The Happiness Squad Podcast with Ashish Kothari

On today's episode of the The Happiness Squad, Ashish and Anil sit down to discuss Ashish's book, 'Hardwired for Happiness.' Specifically, they discuss the benefits that come from developing a feeling of gratitude in your life. As the Willie Nelson quote says, "When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."During the episode, Ashish and Anil discuss the resonance of positive versus negative thoughts and comments, and how you can use gratitude to amplify the positive in your life.They offer some thoughts on the amount of disillusionment that exists in the world, particularly in young people. They discuss a CDC report indicating that, in 2021, an estimated one in three teenage girls contemplated suicide.They also explain why, when we are in the midst of doing amazing things, a small difficulty or obstacle will often appear, leaving us frustrated and disillusioned.Join Ashish and Anil for this fascinating discussion.What You’ll Learn in this Show:Why the first practice is simply being aware.The power of a gratitude journal.The importance of having an attitude of gratitude.Ashish’s practice of upgrading our brains and developing a positivity bias vs. a negativity bias.And so much more...Resources:Happiness Squad WebsiteMyHappinessSquad InstagramAshish Kothari LinkedInAnil Ramjiani LinkedInHappiness Squad Youtube ChannelBooks:Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life

We all encounter mental roadblocks and negative thoughts that can leave us feeling frustrated, struggling with self-doubt and imposter syndrome, lacking self-love and self-worth. What if we told you there is a method that can help you overcome these challenges, remove mental and emotional roadblocks, heal from trauma, and achieve the personal and professional results that you want in a fast, painless, and sustainable way?In this new episode of the Happiness Squad podcast, Ashish and Anil are joined by Stephanie Kwong, a subconscious rewiring coach, hypnotherapist, breathwork facilitator and host of the Rise Higher Podcast. Stephanie is the co-founder of a set of groundbreaking, radically effective psycho-emotional and spiritual processes that can guarantee rapid integrative healing, change and transformation. She helps her clients identify and remove mental and emotional roadblocks and shows them a path to achieving the personal, professional and financial results that they want. In this episode, Stephanie will talk about her background and how she discovered this method, will reveal how you can convert an obstacle or a trauma into a gift and how the tools of the Rapid Rewire method can help people heal. Listen now to learn how you can overcome trauma, remove mental and emotional roadblocks and start living a happier life as the best version of yourself! What You’ll Learn in this Show:A little bit about Stephanie’s story and how she discovered the Rapid Rewire methodWhat it’s like to experience deep grief after a loss and how the Rapid Rewire method helped Stephanie overcome griefStephanie’s experience with people who are reluctant to this methodStephanie’s thoughts on how the tools of the Rapid Rewire method can help people overcome traumaAnd so much more...Resources:Happinesssquad.com @MyHappinessSquad InstagramAshish Kothari LinkedInAnil Ramjiani LinkedInHappiness Squad Youtube ChannelBook:Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life

On today's episode of the The Happiness Squad, Ashish and Anil sit down with Ann Kowal Smith, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Reflection Point, a training and coaching firm that Professional Training and Coaching that uses shared stories and deep dialogue to help teams and organizations become more inclusive, innovative and collaborative. They discussPrior to founding Reflection Point, Ann served as project manager for EducationWorks, a philanthropically-supported learning initiative. She has also served as Principal with Heidrick & Struggles International and as an expert with McKinsey & Company. Prior to joining McKinsey, Ann practiced corporate and securities law in private practice with Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, LLP and Benesch LLP and in corporate practice with KeyCorp, where she served as Vice President and Senior Counsel. She is a Research Fellow at EPS@Weatherhead, a practitioner-scholar research community at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). She has also served as Adjunct Professor and Director of Praxis in Weatherhead’s Doctor of Management (D.M.) Program. Ann serves as an Advisory Board Member at CWRU’s Baker Nord Center for the Humanities and a Fellow at the Center for Evidence-Based Management..They discuss the use of short stories to strengthen skills such as listening with humility, asking great questions, challenging assumptions, disagreeing with respect, and widening the circle of empathy.During the episode, Ann explains what happiness means to her, and the importance of looking at happiness at the micro level - the small details in our lives that really bring happiness.She offers some thoughts on her passion for the Humanities and why she believes it's really the study of the human conversation.Ann also explains how Reflection Point uses stories to engage people in conversation, as well as the reasons why stories have become part of the common language of teams.Join Ashish, Anil and Ann for this fascinating discussion.What You’ll Learn in this Show:How short stories can help build bridges, flip perspectives and deepen shared understanding within an organization.The inspiration behind Reflection Point and what drove Ann to make the pivot necessary to bring it to life.Why learning requires that you ask the right kinds of questions.Why Reflection Point is NOT a 'book club.'And so much more...Resources:Reflection PointHappiness Squad WebsiteMyHappinessSquad InstagramAshish Kothari LinkedInAnil Ramjiani LinkedInHappiness Squad Youtube ChannelBooks:Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life

What happens to us in our first years of life will impact every decade that follows. Our bodies, brains, and personalities are shaped by our early experiences. That is why childhood trauma can have lasting effects on our mental and physical health, it can truly make or break us. Our coding is our makeup, and it stays with us as we grow.But what if we told you that you have the power to re-code your own programming? As our guest today, shares with us, you have the ability to design the life you deserve through tiny but mighty steps. Juni Felix is the founder of Mastermind Behavior Design, a best-selling author, an international broadcaster, a radio show host and a speaker. She offers simple but inspiring solutions that work to help people design strategies for successful soul care and sustainable well-being.In this episode, Juni shares some really deep trauma that she went through at an early age and how despite those challenges, she managed to emerge stronger, kinder and more playful. You will learn that repetition doesn’t create habits, but emotions do. They redesign lives in simple and fun micro practices through which you can be made new.Junie also shares advice from the bottom of her heart that she believes can help each of us unlock our own flourishing and shine.Listen now to discover how you can not only rewire but also recode yourself for happiness!What You’ll Learn in this Show:What is happiness for Juni and what are the things that make her happyA little bit about Juni’s origin story and some key pivotal moments that changed her lifeWhat are the things that helped Juni find the strength and then channel that strength to heal and support othersYou are Worth the Work - Moving forward from Trauma to FaithBest practices on how people can build good and healthy habits through tiny but mighty stepsAnd so much more...Resources:Junifelix.com Mastermindbehaviordesign.com @juni_felix InstagramHappinesssquad.com @MyHappinessSquad InstagramAshish Kothari LinkedInAnil Ramjiani LinkedInHappiness Squad Youtube ChannelBooks:You Are Worth the Work: Moving Forward from Trauma to FaithHardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life

Why do so many of us chase success and financial wealth at the cost of our own well-being? We understate the critical link well-being plays in sustainable achievement & success. Our guest today will talk about the importance of investing in our health and wellness to achieve high performance.Annastiina Hintsa is the CEO of Hintsa Performance, the world’s leading well-being company, helping top athletes and business professionals achieve sustainable success.During her career, Annastiina has closely observed and experienced the challenges relating to sustainable performance in an uncertain, high-pressure, fast-paced global context. When she experienced burnout working in top management consulting, she was faced with profound questions of meaning and balance. Later on, she joined Hintsa Performance as an entrepreneur, guiding people towards a life of meaning and sustainable high performance. From Formula 1 drivers to female entrepreneurs in rural Guatemala to top CEOs, to leading politicians, she has worked with a wide variety of clients.In this episode, Annastiina will talk us through the Hintsa method, and the importance of knowing your true identity, knowing your “why” and not compromising on your well-being no matter who you are. She will explain why better lives lead to better performance and will share some effective tips that will help you change your day,  so you start strong and end stronger.Enjoy another meaningful conversation that will give you the tools to unlock happiness and well-being in your life! What You’ll Learn in this Show:What happiness mean for Annastiina and what brings her true happinessA little bit about Stiina’s background story and her professional journeyAbout Anastiina’s awakening call and how she decided she needs to change her lifeWhat does Stiina’s routine looks like and how she invests in her well-being throughout the dayThe importance of setting healthy boundaries and taking care of yourself The foundations of the Hintsa approach and how it can create transformation in people’s livesAnd so much more...Resources:https://www.Hintsa.com Happinesssquad.com@MyHappinessSquad InstagramAshish Kothari LinkedInAnil Ramjiani LinkedInHappiness Squad Youtube ChannelBook:Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best LifeThe Core. Better Life, Better Performance

