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EP30 - The State of Being Happy · Oh And One More Thing

• 0:10
  Some old friends facing our fears, laughing through the
• 0:13
  chaos and drinking some beers. So here's to the laughs, the
• 0:16
  crumbs and the cheers. All the awkward moments and
• 0:19
  we're still here 'cause in the end, we're just doing our thing.
• 0:22
  It's our crazy life. 01 more thing.
• 0:25
  One more thing. Oh.
• 0:34
  Hey, I'm Rob, welcome to 11 more thing.
• 0:37
  That was a really long intro there, Rob.
• 0:39
  I know. Hey, I'm Brian.
• 0:40
  What? How the heck are you today, Rob?
• 0:42
  I'm fantastic. That's good.
• 0:44
  So I had a flashback to episode 20, which is our Minnesota
• 0:50
  episode. It's Minnesota.
• 0:51
  Minnesota and I was watching a. You having a stroke.
• 0:56
  I was having a stroke. I was watching a documentary and
• 0:59
  you know, 'cause Scandinavian and Swedish, you know, that's
• 1:01
  all the same thing, right? Right.
• 1:02
  And did you know the Swedes have a Navy?
• 1:04
  The Swedes have a Navy. Right.
• 1:06
  I didn't real, I didn't know that.
• 1:08
  And they put all these little barcodes on the ships.
• 1:11
  OK, Do you know why? No.
• 1:12
  So when they come back into the in the port, they can scan the
• 1:15
  Navy. You set me up for that one.
• 1:22
  Oh man, that's kind of lame, that was.
• 1:24
  Awesome, I love that joke. What have you been up to?
• 1:28
  I'm gonna tell you in a little bit when we talk about this
• 1:30
  episode, what I did today. Oh.
• 1:32
  OK. So have to hold on on that.
• 1:34
  You gotta hold. Hold on, Hold On That by Wilson
• 1:36
  Phillips I. Thought I thought there was the
• 1:41
  zombie song here. And the way over here,
• 1:43
  Cranberries, the cranberries. I was singing that when I walked
• 1:45
  in the door. Today.
• 1:45
  Yes, you were. I think when we're done here, we
• 1:48
  should walk to our local brewery.
• 1:50
  Yeah, yeah, it's only about a 15 minute walk.
• 1:52
  So that's not bad. Yeah, the problem is it's about
• 1:54
  a 55 minute walk back because you know the difference.
• 1:56
  That's staggering. Yeah, it would be bad walking
• 1:59
  back. Right, that's the.
• 2:00
  Worst plus it is chilly outside. It's it's a little nippy out is
• 2:03
  January. There's some snow on the ground,
• 2:05
  right? Yeah, that'll do.
• 2:06
  It did. You know that there's a
• 2:07
  happiness ranking for each state.
• 2:09
  Well I was ranking for everything so I guess but no.
• 2:12
  What, what, what? Is Minnesota, you ask?
• 2:14
  I. Well, clearly #1.
• 2:16
  No, sadly, it's not. Yes, it is.
• 2:18
  Our great state of Minnesota only Rakes 11th for as the
• 2:21
  happiest state. What?
• 2:23
  I know that's exactly what I was going to say.
• 2:25
  I disagree because, I mean, we got the lakes.
• 2:27
  Yeah, with outdoor activities, I mean, right now we have got
• 2:30
  outdoor ice skating, all the changes of the seasons.
• 2:34
  Number one State Fair in the country.
• 2:35
  The best State Fair, right? Not that we go to it.
• 2:37
  Right, there's people there. I can't believe that we aren't
• 2:40
  in the top ten. That's crazy.
• 2:42
  So apparently Hawaii is #1. Like, okay, that makes sense.
• 2:47
  It's got kind of hard to argue with that one, right?
• 2:49
  What does Hawaii have over Minnesota?
• 2:51
  Let's see warmth, ocean, beaches, pineapples.
• 2:55
  The Luau. They actually.
• 2:58
  They could say hello and goodbye at the same word.
• 3:00
  Even though Spam was invented and born in Minnesota, it's
• 3:03
  actually more popular in Hawaii than it is.
• 3:05
  There's. So they have spam.
• 3:07
  They have spam, they love their spam.
• 3:08
  It's dude spam. Every once in a while.
• 3:11
  You know what's really good? Spam and eggs.
• 3:13
  I had spam and eggs when I was a child, yeah, but I've never had
• 3:17
  spam since I've been an adult, really.
• 3:18
  Yeah, yeah, it's good. Spam and eggs.
• 3:20
  Good, Good stuff man. All right, I'll be making.
• 3:22
  All right, I won't. Be I know you won't.
• 3:24
  No we bought the Costco size packs.
• 3:26
  We have like 8 cans of it. It'll never go bad.
• 3:28
  It's never go bad, it has been in the cupboard for well over a
• 3:31
  year so. Yeah, and it's still good.
• 3:32
  It's still good, doesn't? Matter what the expiration date
• 3:35
  says on it, which is probably 2036.
• 3:37
  Oh, at least. But it's not going to go bad,
• 3:39
  no. But it's still phenomenal, so.
• 3:41
  Apparently, Hawaii ranks as the happiest state due to high
• 3:44
  levels of life satisfaction, low depression rate in a long life
• 3:49
  expectancy, and strong physical and mental well-being, according
• 3:52
  to a 2025 study. OK, so that's all I really know
• 3:56
  about that. The state also benefits from the
• 3:59
  healthy work environment, a low unemployment and high percentage
• 4:03
  of households earning over $75,000 annually.
