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Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

181. Why Happiness is a Direction, Not a Destination: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Think Fast Talk Smart

Communicating, Influence, Career Skills, Career, Business, Education, Leadership, Careers, Communication, Career Growth, Public Speaking, Language Learning, Improv

4.7 • 711 Ratings

🗓️ 28 January 2025

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Why connection is the key to a life well lived.

The new year gives us an opportunity to reflect on who we are and who we want to be. As we set resolutions and prepare for evolutions, this special four-part series on communication, happiness, and well-being explores practical ways to enhance our lives through better communication, deeper connections, and more meaningful choices.

When it comes to happiness, Arthur Brooks says it’s not about reaching a destination — it's about heading in the right direction. And according to him, that direction is fundamentally about relationships.

"Loving more people... more and more love... if you pursue that, you will defy the trends and get happier,” says Brooks, a social scientist, Harvard Business School professor, and author of several books including Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier, cowritten with Oprah Winfrey. According to him, a happy life is made of enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning, which we cultivate through connection with others. "Faith, family, friends, and work, that's your basic happiness 401k plan,” he says.

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Brooks and host Matt Abrahams explore the fundamental role of relationships in creating a happy life, and how effective communication helps us build and maintain these essential connections.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/ThinkFast and get ten percent off your first month.

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Chapters:

  • (00:00) - Introduction
  • (02:27) - Defining Happiness
  • (03:58) - The Macronutrients of Happiness
  • (05:00) - Challenges in Pursuing Happiness
  • (06:27) - Breaking Down Meaning in Life
  • (08:11) - Happiness Across Life Stages
  • (11:16) - Modern Happiness Challenges
  • (14:29) - Mindfulness and Being Present
  • (19:08) - The Final Three Questions
  • (22:54) - Conclusion

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Happiness actually isn't a destination. It's a direction. The truth of the matter is that to be fully alive on planet Earth, you need to have a lot of negative emotions, or you'll get eaten by a tiger or run over by a car.

0:14.8

Hi, Matt here. The New Year gives all of us an opportunity to reflect and focus on who we are, who we want to be,

0:22.5

and our well-being. To help you chart your course and write your story, I'm excited to invite

0:28.4

you to our four-part mini-series on communication, happiness, and well-being, sponsored by

0:34.8

better help. Every January brings us 365 blank pages waiting to be filled.

0:42.0

This year, maybe you're ready for a plot twist, or maybe there's a part of your story you've

0:46.5

been wanting to revise or explore further. Think of therapy as your editorial partner,

0:53.0

helping you craft new chapters and create the meaningful

0:55.8

story you deserve to live.

0:58.3

Therapists from BetterHelp can help you write your story.

1:02.0

I believe everyone should leverage the support of therapists and coaches.

1:07.0

Visit BetterHelp.com slash think fast to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp,

1:13.8

H-E-L-P.com slash think fast.

1:19.2

By focusing on enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning, we can find fulfillment and contentment in a world where it is so easy to be

1:30.6

overworked, overtired, and underappreciated. I'm Matt Abrahams, and I teach strategic

1:37.8

communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast. Today I look forward to speaking

1:47.2

with Arthur Brooks. Arthur is a social scientist, author, and professor at Harvard Business School,

1:52.8

where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. He has authored numerous books,

1:57.4

including Love Your Enemies and Build the Life You Want, the Art and Science of Getting

2:02.7

Happier, co-written with Oprah Winfrey. Arthur is also a contributing writer for The Atlantic,

2:08.8

where he explores themes of well-being, happiness, and effective communication. Arthur, thank you

2:14.7

for joining me. Before we get started, I need to give a big shout out to our mutual friend,

...

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