Live Happy Now

Making the Most of Your Time with Cassie Holmes

Most of us feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day — but what can we do about it? In her book, Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most, Cassie Holmes, PhD breaks it down for us. And on this episode of Live Happy Now, the award-winning teacher and researcher on time and happiness talks about what it means to feel “time poor” and why that has become so prevalent today. Then she’ll explain how we can better structure our days and begin using our time instead of losing it. In this episode, you’ll learn: How much time you need to feel “time affluent.” How tracking your time can help you identify where to find more of it. The philosophy of “time left” and how it can help you enjoy your hours more.

The Transformative Power of Rocking Out with David Fishof

David Fishof is a legendary music producer and founder of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, which invites everyday people to play alongside world-renowned rock stars. David has seen first-hand the incredible power of music and how it transforms people both in their personal lives and their professional aspirations. His amazing story is told in the new documentary, Rock Camp, available now on Amazon, as well as in the book by the same name. In this episode, he shares how Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp began and how he has seen music change the lives of hundreds of people along the way.  In this episode, you’ll learn: How Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp was inspired by a backstage “fight” between Joe Walsh and Levon Helm. Why music is so powerful in bringing people together. How playing with their rock heroes has inspired campers to pursue new dreams off the stage.

5 Steps to Restoring Empathy with Rob Volpe

Studies show us – and social media often backs it up – that we are becoming less empathetic. But this week’s guest tells us how we can begin to solve the empathy crisis. Rob Volpe is a thought leader in the role of empathy in the marketing and workspace and is author of Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time. Today, he offers some unique insights into what’s causing our lack of empathy and what skills we need to develop to bring it back. In this episode, you’ll learn: What is creating the empathy crisis in our modern world. The important role empathy plays in our personal happiness. The five steps you can take to begin restoring empathy.

Discovering the Power of Stillness with Jeanine Thompson

After a busy holiday season, we all could use a bit of stillness in our lives. This week, host Paula Felps is joined by Jeanine Thompson, a former clinical psychotherapist and Fortune 50 executive whose new book, 911 From Your Soul, is all about how to learn to listen for what you need and discover your greatest potential. Today, she’s here to talk about how important it is to learn to do nothing and listen to the lessons that are waiting for us in the stillness. And then she’ll teach us how to do that. In this episode, you’ll learn: What stillness is and how you can add it to your life. The five main benefits of creating stillness. How stillness can help you live more of your true potential.

Create Your Fun Habit With Mike Rucker

It’s a brand-new year and we’re all thinking about creating new habits, so … why not make yours a fun one? This week’s guest is Mike Rucker, PhD, an esteemed organizational psychologist and author of the new book, The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life. His research shows us how prioritizing fun can make us happier, more productive, and more energetic. In this episode, you’ll learn: The difference between happiness and fun. Why the pursuit of happiness may make us miserable. How to assess your daily activities and design your day for fun.

Choosing Your Word for the New Year with Matt Derrenbacher

While many people are thinking about their New Year’s Resolutions, others are taking a different approach to the new year and setting an intention. To do that, choosing one word to focus on throughout the year is a helpful and effective practice, and this week’s guest is here to tell us how to do it and how it works. Matt Derrenbacher is a fifth-year rabbinical student at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati and has served as a chaplain candidate for the U.S. Air Force and a Jewish educator. He explains how using a single word can help us set an intention for the year and help us stay on track in the months to come.  In this episode, you’ll learn: Why choosing one word to focus on throughout the coming year can help guide your actions. Why many people find it more effective than setting a resolution. How to decide what your word should be—and how to remind yourself of it regularly.

Journaling as a Therapy Practice With Lori Gottlieb

With her bestselling book, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, psychotherapist, author and podcast host Lori Gottlieb taught us more about how therapy can change our lives. Now, she has created a guided journal based on the feedback she received to that book, which is designed to walk users through 52 weekly sessions that will transform their lives. This week, she talks about how to use it to create positive change in the coming year. In this episode, you'll learn: How regular guided journaling can help work through challenges. Why small incremental changes are the building blocks of big transformations. How to use journaling to help make the new year happier and more fulfilling.

Why Holiday Music Makes Us Happy With Steve Keller

The sounds of the season are all around us, but have you thought about why holiday music makes us happy? This week, Paula Felps sits down with sonic strategist Steve Keller to find out how holiday music is tied to nostalgia and what happens in our brains when we listen to it.   In this episode, you'll learn: Why even melancholy holiday music can make us feel happier. What role dopamine plays in the memories involving music. How to use holiday music to boost your mood throughout this busy season.

Managing Loss During the Holiday Season with Julia A. Nicholson

Grief and loss are something all of us experience throughout our lives, but they can be more difficult to manage during the holidays. This week’s guest, Julia A. Nicholson, shows how reframing that loss can help us navigate it better. As an executive leadership expert who has made it her mission to help others transform the way they view and manage grief, Julia drew upon the immense losses of her past to create a new framework that she shares in her forthcoming book, Move Forward Stronger. In this episode, you’ll learn: How the holiday season may amplify feelings of loss — and how to manage those feelings. Why the traditional stages of grief often don’t apply. How to change our neural pathways to create a more positive approach to grief — while still honoring our loss.

Exploring the Emotion Wonderland With Nadine Levitt

Navigating difficult emotions are challenging for all of us, but that’s especially true for children. This week’s guest, Nadine Levitt, has turned even our most complicated emotions into a magical adventure. The author, educator, music artist, lawyer, and parent wanted to change the way children learn about their emotions, so she created Emotion Wonderland: a magical place where all our emotions coexist and we get to meet them, befriend them, and better understand them. In this episode, you'll learn: How Nadine created the Emotion Wonderland — and why it was so important to her. The many different tools children can use to learn to express their feelings. How approaching our emotions differently can change the way we process our feelings.