• 4:06
  And we know why that is right. Why is that?
• 4:09
  Because that's the threshold of where happiness begins, huh?
• 4:13
  Because remember, money can buy can money.
• 4:15
  But. Happiness.
• 4:15
  I love how you tie it all together.
• 4:17
  I I tried really hard. That was really good.
• 4:19
  That was really good. I was, I was thinking we should
• 4:21
  maybe do some personal and, and research into this 'cause we
• 4:24
  have a friend, our buddy Jeff. Yeah, Jeff, from episode 12,
• 4:26
  Carrying Your Hammer. Where's your hammer?
• 4:29
  His daughter lives and works in Hawaii.
• 4:31
  We should have totally prepared her right to talk on this well
• 4:35
  next. Time next time, all right?
• 4:37
  But the top ten list as we go down the list of states.
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  Wait, you said, where's Minnesota?
• 4:43
  You said that, right? I did.
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  Where is it? 11.
• 4:46
  That's right, not the top ten. I.
• 4:47
  Don't want to talk about? It I already forgot.
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  I'm so sad. So Maryland is number 2, OK, I
• 4:52
  don't know anything about. Maryland.
• 4:54
  What's Maryland, Really. I don't Nebraska's number.
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  Three, it is not. It's flattened corn, right?
• 5:00
  Corn Flat. That's like once you get beyond
• 5:02
  Omaha. Apparently it's happy.
• 5:04
  I don't know whatever New Jersey is #4.
• 5:07
  No, it's not. Connecticut's number 5.
• 5:09
  Yeah, well, OK. Utah is number six.
• 5:12
  No, I can. I can't.
• 5:12
  Get Utah, Utah, Utah beautiful out there.
• 5:15
  California is #7 I. Can kind of get California can
• 5:18
  you though? I can a little bit they're kind
• 5:19
  of wacky dos, but I but there's. I think that's full.
• 5:21
  Of wacky dos it is full, but there's lots of good things out
• 5:23
  there too. OK, New Hampshire is number 8.
• 5:26
  OK, haven't been, but I'd love to be there.
• 5:28
  Massachusetts #9 yeah, I get that.
• 5:30
  And Idaho is number 10. Idaho.
• 5:33
  Idaho Potato. OK, interesting.
• 5:36
  So the rank is based on emotional and physical
• 5:39
  well-being, work environment, and community and environment.
• 5:42
  OK. I didn't see any comments about
• 5:44
  taxes or cost of living in the ranking though.
• 5:47
  I think, wouldn't that play a big role?
• 5:50
  It's probably we're #11. Right.
• 5:53
  Our taxes are not low. Yeah.
• 5:55
  You think that? Yeah, that should be whatever
• 5:59
  it's on the Internet, it must be true.
• 6:01
  So those are the happiest states.
• 6:02
  So that's not really what we're talking about today, though,
• 6:04
  right, Isn't it? No, We're going to be discussing
• 6:06
  what it takes to. Be happy.
• 6:09
  Or the state of being happy. Oh, that's cool, right?
• 6:11
  So that's not fun. Some fun.
• 6:13
  That does sound fun, yeah. Hey Brian, I was just outside
• 6:21
  trying to enjoy the yard and the mosquitoes are driving me nuts.
• 6:24
  Oh, you got to call Spring Green for that, Rob.
• 6:26
  Spring green? I thought they just did my
• 6:27
  fertilizer and weed control. Oh, they do that and our lawn
• 6:30
  looks amazing because of it, but their mosquito control is a game
• 6:34
  changer. We can actually use our patio.
• 6:36
  You know how bad the state bird gets in Minnesota?
• 6:39
  I'm. Pretty sure that's the loon, but
• 6:40
  point taken. So they do lawns and mosquitoes.
• 6:43
  And total home pest control. My house is completely mouse
• 6:46
  free. They even do liquid aerations
• 6:48
  and lawn insect control. Wow, I'm only using them for
• 6:51
  half of what I could be. You should fix that.
• 6:53
  Go to springdashgreen.com and get a personalized quote today.
• 6:57
  That's spring dashgreen.com. And tell them.
• 6:59
  Oh, and one more thing, Sanchea. I know it's January, but we do
• 7:04
  have mosquitoes here still. Yeah, they survived.
• 7:06
  They get into the house and they don't leave.
• 7:08
  It's horrible. Is an oddly place to add, but
• 7:11
  whatever. OK, so the state of being happy
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  is a rich, multifaceted experience that encompasses
• 7:17
  feelings of contentment, satisfaction, and deep sense of
• 7:21
  meaning in ones life. That's a lot.
• 7:23
  That's odd. Happiness is not merely A
• 7:25
  fleeting emotion that arises from temporary pleasures like
• 7:29
  having extra money. It is.
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  It is a complex and enduring conditions shaped by both
• 7:35
  internal attitudes and external circumstances.
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  It involves enjoying the present moment, feeling generally
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  satisfied with one's overall life, and cultivating a positive
• 7:45
  mindset through intentional habits and perspectives.
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  Practices such as expressing gratitude, nurturing strong
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  relationships, and engaging in personal growth all contribute
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  to a more lasting form of happiness.
• 7:58
  Yeah, so while momentary happiness can certainly arise
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  from pleasurable experiences such as enjoying a delicious
• 8:04
  meal. Delicious.
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  Spending time with loved ones, I love you man, or achieving a
• 8:09
  personal milestone. These feelings often fade
• 8:12
  overtime, deeper and more enduring.
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  Happiness, however, is grounded in an internal foundation of
• 8:17
  meaning, resilience, and purpose.
