Live Happy Now

As director of the Resilience and Positive Psychology Training program at the Psychology Center of the University of Pennsylvania, Karen Reivich specializes in what makes us bounce back from adversity. Join us as she shares the attributes that help us create more resilience in our lives—and how we can teach our children to become more resilient, too.

Tipper Gore stepped into the spotlight as wife of Al Gore, who would go on to become vice president and then a presidential candidate. During her time at the White House, Tipper focused much of her energy on bringing awareness to mental health issues. Today, she continues to work on initiatives to help give a voice to those who are affected by anxiety and depression and to help create more understanding about those conditions.

Most of us wish we had just a little more free time in the day. Now, Live Happy host Jeff Sanders tells us how we all can discover free time that we didn’t even know we had! Jeff, who is host of the top-ranking weekly podcast on productivity, The 5 AM Miracle Podcast, shares some of the secrets from his new book, The Free-Time Formula. He tells us how we can get more out of each day—and how productivity and happiness go hand in hand.

Senior editor of New York magazine and health journalist Melissa Dahl has released her first book, Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness, about the science behind those less than comfortable moments in our lives. Melissa joins the podcast to discuss why we have awkwardness and how embracing the cringeworthy moments in life can help us grow into emotionally stronger people.

John Miller has built a career out of training the dogs that others have given up on. From shelters and rescue groups to working with families, John has saved many dogs from being destroyed through his unique approach that uses practices that turn out to be good for humans, too. Whether you have a troubled pet or just want to be a better leader for the dog in your home, John provides insight into how we all can have a happier relationship with our four-legged friends.

Psychiatrist, author and farmer Drew Ramsey, M.D., is one of psychiatry’s leading voices when it comes to using nutrition as a form of mental health interventions. An assistant professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and chair of the American Psychiatric Association Council on Communications, Drew also is founder of the Brain Food Clinic in New York City, which offers treatment for depression, anxiety and emotional wellness concerns by relying upon the latest in brain science, nutrition and mental health research.

In this episode, Live Happy’s own Chris Libby, Donna Stokes and Paula Felps give you a preview of what to expect in the latest issue of Live Happy magazine. Then we talk with developer Jeremy Fischbach, who combined his background in psychology with his personal experiences to create an app that pairs users with a compassionate listener. Despite our increasingly connected world, sometimes it’s hard to find someone you can really talk to. Research shows that loneliness is a growing—and dangerous—problem, but now there’s an app for that!

Acclaimed artist Stefan Sagmeister’s work has been enjoyed around the world; in addition to gracing the album covers of such artists as the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and Jay-Z, Stefan has mounted art exhibitions in cities including Zurich, Vienna, Prague, Seoul and New York. In 2016, he released The Happy Film, a seven-year project he created to chronicle his journey to find greater happiness.

As founder and Chief Operating Officer of WOHASU LLC, which produces the World Happiness Summit and H-20 government meeting, Karen Guggenheim is committed to helping others choose happiness and then spread it to others. While her mission is one of building a more joyous, enlightened world, her journey to happiness actually was born from a very tragic event: the sudden death of her husband. Find out how this life-changing tragedy led to creating an event designed to change the lives of others for the better.

Ken Page is a well-known psychotherapist and blogger for both Psychology Today and The Huffington Post who specializes in topics related to intimacy and spirituality. In his best-selling book, Deeper Dating: How to Drop the Games of Seduction and Discover the Power of Intimacy, he teaches readers how to find lasting, more fulfilling relationships.

New Zealand native Brent Williams was a successful human rights attorney when a debilitating illness halted his career. The depression that overtook him not only ended his career, but also destroyed relationships with friends and family. In his new graphic novel, Out of the Woods, he chronicles his personal journey through depression while also sharing self-help strategies and some of the latest research on depression.

Dr. Andrea Brandt is a psychotherapist, speaker and author with nearly four decades of experience. Although she is a pioneer in the treatment of anger issues, she recently began going in a new direction to look at how we can age better. Her latest book, Mindful Aging: Embracing Your Life After 50 to Find Fulfillment, Purpose, and Joy,” looks at how we all bring more joy to the way we age—no matter what age we are.

In the movies, happily ever after comes pretty easily. In real life? Not so much. But the husband and wife team of Suzann Pileggi Pawelski, a writer with a Master of Applied Positive Psychology degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and James Pawelski, Ph.D., professor of Practice and Director of Education in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, have learned a few things about what it takes to be “Happy Together.” That’s the name of their new book, Happy Together: Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Build Love that Lasts, and in this podcast they share the secrets of what it takes to create deep, lasting love.

Dr. Jenny Taitz is is a board-certified cognitive behavioral clinical psychologist who offers people proven tools to enhance their life. She has presented her novel clinical application on mindfulness and managing emotions at national and international conferences. Her new book, How to be Single and Happy, applies those principles to life in the dating world.

Merlin Thomas is a physician, scientist and program leader in the newly created Department of Diabetes at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Merlin is widely recognized as an opinion leader, researcher and medical storyteller, and he specializes in how to live longer…and better. He’s author of several best-selling books including The Longevity List and Fast Living Slow Aging as well as his podcast The Chopping List.

MJ Ryan is one of the creators of the Random Acts of Kindness book series and the author of several books, including The Happiness Makeover, The Power of Patience and Attitudes of Gratitude. MJ has mastered the art of living in gratitude, and says that anyone can find more joy by applying this simple practice. She’ll teach us how we can improve our workplace, our relationships and our personal lives with a little more gratitude.

Thomas Moore is the New York Times bestselling author of Care of the Soul, as well as many other books on deepening soul and cultivating a mature spiritual life, three of which have received the Books for a Better Life Award. At turns he has been a monk, a musician, a university professor, and a psychotherapist. Today he lectures widely on creating a more soulful world and spirituality.

Courtney Carver is one of the world’s top bloggers on the topic of minimalism and author of the new book, Soulful Simplicity. Courtney’s simple experiment to live with less stuff grew into a complete overhaul of her mind, body and spirit. She found that clearing her physical space improved her psychological space, too—and has learned firsthand how ridding ourselves of excess can actually lead to enjoying more of what life has to offer.

Andrea Petersen is a science and health reporter who hasn’t just studied anxiety from a reporter’s standpoint; she has lived with it. Her new book, On Edge: A Journey Through Anxiety gives an honest and heartfelt account of living with anxiety and how she learned to come to terms with it. Andrea looks at how anxiety affected her, how she overcame it, and shows us some of the groundbreaking research that’s being done on anxiety.

Singer BJ Thomas has enjoyed nearly half a century in the music business, selling more than 70 million records and winning multiple Dove and Grammy awards. When Hurricane Harvey devastated his hometown of Houston, he knew he wanted to help, and that his music was the best way to do that. Here’s how he turned a song into a cause, and what it means to him to be able to give back.