In a world where people spend more time at work than anywhere else, the workplace plays a central role in many people’s lives. Therefore, a culture based on the well-being of the employees, where people feel connected and supported by peers, subordinates, and leaders is critical to increasing an organization's effectiveness.Our guest today uses games developed and designed by her as tools to identify, understand and practice character strengths at the workplace, at home and beyond.Naomi Redel is a gamification strategist who's helping coaching and consulting companies to harness collaborative emotional intelligence to increase their impact within clients' organizations by designing and implementing gamified interactive systems. Serving in a variety of marketing management and business consulting positions, over the past 25 years, Naomi became acutely aware of the critical importance of maintaining a positive atmosphere as a key to accomplishing goals successfully. So, she decided to focus her efforts on the area of Positive Psychology and the inclusion of Positive Psychology theories and gamification into the world of business, society and education. In today’s episode, Naomi will explore the value of collective emotional intelligence, how we can enable it both as an individual or as a team, and how gamification can unlock so many benefits for all of us.Listen now to learn about another way to make the practice of happiness easy and accessible anywhere and anytime!What You’ll Learn in this Show: What brings true happiness in Naomi’s life. An effective way to promote positive emotion immediately.A little bit about Naomi’s background and how she discovered positive psychology.The secret to creating a life filled with positivity, joy and kindness.What is gamification and how Naomi brings gaming into the corporate world to help people thrive.Why it is difficult for most people to connect with the positive and how to make it easierAnd so much more...Resources:Positiveturngame.com Positive Turn Collaborative - Emotional IntelligenceHappinesssquad.com @MyHappinessSquad InstagramAshish Kothari LinkedInAnil Ramjiani LinkedInHappiness Squad Youtube ChannelBook:Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life

Having a clear awareness of exactly what is happening as it happens is an important key to a happier and more fulfilled life. And if you are wondering how you can get this awareness and clarity, you will certainly get some answers from today’s episode of the Happiness Squad podcast,Our guest today dedicates time to meditation as a professional athlete dedicates to their trade. He is Manish Chopra, Senior Partner at McKinsey and Company and is focusing his work on healthcare and pricing strategy across various sectors. He grew up in India and attended college at the IIT in Delhi, before completing his Master's and PhD from the University of Michigan. He has lived in Asia, Europe, and now lives in New York with his wife and his daughter. Manish's life was forever changed after spending 10 days in a Vipassana retreat, an experience he writes about in his book, “The Equanimous Mind ”. After 10 years of practising Vipassana meditation, his mental, physical and verbal transformation is truly powerful and inspiring.In today’s episode, Manish will talk about the mindfulness and Vipassana practices he created to use in his daily life, he will share beautiful examples of changes in his life, how meditation can be an awake rest and so much more.Listen now to learn how to meditate your way to happiness - it may lead to your own transformation!What You’ll Learn in this Show:What is Manish's definition of happiness and what makes him happyKey practices that can allow you to have the power of mindfulness and Vipassana in your lifeThe difference between Vipassana and other forms of mediation or practices that lead to mindfulnessHow Vipassana meditation transformed Manish’s lifeAnd so much more...Resources:Equanimousmind.org Happinesssquad.com @MyHappinessSquad InstagramAshish Kothari LinkedInAnil Ramjiani LinkedInHappiness Squad Youtube ChannelBook:The Equanimous MindHardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life

Is there a real divide between spirituality and science? Most of us tend to answer “Yes” to this question because we are used to seeing spirituality and science in conflict. Our guest today, Neil Markey, sees no divide between science and spirituality and he is passionate about sharing the science-backed benefits of psychedelics in conjunction with the contemplative practices that support holistic well-being.Neil is a mathematician and the founder and CEO of Beckley Retreats. Neil was a captain in the US Army Special Operations 2nd Ranger Battalion and was deployed once to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan. After that, he got his MBA/MIA at Columbia University, but he suffered from depression and PTSD. This led him to alternative wellbeing practices and marked the start of a profound healing journey with mindfulness and psychedelics. In this new episode of the Happiness Squad podcast, Neil Markey joins Ashish and Anil to talk about how meditation and plant therapy saved his life and gave him a new purpose. Neil shares his origin story and the challenging experiences that led him to where he is today. Neil will also talk about psychedelics and meditation, and how they come together to help you find stillness and a deeper meaning.Join us and learn a new way to rewire your brain from fear to happiness to unlock your full potential!What You’ll Learn in this Show:The importance of finding a job that is meaningful for you and coherent with who you areThe importance of awareness and being truly connected to our bodiesWhat is one of the biggest sources of anxiety and stress and how to avoid itPsychedelics and meditation: how they come together to help you find stillness and a deeper meaningHow the present moment awareness practice can help enhance your performanceThe history, mission and programs of Beckly RetreatsAnd so much more...Resources:Beckleyretreats.com Happinesssquad.com @MyHappinessSquad InstagramAshish Kothari LinkedInAnil Ramjiani LinkedInHappiness Squad Youtube ChannelBook:Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life