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  This form of well-being is less dependent on external events and
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  more rooted in how we interpret, appreciate, and respond to life
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  circumstances. OK, so you're saying I shouldn't
• 8:28
  be so pessimistic and just try to be more?
• 8:30
  Positive, I mean pessimistic is kind of your thing though.
• 8:33
  So I know, I don't know it's. Going to be hard.
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  Right, I know I. Don't know is it Pessimism is my
• 8:40
  thing. I know I don't know if I like
• 8:41
  the new Brian, so just don't change too much, OK?
• 8:43
  I'm going to be happy though. I like that.
• 8:45
  Happy is good happy and my voice is going to show it.
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  There you go, right? So there are three components of
• 8:51
  happiness. Oh, what are?
• 8:52
  They they are enjoyment, satisfaction and meaning.
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  OK. So happiness can be understood
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  as a combination of several interconnected components, each
• 9:00
  contributing to the overall sense of well-being.
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  So the first one is enjoyment. Enjoyment refers to the
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  experience of pleasure, delight and satisfaction in the present
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  moment. It encompasses the simple joys
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  of life, sharing laughter with friends like Rob, engaging in
• 9:17
  hobbies, or appreciating the beauty of nature.
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  I love trees. It's pretty well enjoyment often
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  arises spontaneously. It can also be cultivated by
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  learning A to savor positive experiences and practice
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  mindfulness to fully engage with the present.
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  That's a lot. That's a lot to talk.
• 9:36
  About right there, but it seems simple enough.
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  I mean just. It seems simple, but, you know,
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  coming from my perspective, it's going to be hard to do that
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  because I would take the first, you know, the first look at
• 9:46
  something is going to be a pessimism, which is I need to
• 9:48
  shake that off as Taylor Swift, shake that off.
• 9:52
  This with fan 2. I know, right?
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  She comes out all the time, right?
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  Except for when I was singing the zombies.
• 10:00
  So I've just got to learn to let go of my shit.
• 10:02
  There is that. There is that all right?
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  All right #2 Satisfaction. So satisfaction is the broader
• 10:07
  feeling of being content with one's life as a whole.
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  It involves evaluating whether one's circumstances,
• 10:13
  achievements, and relationships align with personal goals and
• 10:16
  values. A sense of satisfaction provides
• 10:19
  emotional stability and helps individuals feel that their life
• 10:22
  is generally going well, even in the face of occasional
• 10:25
  challenges. OK, so satisfaction and
• 10:27
  enjoyment, two different things. So I kind of always think of
• 10:31
  them as together. As the same thing, it's the.
• 10:33
  Same. Yeah, but they're we're saying
• 10:34
  that it's they're actually different things because they do
• 10:37
  make you help you balance out the differences in, I don't
• 10:41
  know, life, right. So.
• 10:42
  I guess like, it kind of makes sense, you know, we're going not
• 10:44
  not to pick on your pessimism and all, but if you're yeah.
• 10:46
  I know what this shows about pretty.
• 10:48
  Much, yeah. But yeah, I think if you're
• 10:51
  trying to combine or just unconsciously combining the two,
• 10:55
  satisfaction and enjoyment, they're not the same thing.
• 10:58
  They're 2 completely separate things.
• 10:59
  But I can see how you can easily just put them together and think
• 11:01
  that right, it's the same thing, so.
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  Because because why I can't get no.
• 11:06
  Waiting for. Satisfaction.
• 11:11
  But yeah, if you if yes, if you're trying to be happy, OK,
• 11:15
  stop talking, Rob. I get it.
• 11:16
  I totally get it. That makes that makes so much
• 11:17
  more sense now. All right, let me go to the next
• 11:18
  one. Go to the.
• 11:19
  Next one number three, meaning. Meaning gives depth and
• 11:21
  direction to happiness. Oh, really?
• 11:23
  It is the sense of purpose that comes from feeling connected to
• 11:27
  something larger than oneself. Whether through relationships,
• 11:30
  creative pursuits, service to others, or spiritual beliefs,
• 11:34
  when people find meaning in their actions and experiences,
• 11:37
  they often experience a profound sense of fulfillment that
• 11:41
  transcends momentary pleasure. OK OK, so that's what I was
• 11:44
  lacking in the first two comments is the meaning behind
• 11:47
  them. Right, I like that.
• 11:49
  I like that too. I I and the spiritual belief one
• 11:51
  is 1 kind of pops out at me. I think that's the one most
• 11:53
  people probably think of when they think, you know, you have
• 11:56
  to have meaning to it. Well, yeah, I mean, that makes
• 11:58
  sense. You don't have to always have a
• 12:01
  spiritual belief to have meaning, right?
• 12:02
  Right. You know, if you think about
• 12:04
  creative pursuits for an instance for me, you know, I'll
• 12:07
  be out in nature and I'll see a tree and the first thing I think
• 12:09
  of is I want to paint that tree because that's very, very
• 12:12
  creative. And that's how I connect.
• 12:14
  Okay, you know, and so I, I see that as the meaning behind it.
• 12:17
  And I, and I, you know, love that, right?
• 12:20
  So I think it's different for everybody.
• 12:21
  Yeah, I don't my, my mom, she likes to volunteer a lot or
• 12:26
  donate a lot to veterans and homeless and that sort of thing.
• 12:30
  And she she thrives on that. So the service to others is a
• 12:34
  big one for her. Right.
• 12:35
  So everybody's a little bit different in that way.
• 12:37
  I I want to get more into volunteering.
• 12:40
  Yeah, I want to just in general avoid people.
