When we enter a new year, many of us start to feel inspired about making big changes in our lives. Instead of listening to all these loud outside voices, we're going to do the harder work of looking inward. Our minds are constantly telling us what to do to be happy, but what if our minds are wrong? The good news is that understanding the science of the mind can point us all back in the right direction.
We're often looking into the future... hunting for the "next big thing". That could be an exciting new job or a new relationship. We can get so fixated with these events and the happiness we hope they'll deliver, that we forget to look for joy right now.
Actor and author Tony Hale (Veep, The Mysterious Benedict Society, Arrested Development) was always chasing new accomplishments, until he realised he was missing the chance to be happy living in the moment. He used his experience to write one of Dr Laurie Santos's favourite children's books Archibald's Next Big Thing.
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