Live Happy Now

Breaking the Rumination Loop With Donna Jackson Nakazawa

For Week 2 of the Live Happy Summer Reading Program, award‑winning journalist and author Donna Jackson Nakazawa sits down with host Paula Felps to discuss her groundbreaking new book, Mind Drama: The Science of Rumination and How to Outwit Your Inner Defeatist. Donna explains that rumination is an evolution‑wired survival response that has gone rogue in modern life, trapping us in negative “mental movie reels” fueled by the brain’s default mode network. Using neuroscience, personal insight, and research‑backed tools, she shares how we can transform rumination into clarity, creativity, and a renewed sense of belonging.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why rumination happens and how the brain creates vivid “movie reels” of old stories, future fears, and intense emotional and physical reactions.
How the MIST framework works — and how to use it to interrupt rumination and reduce stress chemistry.
How to turn rumination into insight, using neuroscience‑based strategies that help you rewrite outdated beliefs, reclaim your voice, and use your mental energy for more meaningful, joyful pursuits.

Thinking About Death for a Better Life With Jodi Wellman

This week on Live Happy Now, we launch our Summer Reading Program with Jodi Wellman, whose book You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets invites us to rethink how we spend our days and start living with fewer regrets. Jodi joins host Paula Felps to explain how embracing the reality of our limited time can actually make life feel richer, more vibrant, and more meaningful. Drawing from personal experience, positive psychology research, and her signature humor, she explains why we’re so prone to postponing our lives — and how small, intentional choices can help us feel more “astonishingly alive” every day.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why the concept of memento mori can be a powerful motivator for living more fully.
How Jodi’s personal wake‑up call shaped her mission to help others stop postponing their lives.
Simple, accessible ways to feel more alive — without a dramatic life overhaul.

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

Summer is here, and so is our very first Live Happy Summer Reading Program. In this episode, Live Happy Now Host Paula teams up with Senior Happiness Editor Chris Libby to unveil six weeks of books designed to inspire, uplift, and spark real‑world joy. From science‑backed guides to deeply personal memoirs, they walk through each pick, explain why it made the cut, and tell you how to join the fun.
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

You’re More Resilient Than You Realize with Dr. Sherry Hamby

This week on Live Happy Now, host Paula Felps sits down with Dr. Sherry Hamby, a leading researcher on trauma and resilience and author of Stronger Than You Think: Building Lifelong Resilience. Drawing from more than three decades of studying violence, healing, and human strengths, Dr. Hamby explains why our biggest misconception about trauma recovery is believing we must “push through” alone — and why resilience is not a trait but a multidimensional journey. She introduces her four-part resilience portfolio, shows how nature and supportive relationships can accelerate healing, and shares why even those with heavy trauma histories can still move toward thriving.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why resilience isn’t about toughness but about building a diverse portfolio of strengths.
The four domains that shape your resilience — and how to use the ones you already have.
How nature, meaning-making, and connection can support healing just as powerfully as regulation strategies.

Why Telling the Truth Is Harder (and More Important) Than Ever with Christian B. Miller

In a world where fake news and misinformation is rampant, what role does honestly play? This week, Wake Forest philosopher Christian B. Miller dives into the ideas behind his new book The Honesty Crisis, revealing why honesty is far more complex — and essential — than simply telling the truth. In this thoughtful conversation with host Paula Felps, Christian explores why honesty feels harder in today’s world and what’s at stake for our relationships, our well-being, and our society when we abandon it.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why honesty means more than just telling the truth.
How modern technology makes dishonesty easier, more tempting, and harder to detect — especially in classrooms and workplaces.
How honesty supports trust, reduces stress, and allows for genuine connection.

How Children Grieve — and How to Support Them With Dr. Korie Leigh

This week on Live Happy Now, Paula sits down with Dr. Korie Leigh, an internationally recognized expert in childhood bereavement and author of When Everything Changes: Parenting Through Loss and Grief. Drawing from her work in pediatric palliative care and thanatology, Dr. Leigh explains why children grieve differently than adults and why honest, concrete communication matters when helping them navigate loss. She also shares how parents can support their children even while managing their own grief, and why resilience is a muscle families can build together.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why euphemisms around death can confuse children and increase fear or guilt.
How children “puddle jump” through grief and why their processing looks so different from adults.
How parents can support a grieving child even while grieving themselves — and why “good enough” parenting truly is enough.

The Mental Health We Inherit — and the Healing We Choose with Leslie and Lindsey Glass

On this Mother’s Day episode of Live Happy Now, Paula Felps sits down once again with mother‑daughter duo Leslie and Lindsey Glass to explore how mental health patterns, coping strategies, and emotional habits are passed down through generations. Drawing from their own lived experience — including estrangement, reconciliation, and years of therapeutic work — Leslie and Lindsey share practical, compassionate tools for breaking unhealthy cycles, setting boundaries, rebuilding trust, and creating new family patterns rooted in safety and connection.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How generational patterns of anxiety, emotional suppression, and coping get passed down — and how to interrupt them.
What healthy reconnection looks like, from “baby‑step conversations” to shared activities that rebuild safety and trust.
How to navigate estrangement, boundaries, and forgiveness when one person is ready to heal and the other isn’t.

How Your Spaces Shape Your Happiness With Leidy Klotz

This week on Live Happy Now, Paula Felps sits down with University of Virginia professor and author Leidy Klotz to explore a topic we rarely think about: how the spaces around us are quietly shaping our well-being. He explains why our homes, workplaces, and everyday environments can either nourish or drain our basic psychological needs for agency, competence, and connection. From choosing where you sit to spark creativity to reclaiming small freedoms in spaces you can’t control, Leidy shows how simple shifts in how we interact with our environments can profoundly change how we feel.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why your physical spaces influence your happiness more than you realize — and how they feed (or starve) your core psychological needs.
How to use your surroundings intentionally to boost creativity, strengthen family connection, and reclaim a sense of control — even in places you can’t redesign.
A simple practice for experiencing more awe in your daily life by noticing and revisiting the spaces that shift your perspective.

The Power of Playful Parenting With Kira Willey

In this joyful episode of Live Happy Now, host Paula Felps sits down with bestselling author, musician, and kids’ mindfulness expert Kira Willey to explore how parents can transform everyday chaos into meaningful moments of connection. Drawing from her new book The Joyful Child, Kira shares simple, playful practices that help families navigate transitions, reduce stress, and build stronger bonds — without adding more to the to‑do list.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How to turn stressful daily transitions into joyful, cooperative moments.
Why children struggle with structure — and how movement, music, and imagination help them thrive.
Simple one‑minute practices that calm your child’s nervous system (and yours).

Why Play Is the Antidote to Serious Times With Piera Gelardi

When times get tough, it’s time to play! This week, creativity expert Piera Gelardi — author of the new book, The Playful Way —   joins host Paula Felps to talk about why play is not a luxury; it’s a lifeline. Drawing from her own burnout, creative journey, and even profound grief, Piera explains how shutting down our playful selves limits resilience, narrows thinking, and fuels anxiety. Find out how everyday play can help us navigate heavy times with more creativity, connection, and joy.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why play deprivation leads to burnout, rigidity, and increased anxiety.
How play can coexist with serious times — and even help you move through grief.
Simple ways to build a daily play practice, even if you think you're “not playful.”