• 12:43
  Well, right, You can be in the backroom just sorting.
• 12:46
  There you go. There you go, I'll be.
• 12:47
  Out on the floor talking. I'd love to be behind the scenes
• 12:49
  guys that that gives me meaning. Is that what you're behind the
• 12:52
  microphone and we're not video, right?
• 12:54
  Now there's no, there's no video.
• 12:55
  We know better than that. Nobody wants to see this.
• 12:58
  All right, you got a face for radio.
• 12:59
  I do OK, so there are several key factors that consistently
• 13:04
  influence a person's level of happiness.
• 13:06
  While each individual's experience is unique, research
• 13:09
  and observations suggest that the following elements play a
• 13:11
  significant. Role OK, so #1 strong
• 13:14
  relationships I think we have a strong.
• 13:16
  Oh, absolutely we do. I just threw that in.
• 13:19
  There, well, I look forward to this is my favorite part every
• 13:21
  week. Yeah, I know it is.
• 13:23
  And mine too, Rob. OK, besides all the squishiness
• 13:26
  we just did, human connection is one of the most powerful
• 13:30
  determinants of happiness. Building and maintaining close
• 13:32
  relationships with friends, family, and community members
• 13:35
  provide emotional support, a sense of belonging, and shared
• 13:39
  joy. Yes, you know, I see this more,
• 13:41
  not the same, it's not the same for me, but I see more for you
• 13:43
  because you work at home, you don't have a lot of social
• 13:46
  engagement, honestly, a side of you.
• 13:47
  And then when your wife comes home from work and you see your
• 13:49
  daughter once in a while, right? You don't have that, that
• 13:52
  escape. Where I go to an office every
• 13:54
  day I might see the same 5 people which I love, but it's
• 13:57
  the same 5 people every day. But still you're out of the
• 13:59
  house. But.
• 14:00
  Yeah, and I'm engaging with different people and I'm doing
• 14:02
  different things. My out of the house engaging is
• 14:04
  when I go to coffee, right, because I come home to an empty
• 14:07
  house and I and I work all day, right, you know, and so I do
• 14:10
  have that missed connection with people.
• 14:12
  Right solitude is can be detrimental at times.
• 14:15
  That's why I'm over at your house all the time.
• 14:16
  Absolutely, and we love having you also #2 physical and mental
• 14:20
  health. Caring for both body and mind is
• 14:22
  essential to sustaining well-being.
• 14:24
  Regular exercise. All this is no.
• 14:26
  Not good for me. Sufficient sleep, balanced
• 14:28
  nutrition, and that's that's two and a healthy lifestyle.
• 14:31
  That's three, right? Oh my God.
• 14:32
  And a healthy and healthy lifestyle choices not only
• 14:35
  improve physical health, but also promote mental clarity and
• 14:38
  emotional balance. This is a tough one for you,
• 14:40
  buddy. Hey, three out of four.
• 14:43
  Three out of four. I don't exercise.
• 14:45
  I do eat balanced nutrition. Yes, you do.
• 14:48
  I don't exercise. I did yoga last night.
• 14:51
  What with my wife? Or was it the night before?
• 14:53
  Maybe it? Was we did yoga?
• 14:54
  Yeah. Oh man, it was so hard.
• 14:57
  But yeah, it was. I couldn't get bend in those
• 14:59
  positions, you know it was. Especially if you're not toned
• 15:02
  and ready for it. It's.
• 15:02
  It was challenging. I'll just say are.
• 15:04
  You sore two days later. No, I feel great, Rob.
• 15:08
  Yeah, you're sorry. So #3 is gratitude.
• 15:12
  Practicing gratitude shifts attention away from what is
• 15:15
  lacking and towards what is already good in ones life.
• 15:18
  By regularly acknowledging the positive aspects of daily
• 15:21
  living, no matter how small, people can foster a mindset that
• 15:25
  naturally inclines towards happiness.
• 15:28
  OK, so like that, yeah. So building on your working
• 15:31
  alone all day, how do you show gratitude?
• 15:34
  Well, as I'm writing this content and researching this
• 15:38
  content and it talks about this a little bit further down the
• 15:40
  list, but keeping a gratitude journal.
• 15:43
  OK, so I started that because of this topic, I started a
• 15:48
  gratitude journal. And it, you know, it's weird
• 15:50
  that you spend a little time just write down what you're
• 15:53
  thankful for and what you have you're grateful for in your
• 15:56
  life. And it really kind of changes
• 15:58
  your mindset, OK. And it really kind of pumped me
• 16:01
  up today. Right, so the 70s and 80s
• 16:04
  kidding me, says. Dude, you have a journal?
• 16:06
  But I have more than one journal.
• 16:08
  By Oh yeah OK dude, the 70s and 80s kids me.
• 16:10
  So you have more than one journal?
• 16:12
  Yeah, 1 is an art journal, OK. But the 2026 person in me says
• 16:18
  that's probably a fantastic idea.
• 16:20
  I mean, it's just to get everything out on paper and to
• 16:21
  see it in front of you and be able.
• 16:23
  To well, it's reaffirming, yeah, what you're feeling.
• 16:25
  And then it brings a top of mind again, right.
• 16:27
  And I and I, I wrote in this morning and had a good day.
• 16:31
  Yeah, I think, even though I was alone.
• 16:33
  And getting yourself to force yourself to put it on paper
• 16:35
  really makes you engage a lot more in it, yeah.
• 16:38
  Yeah, it makes you think. It's a great idea.
• 16:40
  I'm not doing it, but I think it's a great you.
• 16:41
  Should do it. I should.
