More Happy Life with Andy Proctor

"Insight never comes to a fatigued mind" - Helmholtz

When was the last time you had a big idea? Not just any idea, but a life-altering breakthrough that carried you through the next year (or five years) of your life? Today's episode features Craig Case, the Coauthor of the book Big Ideas: How To Unleash Your Creative Self and Have More Aha! