A Silver Lining

A Silver Lining

Author: Pushkin Industries October 1, 2019 Duration: 40:53

Ice skater Michelle Kwan was all set to win Olympic Gold... but in a major sporting upset she came second. Sharing her story with Dr Laurie Santos, Michelle lets us in on a key secret to achieving happiness when you're tempted to feel like a loser.  

For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm

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We often chase after things we believe will bring us joy-the next promotion, a perfect vacation photo, a bigger house-only to find the feeling is fleeting. The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos digs into the surprising psychology behind why our instincts about happiness are so frequently wrong. Dr. Santos, a Yale professor, doesn't just offer vague self-help advice; she translates the rigorous research from her record-breaking university course into practical, actionable science. Each episode feels like a personal conversation, where she breaks down complex studies and shares stories from people who've applied these lessons, revealing how counterintuitive changes in our daily routines and mindset can have a profound impact. This Pushkin Industries podcast moves beyond the surface of wellness trends, offering a grounded look at what genuinely improves our well-being across our social lives, personal health, and cultural expectations. Tuning in, you'll hear not just theory, but the tangible steps you can take to rewire your habits, backed by evidence that often contradicts our modern chase for more. It’s a refreshing take that makes the science of a better life accessible and genuinely useful, episode by episode.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 261

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos
Podcast Episodes
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Sikhism and Daily Habits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:02
Following 9/11, Simran Jeet Singh's Sikh family in Texas was subjected to extreme racist abuse. And yet, Simran's father chose to look on the bright side and offer thanks instead for the acts of kindness friends and neig…
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Yoga of the Mind [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:41
We often think of yoga as a physical exercise - but a centuries-old Sanskrit text, The Yoga Sutras, share teachings intended to improve both the body and mind. The author, Patanjali, makes clear that the poses and stretc…
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: The Trauma of Troy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:21
In Virgil's epic poem, The Aeneid, few Trojans survive the destruction of their city at the hands of their Greek enemies. A prince, Aeneas, leads a band of those fleeing Troy - but the journey is fraught with deadly stor…
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: The Anger of Achilles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:12
Achilles has anger issues. The great Greek warrior sits out most of the Trojan War because he's angrily sulking. When he finally enters battle, he does so in a fit of rage that causes him to commit atrocities and bring d…
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Aristotle and Plato ICYMI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:02
The Greek thinker Socrates was put to death for encouraging his students to question everything - from their own beliefs to the laws and customs of Athenian society. But his ideas didn't die with him. Here's a chance to…
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Socrates and Self-Knowledge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:41
Question everything... that's a key insight from the great Greek philosopher Socrates. We may think we know ourselves and what makes us happy... but that's not always true. Yale professor Tamar Gendler says that by harne…
The Happiness of Silence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:20
We're surrounded by noise. That "noise" can be actual sounds - but also other annoyances and distractions that make it hard for us to concentrate or think clearly. And it's only getting worse - we're all being bombarded…
Stop Looking for the Perfect Job - a "Good Enough Job" is Just Fine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:34
We can put huge amounts of physical and emotional energy into our jobs - even basing our self-worth on our achievements at work and letting ourselves be defined by what we do. So have our careers taken over too much of o…