The Science of Happiness

Are You Following Your Inner Compass?


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What if you had a magic wand and could better the world in any way? What would you do? We explore a practice shown to help you find your purpose and feel more motivated, resilient and fulfilled in life.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bp7wv7ft

Episode Summary

What’s your greater purpose in life? It’s a tough question, especially if you’re feeling uncertain about your future. In this episode, our guest explores that very question—and gets handed a magic wand with the power to make the world a better place.

How To Do The Magic Wand Practice

  1. Set aside 15 minutes to reflect and write. 
  2. Think about the world you live in – your home, your community, and the world at large.
  3. Imagine you’ve been given a magic wand, and you can change anything you want to change in the world. What would you want to be different? Why? Describe your ideal world in writing.
  4. Now, reflect on what it would take to change the world in this way. Is there anything you can do to help move the world closer to this ideal? If so, explain how; if not, explain why not.
  5. Guest: Selina Bilal is a UC Berkeley undergraduate student who is studying psychology, and a Fellow at Greater Good Science Center, where we produce The Science of Happiness

    Expert Guest: Kendall Cotton Bronk is a professor of psychology in the Division of Behavioral & Social Sciences at Claremont University. 

    • Learn more about Bronk’s work: https://tinyurl.com/3s9sjp2d
    • Connect with Bronk: https://tinyurl.com/3p5cepy3
    • Science of Happiness Episodes like this one

      • How to Find Your Spark in Life: https://tinyurl.com/yc8j9a4u
      • What’s Your “Why” in Life? https://tinyurl.com/2vnaswpt
      • Happiness Break Related Episodes

        •  A Meditation to Inspire a Sense of Purpose: https://tinyurl.com/54uuvh7z
        • Visualizing Your Purpose, With Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/3jvnv35y
        • Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod.  E-mail us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

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          The Science of HappinessBy PRX and Greater Good Science Center

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