and Shelf Care for Kids

Download our free Summer Reading Program Tracker to keep up with our weekly reads!

Follow Live Happy on social media:

Facebook: @livehappy
Instagram: @mylivehappy
Twitter: @livehappy

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