In our third episode in the series with psychotherapist, Larry Shushanski, author of the book Independent Enough, we talk about the practice of self-reflection. This is the second step in becoming independent enough. Helena and Buck do some real inner Work with Larry as they go beyond the concept of self-reflection and start to actually practice it, starting with a rather uncomfortable real life difficulty that involves trust. Trust is not as simple as it sounds. Listen in!

We're back with therapist and author, Larry Shushansky, to dive deeper into his book, Independent Enough. In this episode we discuss how trusting ourselves is more important than trusting another person. Trust is what erases the "co" from co-dependent relationships. Listen in!

Discovering true happiness often requires hard work. Sometimes, that hard work comes in the form of honest conversation. As we open season 2 of Discovering Happiness, our first episode features a fascinating conversation with psychotherapist, Larry Shushansky. Larry is also a public speaker and the author of the simple, yet powerful, book "Independent Enough".

Independent Enough is more than a book, it's a relationship theory. You see, when our  personal relationships aren't working, we struggle. Often times, many of us believe that our problems are the result of what other people are doing; how we're being treated at home, work, or in our friendships. We believe our unhappiness is about what's going on outside of us. Larry's theory is that the real power to change relationships comes from within us - but only when we become Independent Enough… listen in!   

Conflict is everywhere!  It's in our work life, our family life, and our relationships. If the principle that "we attract our lives" holds true, and we see that there is conflict all around us, then what can we do?  Well, howsabout putting the principle to work to see how we are conflicted within ourselves as a way of resolving the chaos around us? Get ready to go on an inner adventure with Buck and me as we reveal what we see in ourselves, and how that is reflected back to us in the looking glass of life.  Listen in!

How does Buck deal with MS? What can an "aim" do to get us closer to happiness?

What we project outwardly attracts the life we live, but making aims can change the level at which we move through life. In The Work, we call it "Level of Being", and when you put aims in practice, you begin to take all this knowledge and transform it into real life happiness. Listen in!

"Anger sets our hearts on fire. Humility sets us free."

Everywhere we turn, there's a reason to be frustrated or angry. Usually, the anger is directed at someone in particular. Whether this person deserves our anger doesn't matter. The point is that we have some junk to digest. Anger is serious junk, and we need to move it through our system so we don't hold on to it and allow it to poison the whole of us. In this episode, we talk about ways in which we can digest these damaging feelings, learn something from them, and free ourselves from their ill effects. Listen in!

As we search for happiness, we often are faced with obstacles. One way to remove those obstacles is to digest them, very much like the way our bodies digest food. Many people avoid dealing with difficult emotions, and therefore never benefit from the process of digesting them. In this episode, we compare the digestive process of the human body to the digestive process of emotions. When we lighten those loads, we feel the freedom of happiness. Listen in!

Buck has high aspirations for the development of his masculine spirit.  This isn't something any of us think about too often, and it's not something we are taught in school. But perhaps he's onto something. Stick around as we discuss the psychological and emotional trappings that keep men from realizing their dreams, and how a guy's inner workings can be put back into balance.  Where there's a will, there's a way, and it all leads to…happiness. Listen in!

This week's sponsors: Gurney's Newport Resort & Marina and The Newport Buzz

Show Notes & Links:Hosts: Buck & Helena Follow Us on: Facebook or Instagram

Music: Bensound

If you sometimes scratch your head and wonder if life could be a little easier, or how nice it would be to wake up feeling happy each day, this Discovering Happiness series will resonate with you. To provide a little context, we start off getting to know a different side of our hosts. It's Helena in the hot seat this week, as Buck asks her to reveal how she feels about turning 50. We take a glimpse backward at what life looked like for her at 30 years old, and what she wants her life to look like going forward – from work, to home, to self image, to sex. We cover a lot of ground in this episode. Listen in!