Social Fitness & How To Equip Yourself To Receive Happiness | Robert Waldinger Part 2

My recent show with Dr Robert Waldinger focused on the world’s longest scientific study of happiness. If you heard part 1 in episode 1095, you heard the results are…relationships. So it’s no surprise when I ask Bob what his relational values are, that he cites as a priority…his own social fitness. This is my Values, Motives & Habits show and I walk with Bob through the key aspects of his life. Bob is professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development at Massachusetts General Hospital. His TED titled, “What makes a good life?” has over 43 million views and I highly recommend you check it out. We talk about the role spirituality played in people's happiness, including his own. He's been married for 36 years and we discuss quantity vs quality time together. For health and wellness Bob strives to follow Neal Maxwell's guidance of "Never giving up what you want most for what you want today," though we share a strong inclination toward dark chocolate that he moderates to keep his weight where he wants it. He does share that taking care of one's health is one of the two predictors of happiness. He addresses his mental state by meditating and is actual a Zen master and teaches meditation all over the world. He admittedly enjoys his work and is involved in a lot and works a bit more than he should. Regarding finances he views money as neutral after basic needs are met, but regarding the study on happiness cites that having money often gives people a feeling of freedom. I asked Bob about his personal interests and pursuits and he framed the question around what he does to create energy for himself, which I love and am adopting for the show from now on. He shared that he loves talking about interesting ideas and brainstorming, we discussed the concept of flow, and he recently started taking singing and Spanish lessons. Bob’s co-authored book, The Good Life: Lessons From the World’s Longest Scientific Study on Happiness, has just been released. Find it wherever you get your books, and connect with Bob at robertwaldinger.com. The Self-Help(ful) podcast is brought to you by Ziglar, your premier source for equipping coaches to help leaders and top performers excel professionally and personally. Visit Ziglar.com and let them inspire your true coaching performance.

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