• 16:42
  I totally should. All right.
• 16:44
  You've seen my writing though, right?
• 16:46
  It doesn't matter. No one reads the journal but
• 16:48
  yourself. OK, And how many of these
• 16:49
  podcasts have I written? So many.
• 16:52
  I can't believe how many that you've written one people.
• 16:56
  One I've written one I I'm pissed.
• 16:59
  Not my thing dude, I struggle. Anyway, moving on.
• 17:01
  So #4 So here's this. This pipe falls me see.
• 17:04
  Per is it This is it. Personal growth is #4 that's
• 17:08
  right. Personal growth you.
• 17:10
  Could have did I walk into that? So happiness thrives when
• 17:14
  individuals actively pursue self improvement and personal
• 17:17
  development. Setting meaningful goals,
• 17:19
  learning new skills, and striving to become a better
• 17:22
  version of oneself all contribute to a sense of
• 17:24
  progress, of progress and fulfillment.
• 17:26
  Yeah, I walked into that. You did, and I actually couldn't
• 17:29
  have told you that that was next because I didn't remember.
• 17:31
  But I guess suppose I'm having some a little moment of personal
• 17:34
  growth and I feel good about it. Do you think turning 60?
• 17:40
  You're supposed to say that out loud.
• 17:42
  OK, we talked about like 8 episodes about dude, everybody
• 17:45
  knows. Yes, has a lot to do.
• 17:48
  Think, I think, I think it has are you doing just internally a
• 17:51
  little bit more reflection you probably had before because
• 17:53
  you're that is kind of a milestone birthday?
• 17:54
  Yeah, aging. And yeah, you know it, It does
• 17:57
  make you think a little bit more.
• 17:58
  What have you done with your life?
• 18:00
  And so it's coming at the right time, I think, because, you
• 18:05
  know, I'm recognizing those things that are happening in my
• 18:08
  life and what I'm lacking, and I'm actually working, striving
• 18:12
  towards it. Right.
• 18:12
  I like that. OK.
• 18:13
  What am I on? You're on #5 mindfulness.
• 18:16
  Mindfulness Mindfulness Mindfulness involves being fully
• 18:20
  present in the moment and accepting one's thoughts and
• 18:22
  emotions without judgement. Rob, I'm not judging.
• 18:25
  You never judge. I never judge right externally
• 18:29
  to your face. By avoiding excessively dwelling
• 18:34
  on past regrets or worries about the future, mindfulness helps
• 18:37
  individuals experience peace and appreciation for the here and
• 18:42
  now. OK, did you see me internally
• 18:43
  yelling at the top of my lungs, Brian, as you're reading that?
• 18:46
  I know right? Because this is like this is
• 18:48
  this is you to a tee, dude. I, I dwell on the past regrets
• 18:53
  and all my worries all the time and I think that consumes me.
• 18:56
  Yes, I would agree and and I'm using some of these tools that
• 19:00
  we're talking about to hopefully get.
• 19:03
  Better at that, right? Right.
• 19:04
  To me, I think the biggest thing that I've learned, especially
• 19:07
  the last few years, is you just, you can control what you can
• 19:10
  control. You can't control what the world
• 19:12
  does, what everybody else does. You can control what you do.
• 19:15
  So being regretful and being worried doesn't do you any good.
• 19:19
  It's to give you stress and anxiety.
• 19:21
  I know, and I can say all the words like I know that that's
• 19:24
  what it is, right? But yet I still dwell on it and
• 19:27
  I can't get past. Still gonna do it right?
• 19:29
  Yeah, Yeah. And so that's what I'm working
• 19:30
  towards to hey, let it go, right?
• 19:33
  Who's saying that? Elsa.
• 19:35
  Elsa saying let it go, let it go, let it go, right?
• 19:38
  That's all I know. That's all I know.
• 19:39
  That's all 2 words. That's all.
• 19:41
  All right, number six, resilience.
• 19:43
  Life inevitably includes challenges, disappointments and
• 19:46
  losses. Resilience is the capacity to
• 19:48
  face these difficulties with strength and adaptability.
• 19:51
  Those who are resilient can acknowledge unpleasant emotions,
• 19:54
  process them and move forward without being consumed by
• 19:56
  negativity. OK, so out of all of these
• 19:59
  things, I think this is the best advice I've ever gotten, OK?
• 20:02
  Why is that? I don't know why, though, it's
• 20:04
  just it's all in one nice little bucket.
• 20:07
  And before you hear a little this and a little bit of that
• 20:09
  and and I think this just hit home.
• 20:11
  I mean, like you said, it's probably my age.
• 20:13
  You know, it just kind of hit home to me now at this time in
• 20:16
  my life that how important it is to start doing these things.
• 20:20
  And I should have been doing them all along, right?
• 20:22
  But hey, eyes open at one point. Right, exactly, exactly.
• 20:25
  So for those of you listening, if you missed that last part,
• 20:27
  you kind of zoned out a little bit.
• 20:29
  Rewind 45 seconds and listen to number six again.
• 20:31
  Resilience. They didn't stop listening.
• 20:35
  Well, like, you know, sometimes you're driving and you kind of
• 20:38
  mind goals and places. Number six, resilience.
• 20:41
  All right. What?
• 20:42
  We're not doing that again. No.
• 20:46
  So how to cultivate happiness? OK, I'm going to tell you the
• 20:49
  steps here Rob, and how to how to how to become happy.
• 20:51
  Bring it, OK. Cultivating happiness is an
• 20:54
  ongoing process. Oh no, that requires intention
• 20:58
  and practice. Party in trouble?
