Happiness Expert Returns: Retrain Your Brain For Maximum Happiness: Mo Gawdat
May 19, 2022
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Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google X and bestselling author, shares his profound insights on happiness and human relationships. He emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and neuroplasticity in reshaping our mindsets for greater joy. Mo discusses the dangers of negativity bias and how our perception of reality can be distorted. He also highlights that true fulfillment comes from experiences and connections, rather than wealth. His engaging anecdotes make a compelling case for balancing strengths within ourselves for holistic happiness.
Understanding your true self is essential to finding the right partner in relationships.
Focus on places and activities that align with your interests and values to increase the chances of finding a compatible partner.
Challenge the illusions and thoughts that prevent true happiness in relationships and life.
Prioritize your time and energy based on what truly matters to you to create balance and fulfillment.
Recognize that money is an illusion and understand the cost-benefit relationship to avoid stress and loss of time.
Deep dives
Importance of Knowing Who You Are
Understanding your true self is essential to understanding what you want and what you advertise in relationships. By being honest with yourself about your thoughts, feelings, and actions, you can align them to find the right partner.
The Economics of Dating and Romance
The dating and romance market has changed dramatically with the increase in supply, making it harder to find true connections. To increase the chances of finding a compatible partner, focus on places and activities that align with your interests and values.
Recognizing Illusions and Challenging Thoughts
Many of the thoughts we hold about ourselves and our relationships are illusions that prevent us from finding true happiness. By becoming aware of these thoughts and challenging them, we can strive towards a more fulfilling life.
The Power of Prioritization
Understanding what truly matters to you, whether it's your mission, personal growth, or other aspects of life, allows you to prioritize your time and energy accordingly. By making conscious choices and aligning your actions with your priorities, you can create balance and fulfillment.
Understanding the cost side of money
Many people focus on chasing revenue without considering the cost side of money. Living in expensive cities and pursuing material possessions can often lead to stress and a loss of valuable time. Understanding the cost-benefit relationship is crucial.
The illusion of money and ownership
Money can be seen as an illusion, as we often don't truly own it. When we have money in the bank, it is not ours until we spend it. The bank can decide what to do with our money, and we assign it temporarily when we make a purchase. Recognizing that money is not true ownership can change our perspective.
The importance of embracing paradoxes
Our lives are filled with contradictions, and it is essential to embrace them. One can strive for success and wealth while acknowledging the contradictions and complexities within oneself. Balancing masculine and feminine qualities, such as strength and creativity, can lead to personal growth and a more fulfilling life.
The Power of Self-Awareness and Self-Reflection
Self-awareness and self-reflection are essential in breaking free from conditioning and taking control of our behaviors. Through introspection and self-reflection, we gradually cut the strings of conditioning, gaining more control over our actions. By journaling or producing content, we engage in the process of self-reflection, gradually rewiring our brains and navigating the world with better clarity. This process allows us to distinguish conditioning and external influences from our own truth and thoughts.
Neuroplasticity and Rewiring the Brain
Neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to rewire itself, is at the core of reshaping our thoughts and behaviors. Just as muscles grow stronger with exercise, every instance of our actions rewires the hardware of our brains. Through repetition and practice, we can rewire our brain to tap into positive qualities and thoughts. By recognizing and training our brain to focus on gratitude and positive aspects of life, we fire neurons associated with gratitude and enhance our overall well-being. Over time, with consistent effort, we can rewire our brain and make positive changes in our behavior.
Mo Gawdat is the former Chief Business Officer of Google X, it’s ‘moonshot’ division behind it’s most exciting and futuristic projects, as well as the author of Solve For Happy, Scary Smart and his new book, That Little Voice In Your Head, where he returns to the theme of happiness which made his last appearance on the podcast such a success.
Mo Gawdat’s first appearance on Diary of a CEO is still my, and I know many of your, personal favourite episodes. This reunion doesn’t disappoint, as we go more in depth and Mo shares his incredible wisdom on how to approach relationships, how to prevent human suffering and how to be at peace with your choices in life.
Mo’s new book, That Little Voice in Your Head, is available from the 26th May. Inspired by the life of his late son, Ali, he has set out to share a comprehensive model for how to achieve happiness, with an emphasis on generosity and empathy towards ourselves and others.
