Harvesting Happiness

Even though humans grasp the double-helix-shaped chain of our DNA strands, very little is understood about the information that is passed down from generation to generation. Physical attributes can be decisively attributed to the traits of our ancestors but what

about the memories, and traumas that make up our emotional inheritance? To discover the ways emotional inheritance can nurture us, and cause grief, secrets, and confusion, Positive

Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two female authors about their findings about the legacy of trauma. Galit Atlas is a psychoanalyst whose book, Emotional Inheritance:

A Therapist, Her Patients, and the Legacy of Trauma, explores how multigenerational trauma is held in our minds and body. Author of the bestselling, Survivor Cafe: The Legacy of Trauma and the Labyrinth of Memory, Elizabeth Rosner reveals the importance of unearthing the path, and atrocities of our ancestors so we may move into the healing phase.

With many US cities falling into disrepair following the pandemic,

business downturns, and brain drains, the term ‘Hometown Proud’ has become almost non-existent. Young talent looks elsewhere for opportunities to make their mark leaving once vibrant towns

uncared for. What will it take to empower inhabitants to restore our beautiful cities and rekindle once thriving communities? To merge architecture, positive psychology, and what it means to create a better and just life for all, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two women who invest their home and work life into their communities. Majora Carter is a real estate developer, urban revitalization strategist, and author who strives to inject joy back into the South Bronx and other established communities like it. She shares key concepts from her book, Reclaiming Your Community: You Don’t Have to Move Out of

Your Neighborhood to Live in a Better One, and her strategies for getting residents to reinvest in their communities. Molly Rose Kauffman is the co-founder of the University of Orange, a free people’s university centered in Orange, New Jersey. She describes the major strides the university is taking to reignite people’s passion for enlivening public spaces and further enriching the existing culture.

Most people in our society celebrate life once a year with lavish birthday parties, happy songs, and sweet gatherings. But, when it comes to bereavement, grief, death, and loss we tend to tiptoe around the subjects. If we followed the philosophy of our ancestors we would appreciate life more by having meaningful conversations about our mortality. To traverse the normally taboo territory of loss, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors who have written about life, death and loss in their newest books. In her book, A Heart's Landscape: An Invitation to the Garden of Moments, Susan Lax shares a collection of her morning inspirations. She explores how we all experience grief differently and how being a greater part of a loved one's death offers us a greater life experience. Barbara Becker studied with Zen monks to learn more about life, death, and dying. During the publishing of her book, Heartwood, in which she shares stories from her time as a hospice volunteer, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Most people in our society celebrate life once a year with lavish birthday parties, happy songs, and sweet gatherings. But, when it comes to bereavement, grief, death, and loss we tend to tiptoe around the subjects. If we followed the philosophy of our ancestors we would appreciate life more by having meaningful conversations about our mortality. To traverse the normally taboo territory of loss, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors who have written about life, death and loss in their newest books. In her book, A Heart's Landscape: An Invitation to the Garden of Moments, Susan Lax shares a collection of her morning inspirations. She explores how we all experience grief differently and how being a greater part of a loved one's death offers us a greater life experience. Barbara Becker studied with Zen monks to learn more about life, death, and dying. During the publishing of her book, Heartwood, in which she shares stories from her time as a hospice volunteer, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Self-care has become a diluted term thrown about by many who only intend to sell beauty care products. But, true self-care is so much more than physical relaxation. Complete self-care encompasses mental and emotional health and psychological fitness. With over 40 million Americans struggling from some level of anxiety or depression, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen questions the experts about how we can regain balance and manage our minds. Integrative Psychiatrist Dr. Gregory S. Brown shares the Five Pillars of Self-Care from his book, The Self-Healing Mind: An Essential Five-Step Practice for Overcoming Anxiety and Depression, and Revitalizing Your Life. And, Dr. Joan Rosenberg describes the Rosenberg Reset method that guides people through their feelings and offers relief for those in the grips of anxiety.

Throughout human history, men have been the storytellers and

the scribes. How might our cultures have changed if we also had

versions of herstory to study and learn from? Who might we be

today if matriarchy guided our dreams, ambitions, and basic

needs? To ponder these questions and understand how women

can lean into their power, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa

Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors who research stories of

power, equality, and respect. Elizabeth Lesser shares stories of

women in history who have had their voices quelled in her book,

Cassandra Speaks: When Women are the Storytellers, the Human

Story Changes

. Donna Freitas discusses the years of research she

assembled which led to her book,

Consent: A Memoir of

Unwanted Attention

.

Our attitudes about our image and aging can directly affect our

health and well-being. The over-publisized belief that we lose our

value in society as we age can wildly diminish our quality of life.

During a time of life that should be celebrated, women in their

50s are bombarded by the media with ideas of reconnecting to

their youth. But, should they want to reconnect? To discover tools

to keep us hearty and healthful as we ripen, Positive Psychology

Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two expert authors

about how attitude can affect a healthy, happy, aging process. Dr

Louann Brizendine is a researcher, clinician, and professor who

founded the Women’s Mood and Hormone Clinic at UCSF. She

highlights the research at the core of her book,

The Upgrade: How

the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife and Beyond,

and describes ways women can make the most of the second half

of their lives. Dr. Becca Levy is a psychologist credited with

creating a field of study that focuses on how positive and

negative age stereotypes can have beneficial and adverse effects.

She discusses the central theme of her book,

Breaking the Age

Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long and

Well You Live

, and shares her vision for The Age Liberation

Movement.

Factory-based farming and meat processing facilities have become part of the food chain for many developing nations but they are, in some circles, considered dirty little secrets. From birth to death, meat production sullies all aspects of the environment, not to mention the pain and suffering of the animals in this cycle. Plant-based eating is an alternative option that uses fewer resources and leaves the land less defiled. To tantalize our Tierra-based tastebuds and unearth constructive consumption strategies, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two experts in plant-based food options. Roanne Van Vorst is a Futures Anthropologist who researches the future of food. She highlights key findings from her book, Once Upon a Time, We Ate Animals: The Future of Food, including the impact of the food industry on soil, the air, and human health. Joanne Molinaro aka The Korean Vegan describes how she transformed her love of fried chicken into a compassionate recipe book for vegans. Her bestselling cookbook, The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma’s Kitchen, has been dubbed the best cookbook of 2021 by several well-known publications.

There are times in all of our lives when we wish we would have said something differently or changed the way we reacted to something or someone. But, truth be told, very few of us have acquired the communication skills to express ourselves fully to the people we come into contact with, especially when it comes to a loved one. To shine a light on how to hone our communication skills and truly empathize with those around us, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors about strategies for competent communication skills and how to deal with difficult people. Jonathan Robinson describes the key tenets from his book, More Love, Less Conflict: A Communication Playbook for Couples and strategies for couples looking for more intimacy and love. Sarah (Sam) Elliston shares the story of her realization that she was a difficult person and her tips for dealing with difficult people.

Overstimulation is affecting us all. Everywhere we turn screens,

people, and devices are battling for our attention. Without the

right tools, it becomes easy to get stuck in the mire or not

advocate for ourselves in the best way possible and focus our

attention on the future. To discover how we can regain personal

agency and make better decisions, Positive Psychology Podcast

Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors about their

literary guidebooks. Changemaker Paul Napper discusses key

elements of his book,

The Power of Agency

, and the challenges

many people face when making decisions in this overstimulated

world. Futurist Daniel Burrus describes how we can become

opportunity managers and make decisions with confidence using

the tenets of his book,

The Anticipatory Organization

.