• 21:00
  There's that practice party. So I got, I'm starting to
• 21:02
  practice. All right.
• 21:03
  Well, it may not always be possible to control life's
• 21:05
  circumstances. Individuals can take meaningful
• 21:08
  steps to nurture their sense of well-being.
• 21:11
  OK, so #1. OK, everyone practice gratitude.
• 21:15
  Yes. Tell me, Rob, how do I do that?
• 21:17
  I'm trying to help you out here. OK, ready?
• 21:19
  Here we go. Number one, practice gratitude.
• 21:21
  OK, Rob, tell me how to do that. OK, so I kind of talked about it
• 21:26
  a minute ago. Alright?
• 21:27
  Let's just do it like now, OK? So make it a daily habit to
• 21:30
  reflect on the things that you appreciate Keeping a gratitude
• 21:33
  journal look at you. See, I didn't read.
• 21:35
  Ahead you did read ahead, or simply taking a few moments to
• 21:38
  acknowledge the positives in your life can significantly
• 21:41
  enhance overall happiness. I I thought I would be much more
• 21:45
  skeptical of this. Yeah.
• 21:47
  Until I started doing it. And how long have you been doing
• 21:50
  that? Oh, seriously, only three days.
• 21:52
  Oh, OK, so pretty recent, very, very recent.
• 21:55
  I wrote it and think kept thinking about the content that
• 21:58
  I wrote here and I'm like, I got to do that, I got to do that,
• 22:00
  got to do that. And then I went and found my my
• 22:03
  extra journal that had laying around because why?
• 22:05
  I have got journals all over the place and I said it's going to
• 22:09
  be my gratitude journal. There you go.
• 22:11
  It's a leather bound journal and I really like it has a tree on
• 22:13
  it because why? Because yeah, that's your thing
• 22:15
  too, 'cause I love trees. Love tree.
• 22:18
  Hippie Tree. And so I started writing and
• 22:21
  here you go. Here I am.
• 22:23
  So this is the same journal that was going to be a dream journal.
• 22:25
  No, that never actually. Came.
• 22:27
  That would never happened. I did however remember a dream
• 22:32
  that I told you about, but I did not write it down, OK?
• 22:35
  So, so not to get off topic, but a few episodes ago we talked
• 22:39
  about dreams. Yes, part of that was journaling
• 22:42
  and. No, I didn't know you.
• 22:44
  I have not either but. I know you didn't do.
• 22:47
  It and but have you consciously gotten a little bit better about
• 22:49
  trying to remember? Your dreams.
• 22:51
  So I do reflect, right? When I wake up and try to
• 22:54
  remember what it was. OK.
• 22:55
  And so that's more than I ever did before, which is OK.
• 22:58
  Step in the right direction, right?
• 22:59
  Yeah, can you remember them 20 minutes after you wake up?
• 23:03
  Yeah, I can remember 1 the 1:00 last night.
• 23:05
  Really. Yep.
• 23:06
  See, that's where I still struggle because once I my day
• 23:08
  gets going, I just yeah, I had a dream.
• 23:09
  I don't. Remember it was weird though.
• 23:11
  Well, they're all weird. It was a dog and a flooded
• 23:13
  kitchen. OK, so.
• 23:15
  I don't know what they mean. Sure.
• 23:17
  But I mean, you've seen Inside Out, right?
• 23:19
  Yeah. Yeah, all dreams are weird.
• 23:21
  They are. They're all like.
• 23:22
  All the little voices in your head telling you what to do and
• 23:26
  anxiety comes in. Yes.
• 23:28
  It doesn't screws the whole thing up.
• 23:31
  Exactly. All right #2 build connections,
• 23:34
  invest time and energy into relationships that bring joy and
• 23:37
  support. There you go, that's.
• 23:38
  Why we're here, That's why we're here.
• 23:40
  Hopefully bring in joy. Whether through meaningful
• 23:43
  conversations, shared experiences, or acts of
• 23:45
  kindness, strong social bonds create foundation for long term
• 23:49
  happiness. Don't be a hermit.
• 23:51
  And I think that's how this right here, I'm getting emotion
• 23:55
  in between the two of us. This relationship came to be
• 23:58
  because we had shared experiences and it just built
• 24:02
  from there. Right.
• 24:03
  And we thought that we know nothing and have never done
• 24:06
  anything in the public before. But let's start a podcast.
• 24:08
  Right. Well, and because we had a hell
• 24:11
  of a good time on vacation talking about it.
• 24:14
  And if you know if it's fun to talk about, it's got to be fun
• 24:16
  to do. Absolutely.
• 24:17
  And we're in episode 30, dude. We've done thirty of these.
• 24:20
  And has it been fun? Has it been a blast?
• 24:22
  I look forward to Tuesdays. We record these on Tuesdays
• 24:25
  every week almost. For Thursdays, almost 90% have
• 24:27
  been fun. Just kidding.
• 24:29
  All of them hang on donkey. Don't tell us to anybody in the
• 24:33
  public, but which ones are you ranking that sock?
• 24:35
  Hang on, I thought they're all great.
• 24:38
  Some are better than others. That's.
• 24:39
  True, but come on, don't put it out there.
• 24:43
  All right #3 fine purpose. So what's that line from the
• 24:48
  movie The Jerk? Oh, you have to find your
• 24:50
  special purpose. Do you remember that?
• 24:52
  I do remember that. I love that movie.
• 24:55
  So in The Jerk is is not a it's not a single line, but the
• 24:59
  recurring gag about the main character, Navin R Johnson,
• 25:04
  trying to find out his life's purpose.