Anil Ramjiani continues his series of interviews with Ashish Kothari about his book “Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life “.Within this series, they explore each of the nine practices described in the book that have the power to change your life for the better. Having covered the first two practices that can help you rewire for happiness, they continue here with Practice 3: Embrace Mindful LivingDo you often find your mind racing or thinking of something (or things) other than what you are doing in the moment? If so, you are not alone my friends! You are like most people who spend almost half (or more) of your waking hours distracted. Good news: you can develop the superpower of mindfulness that will transform your life and fuel your journey forward. Anil and Ashish will discuss mindfulness and the benefits it offers both mentally and physically.Ashish will discuss the connection between body and mind and why they cannot be separated. We will share how mindfulness can make fundamental changes in our brain and reveal how it allows us to truly savor the moment.Stay tuned, because, at the end of this episode, Ashish shares a guided gift to convert the mundane into the magical! Enjoy!What You’ll Learn in this Show:How every moment can be a mindful moment.Mindfulness is one of the most powerful ways to deal with anxiety and stress.Ashish’s favourite definition of mindfulness and how every moment can be a mindful moment.Mindfulness is one of the most powerful ways to deal with anxiety and stress.The connection between body and mind and why they can’t be separatedHow mindfulness can make fundamental changes in our brainHow mindfulness allows you to truly savor the moment and makes you happierAnd so much more...Resources:Happinesssquad.com @MyHappinessSquad InstagramAshish Kothari LinkedInAnil Ramjiani LinkedInHappiness Squad Youtube ChannelBook:Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life

Do you find purpose in what you do? Or are you lacking an internal orientation that leads you through your day-to-day? Well, purpose and meaning are not only critical but are also powerful motivators that allow us to unlock a commitment to something bigger than ourselves. Did you know that a company with a strong sense of purpose also has a history of strong financial performance?So now, just imagine as an individual, what each of us can foster if we create or find purpose in what we do, what performance, and what reward we can unlock for ourselves as individuals that we can release into the world.This is what  Ashish and Anil are going to discuss in today's episode of the Happiness Squad podcast with their special guest, Eric Schmidt.Eric has a master's degree in conservation biology, and he has worked with governmental institutions such as the US National Renewable Energy Lab and various local and regional government entities focusing primarily on grassland flora and fauna, as well as large mammal wildlife management.Early in his career, Eric decided to shift gears and entered the world of tech startups, eventually leading large scale enterprise software deployments to Fortune 500 clients including Verizon, American Airlines, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, Hershey’s, Kaiser Permanente, Boeing, Intel, and more.Today Eric is back to applying those same skills to conservation by leading Wildlife Protection Solutions, an international NGO focused on protecting endangered species and ecosystems through the practical application of technology to field settings.In this conversation, Eric is going to explore the real value of finding meaning and purpose in what you do.You will find out more about Eric’s background story and how he decided to pivot from the tech world back to what he always loved to do.He will talk about his company Wildlife Protection solutions, what it does and the impact they are driving in the world.Eric will share his definition of true happiness, will talk about how his life changed after he pivoted to doing what he loves to do, will reveal how you can overcome burnout and find the resources to make a change in your life by adding meaning and purpose and so much more,.Listen now to learn a new way to unlock your full potential by adding purpose to your life!What You’ll Learn in this Show:A little bit about Wildlife Protection solutions: What the company does and the impact they are driving in the worldWhy did Eric decide to pivot from the tech world back to conservation?Eric’s definition of happinessHow to overcome burnout and find the resources to make a change in your life by adding meaning and purposeHow Eric’s life changed after he pivoted to doing what he loves to doAnd so much more...Resources:Wildlifeprotectionsolutions.org Happinesssquad.com @MyHappinessSquad InstagramAshish Kothari LinkedInAnil Ramjiani LinkedInHappiness Squad Youtube ChannelBook:Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life