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On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

Everyday awe: Science's answer to your search for happiness

On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

WBUR

On Point, News, Npr, Daily, Talk Show

4.33.9K Ratings

🗓️ 3 February 2023

⏱️ 48 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

How do you find deep happiness? Researcher Dacher Keltner says the answer is to find everyday wonder.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This is on point. I'm Magna Chacrabardi.

0:03.0

Every day when I walk down, I think my first sensation is the air.

0:09.0

You know, I've taken these gulps of air into my lungs and it just like,

0:13.0

oh, it's better than coffee. It just rejuvenates you.

0:17.0

Oh, John Reynolds. I do envy him.

0:22.0

He has lived in California's Yosemite National Park his entire life.

0:29.0

Born and raised, he says, his mother worked at the Yosemite Post Office for 43 years.

0:36.0

So John grew up in Yosemite Village and there's an absolutely adorable picture of him on the Sierra News website

0:43.0

of John as a toddler smiling and sitting on the steps of a Yosemite Village building.

0:48.0

Well, later, when he grew up, he joined the Post Office and worked there for 44 years, 10 years as Postmaster.

0:57.0

And John Reynolds just retired this week.

1:00.0

Congratulations to you, John. But John tells us he's not going anywhere.

1:06.0

He's going to stay right where he is in Yosemite and continue his morning ritual in that first steps from his home.

1:14.0

He pauses, takes deep breaths and acknowledges the wonder around him.

1:20.0

In that 45 second walk, it just inspires me for the day because I go, man, look where I work.

1:28.0

I always turn around and look at Yosemite Falls on my way down because Yosemite Falls was back to me as I'm walking down to the Post Office.

1:37.0

It almost looks like a painting, you know. It's hard to articulate.

1:42.0

You know, if there's a cascade in between the upper and lower falls.

1:46.0

And then as you walk to the base of the lower falls, you really get a sense of how insignificant you are and how amazing Mother Nature is because of the wind that it creates the mist.

2:04.0

It truly gives a sense of awe. I'm struggling to find the word sport, but I don't know how many times I've walked up to the top of falls in my life, but I'm still blown away by it all.

2:23.0

The smell of pine is always prevalent at the height of spring when the snow is melting, the reverberation of Yosemite Falls makes the doors rattling in our house.

2:35.0

And so that makes me smile when I the power and the majesty of everything of the book.

...

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