• 25:06
  The most famous example is when he writes to his family.
• 25:08
  Today I found what my special purposes for.
• 25:11
  Gosh, what a great time I had before crudely revealing it was
• 25:15
  about talking about sex. And that jives, all right, So
• 25:21
  anyway. Sorry, I interrupted.
• 25:24
  So fine purpose. So seek out activities, causes
• 25:27
  or work that align with your personal values and give your
• 25:30
  life direction. A clear sense of purpose help to
• 25:32
  sustain motivation and resilience through both good
• 25:35
  both the good times and the bad. I think that's probably, you
• 25:38
  know, you go through life all along, raising your kids, work
• 25:42
  this and that. It's always busy all the time.
• 25:44
  You lose your what your purpose is, you know, and and finding
• 25:48
  that now that there's more time in my life, right.
• 25:50
  Not that I found my purpose yet, but it's an ongoing.
• 25:54
  Discovery and I think work is always a tough one because a lot
• 25:57
  of times it's like I got to pay the bills.
• 25:59
  So here's the job that I have, but it's hard to find that job
• 26:02
  that you love going to everyday. Right, and if you do, hold on to
• 26:05
  it, right? OK #4 prioritize your health.
• 26:10
  Happiness is closely tied to physical well-being, though.
• 26:13
  Now I'm in trouble. Regular exercise, nutritious
• 26:16
  eating, and sufficient rest all essential for maintaining energy
• 26:20
  and emotional balance. You know what's funny about this
• 26:23
  one? What is funny, Rob?
• 26:24
  But lately I can only sleep like 5-6 hours a night.
• 26:28
  But that's not actually wrong. No, it's what your body is
• 26:31
  needing, right? Unless your brain's waking up.
• 26:33
  Because why? We learned in the dream episode
• 26:35
  that your brain is active. It's.
• 26:37
  Very active. You know, I've learned so much
• 26:39
  on this podcast. Right, Yeah, ever since this is
• 26:43
  going back a while back to November, but really ever since
• 26:46
  the clocks we lost that hour, I've like I'm still on that time
• 26:50
  zone like two months later. No.
• 26:51
  Really. Like I'm up at, you used to get
• 26:53
  up at 5:30 every day. Yeah, Now I'm up at 4:30 every
• 26:55
  day. So I don't get out of bed every
• 26:57
  day. But at 4:30, I'm like, whoop,
• 26:58
  there it is. It didn't affect me at all.
• 27:00
  I totally, which is odd, but if you go in spring when we jump
• 27:04
  ahead, yeah, then it affects me. OK, but falling back didn't seem
• 27:07
  to bother me. Yeah, that's.
• 27:08
  Weird. I don't know.
• 27:09
  And I'm also still tired at 9:00 at night.
• 27:11
  Well, you are getting old. I know right?
• 27:13
  I'm turning into my parents, all right #5 stay present.
• 27:18
  Engage in practices that foster mindfulness, such as meditation,
• 27:21
  deep breathing, or spending time in nature.
• 27:24
  Nature. I like nature.
• 27:25
  These activities can help quiet the mind, reduce stress, and
• 27:28
  enhance appreciation for the present moment.
• 27:31
  OK, so I don't know that I'm, I don't ever get out of nature and
• 27:34
  just to sit to be quiet and, you know, enjoy the space.
• 27:38
  But for the last couple of years I do.
• 27:40
  And this is not exactly the same, but I do take my coffee
• 27:44
  and I go sit in the, you know, the front room of the house,
• 27:47
  which is with the lights off, and just have my coffee alone in
• 27:49
  the dark. So yeah, nothing wrong with
• 27:51
  that. So it's not necessarily, you
• 27:53
  know, it's quieting my mind. It's the first thing I wake up.
• 27:56
  It reduces stress and I just have a nice moment.
• 27:58
  So I consider it meditation. But you know, whether if I'm on
• 28:02
  my phone or not doesn't matter. Nobody needs to know.
• 28:05
  But I'm there, alone, quiet. That's true, that's true.
• 28:08
  I now that we now have a deck, I use that a little more often.
• 28:12
  Oh, that's not. Oh that would be nice.
• 28:13
  In the mornings, yeah. Well, you probably don't want me
• 28:16
  over here in the morning. You are.
• 28:17
  Welcome. You are welcome anytime.
• 28:20
  So I'll just be sitting on your deck, happy in this well, when
• 28:23
  spring gets. Here when spring gets here, it's
• 28:24
  chilly now. I'll walk around the house and
• 28:26
  plus. Furniture is in the shed.
• 28:28
  I'll bring my own coffee. There you go, and I'll sit on my
• 28:30
  deck. There.
• 28:31
  You get up and you walk by, you'll freak out because there
• 28:34
  hi Rob, you like get this creep out of here.
• 28:37
  Actually in the weekend, because in the summers, like I said, I'm
• 28:39
  up at 5:30, so keep that in mind.
• 28:41
  OK, alright, number six, pursue your passions.
• 28:44
  Engaging in hobbies and creative pursuits that genuinely interest
• 28:48
  you adds joy and meaning to your life.
• 28:50
  Doing what you love not only enriches your daily experiences
• 28:54
  but also strengthens your sense of identity and fulfillment.
• 28:58
  So I, I do get fulfillment because I do paint, Yes, you
• 29:02
  know, being artistic. I paint.
• 29:04
  I do you know I'm starting woodworking.
• 29:07
  I talked about it, you've talked about that.
