Live Happy Now

We talk with child and adult psychiatrist and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Edward Hallowell on the steps parents can take to help their children become happier as adults. Dr. Hallowell graduated from Harvard College and Tulane School of Medicine and was a faculty member at Harvard Medical School from 1983 to 2004. He has authored twenty books on various psychological topics including the power of the human connection, methods of forgiving others, dealing with worry, managing excessive busyness and the childhood roots of happiness.

Learn more about the importance of our oceans to our global well-being with Peter Neill, founder and director of World Ocean Observatory. World Ocean Observatory is a web-based place of exchange for information and education about the health of the ocean. Peter is also host of World Ocean Radio, a weekly series of 5-minute audio essays on a wide range of ocean topics, and editor of World Ocean Journal, a bi-annual e-magazine of the WOO focused on ocean culture and solutions to today’s ocean issues.

In this episode of Live Happy Now, we discover why mindfulness can be considered the ultimate success habit. Matt Tenney is author of The Mindfulness Edge: How to Rewire Your Brain for Leadership and Personal Excellence Without Adding to Your Schedule. Through keynote speeches and training programs, Matt works to develop highly effective leaders who achieve extraordinary, long-term business outcomes and live more fulfilling lives.

In this episode of Live Happy Now we talk with Stacy Kaiser, Live Happy editor at large, about the idea of "super parents" and why striving to be a good parent by allowing room for error and accepting imperfections really helps model to children that trying your best is what is really important. Stacy is a licensed psychotherapist, relationship expert, media personality and author of How to Be a Grown Up: The Ten Secret Skills Everyone Needs to Know.

In this episode, Live Happy Co-Founder and Editorial Director Deborah K. Heisz talks with Dr. Drew Ramsey about one of 10 practices for choosing joy: health. Dr. Drew is The New York Times best-selling author of Fifty Shades of Kale and The Happiness Diet. He is one of psychiatry’s leading proponents of using dietary change to help balance moods, sharpen brain function and improve mental health.

In this episode Live Happy Co-Founder and Editorial Director Deborah K. Heisz talks with Kenneth Pargament, Ph.D., about one of 10 practices for choosing joy: resilience. Kenneth has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is professor emeritus of psychology at Bowling Green State University. He is also author of The Psychology of Religion and Coping and Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy: Understanding and Addressing the Sacred.

In this episode Live Happy magazine science editor Paula Felps talks with Steve Leventhal, executive director of CorStone, about one of 10 practices for choosing joy: resilience. CorStone is an international nongovernmental organization that develops and provides personal resilience programs to improve well-being for youth worldwide, focusing on adolescent girls in developing countries as critical change-agents in their communities. CorStone believes that cultivating personal resilience is a foundational step in helping youth to thrive—one which is often missing in development programs worldwide. Its evidence-based programs impact three interdependent factors in well-being: emotional health, physical health and education.

In this episode we are joined by Live Happy Director of Digital Marketing and Products Laura Coppedge to share more about the International Day of Happiness and what Live Happy is doing to celebrate this special day.

In this episode Live Happy Co-Founder and Editorial Director Deborah K. Heisz talks with Ali Smith, co-founder of the Holistic Life Foundation, on one of 10 practices for choosing joy: mindfulness. Ali has more than 15 years of experience teaching yoga and mindfulness to diverse populations. Through his work at the Holistic Life Foundation, he has developed and piloted yoga and mindfulness programs with at-risk youth at drug treatment centers, juvenile detention centers, alternative high schools, mental crisis facilities and in many other underserved communities.

In this episode Live Happy co-founder and Editorial Director Deborah Heisz talks with Birju Pandya, a senior advisor for RSF Social Financial, on one of ten practices for choosing joy: giving back. Birju is also involved with ServiceSpace, an organization run entirely by volunteers that leverages technology to encourage everyday people around the world to do small acts of service. Some of the projects by ServiceSpace include a daily positive news service, an acts-of-kindness portal, and a gift-economy restaurant.

In this episode Live Happy Co-Founder and Editorial Director Deborah Heisz talks with Sonja Lyubomirsky about gratitude. Sonja is author of The How of Happiness, the first book by a highly-credentialed positive psychologist to present the latest research in a “how-to” format. Sonja’s work has been awarded a Templeton Psychology Prize, a Science of Generosity grant, a John Templeton Foundation grant, and a million-dollar grant (with Ken Sheldon) from the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct research on the possibility of permanently increasing happiness.

Holly Raynes was inspired by a family member who was a Titanic survivor and another who escaped from Poland in World War II. Her book, Nation of Enemies, combines lessons from the past with a healthy fear of the modern landscape. A longtime member of Boston’s writing community, Holly has a history of trying anything once (acting, diving out of a plane and white water rafting). Out of all the things she has tried, writing and raising children seem to have stuck. In this episode, Live Happy co-founder and Editorial Director Deborah K. Heisz talks with Holly on one of 10 practices for choosing joy—creativity.

Paula Felps is the science editor for Live Happy magazine and has worked as a freelance writer and editor since 1998, covering topics from health and fitness to luxury cars and travel to business and technology. She has written for publications and websites such as Executive Travel, American Driver, Self and Reserve. In this episode, Live Happy co-founder and Editorial Director Deborah K. Heisz talks with Paula about the science of savoring and shares a glimpse into the new April 2016 issue of Live Happy magazine.

Alastair Moock is a 2013 Grammy Awards nominee and a two-time winner of the Parents’ Choice Gold Awards. His works have twice been included in The Fids and Kamily Industry Critics’ Top 3 Albums of the Year. Long one of Boston’s premier folk artists, Alastair turned his attention to family music after the birth of his twin daughters in 2006. The New York Times calls him “a Tom Waits for kids” and The Boston Globe declares, “in the footsteps of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, Alastair Moock makes real kids music that parents can actually enjoy.” In this episode, Live Happy co-founder and Editorial Director Deborah K. Heisz talks with Alastair on one of ten practices for choosing joy—meaning.

Mary Miller is the CEO and owner of JANCOA Janitorial Service, Inc., an award-winning commercial cleaning service located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mary is known for her positive outlook and desire to help others realize their uniqueness and personal power. Through her renowned employee benefits program, the Dream Manager, she has created an exceptional work environment and a truly successful organization. The Dream Manager, popularized by the bestselling book under the same name, grew from an employee retention program into an inspiring example of what a business can be. In this episode, Live Happy co-founder and Editorial Director Deborah K. Heisz talks with Mary on one of ten practices for choosing joy—a positive attitude.

Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D., serves as the president of the International Positive Psychology Association and is considered one of the most highly cited scholars in the field of psychology today. Her research reveals how micro-moments of love and other forms of positivity nourish your health, wisdom and longevity. In this episode, Live Happy co-founder and Editorial Director Deborah K. Heisz talks with Barbara on one of ten practices for choosing joy—relationships and love.

Suzie Pileggi Pawelski is a contributing editor for Live Happy magazine as well as wellness counselor specializing in the science of happiness and its effects on health and relationships. Her 2010 Scientific American Mind cover story "The Happy Couple" was selected by the magazine as one of its most intriguing articles of recent years. James Pawelski, Ph.D., is Director of Education and Senior Scholar in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. For the last ten years, he has served as the founding director of the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program, the world's first degree program in positive psychology. He is also the founding director of the International Positive Psychology Association. Live Happy co-founder and Editorial Director Deborah K. Heisz talks with James and Suzie about achieving harmonious passion in your personal relationships.

In this episode we talk to the Live Happy team members who recently took part in the “90 Days to a Happier You” challenge. Find out how Susan, Kim, Donna, Shelley and Chris learned to make better choices and build habits that have helped them become happier people. Through this series we'll tackle topics like improving communication with others, managing negative thinking, overcoming chronic insomnia, setting life goals and learning to unplug from work.

Gretchen Rubin is the author of several books, including the blockbuster New York Times best-sellers Better Than Before, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home. On her popular weekly podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin she discusses good habits and happiness with her sister Elizabeth Craft. In this episode Live Happy COO, Co-Founder and Editorial Director Deborah Heisz talks about the power of habits in creating a happier and more successful life.

Valorie Burton is a best-selling author and speaker who helps people "get unstuck" and "be unstoppable" in every area of their lives. As a certified personal and executive coach, Valorie has served hundreds of clients in more than 40 states and nine countries, and is the founder of The Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute. In this episode Live Happy Co-Founder, COO and Editorial Director Deborah Heisz talks with Valorie about identifying your personal happiness triggers, how to bounce back from stress and adversity, and how to savor each moment every day.