• 29:08
  I've heard that, yes. Have you started started or is
• 29:10
  it? Still making coasters so fun so
• 29:13
  it's just cutting some wooden sanding and so it's baby steps,
• 29:16
  right, baby steps there so I'll get into doing more things but
• 29:19
  balancing that with my life and you know, work on a painting
• 29:22
  here and there right so that's kind of fun that's 'cause you.
• 29:24
  'Cause you're a creative guy. So I mean that that's right up
• 29:26
  your alley. I would rather watch some trashy
• 29:29
  reality TV. Yeah, but is that, is that your
• 29:32
  passion? Well, passion, no, but it's it's
• 29:35
  it's a good way to kind of just, you know, not think about
• 29:38
  anything and just like y'all are losers.
• 29:40
  What are you doing? And they are losers.
• 29:42
  They are on the TV. But but you love the trade
• 29:44
  wreck. You love the car crash.
• 29:46
  To a point. To a point until I get mad.
• 29:48
  I know. It's like, Oh my gosh, are you
• 29:50
  kidding me? I do a.
• 29:50
  Certain level like there's some shows I just I can't watch, but
• 29:53
  you know I like you know one of my favorite new shows now is
• 29:56
  what that that just started here in January the traders the what
• 30:00
  the traders the. Traders what?
• 30:01
  It's on Peacock, it's so good. What do they do?
• 30:04
  So there is, it's all celebrities, of course, because
• 30:07
  why wouldn't it be? But there's like 20 of them, or
• 30:09
  18 or 16, whatever, And they're in this castle in Scotland, OK.
• 30:13
  And two or three of the contestants, usually they're
• 30:18
  behind the scenes like they're the traders.
• 30:20
  They know everything. And the job of everybody else is
• 30:22
  to figure out who the traders are.
• 30:24
  Sorry about that noise, I know. Sorry about that.
• 30:26
  I bumped the mic. It's it's figure out who the
• 30:29
  trader is and at the end of each episode they have to vote and if
• 30:31
  they, they want to get the traders out because at the end
• 30:34
  either everybody left or the traders get all the cash because
• 30:36
  they're building cash each week. Oh, OK.
• 30:39
  It's a but it's seriously, if you're looking at like a reality
• 30:41
  Survivor Amazing Race. Kind of bad idea.
• 30:44
  It's. Like that, but it's probably the
• 30:46
  best one out there right now. Oh, I want to watch.
• 30:48
  That's really. Good.
• 30:48
  So just started. It's on Peacock.
• 30:50
  Got a good review from you? Yep.
• 30:52
  Start beginning of January. It's very good.
• 30:53
  So true happiness. This is not a single emotion or
• 30:56
  fleeting state, but a dynamic and evolving experience shaped
• 30:59
  by many factors, enjoyment, satisfaction, meaning and
• 31:02
  resilience. By nurturing gratitude, building
• 31:05
  relationships, caring for health, staying mindful and
• 31:08
  purposeful, we can cultivate a deep and enduring sense of
• 31:11
  happiness that enhances every aspect of our lives.
• 31:15
  There you go. I like it.
• 31:16
  I like that. Yeah, it was good.
• 31:18
  I think this, I know it helped me.
• 31:20
  I don't know if it helped anybody else, but it really
• 31:22
  helped me digging into this content and really trying to
• 31:26
  say, you know, I've got to make a change in my life, so I'm
• 31:29
  going to follow some of these paths.
• 31:31
  And I think to me the key take away is a lot of happiness
• 31:34
  really is a choice. Yeah, it is you.
• 31:36
  Choose. You choose to be.
• 31:38
  Happy or to be negative, to be positive, all those different
• 31:41
  aspects. And sometimes you don't realize
• 31:43
  you're choosing them, you know, because they just come natural
• 31:45
  to you. Yeah, but being happy is a
• 31:48
  choice, and you have tools to help you down that path.
• 31:51
  Right. I mean, sarcasm only gets you so
• 31:53
  far. Come on, eventually you have to.
• 31:55
  You have to buck up and be real about it.
• 31:58
  Sarcasm and pessimism? Come on.
• 31:59
  Exactly 2 of my best qualities. Exactly.
• 32:02
  All right, hey everybody, as always, please follow us on the
• 32:04
  socials at Owen One More Thing Pod on Facebook and and
• 32:07
  Instagram for highlights and news of our upcoming shows.
• 32:10
  And if you have a show idea for us or just want to give us some
• 32:13
  feedback, send us an e-mail at 011 More Thing, pod@gmail.com.
• 32:17
  We'd love to hear from you. And yes, we still have
• 32:19
  merchandise and you need to buy some T-shirts and caps.
• 32:21
  Check it out. It's on our on our Facebook and
• 32:23
  Instagram pages. Send us an e-mail.
• 32:25
  If you give us a show idea, we'll give you one for.
• 32:27
  Free. Heck yeah we will.
• 32:28
  Yeah, everybody likes free stuff.
• 32:29
  Oh, and one more thing. In the end, happiness is
• 32:32
  something only you can create. The effort you invest, the
• 32:35
  lessons you draw, and the way it all connects to who you are.
• 32:39
  These are yours alone. Enhance the journey, savor the
• 32:42
  process, and maybe jot down a few insights along the way.
• 32:45
  You never know when they'll become chapters in your story or
• 32:48
  maybe even a podcast. Don't start a podcast, there's
• 32:51
  already too many out there. Just be a guest on our.
• 32:54
  There you go. Love it.
• 32:56
  All right, see you everyone. Bye you.
• 32:58
  Know what makes me happy? What doing this podcast with
• 33:00
  you?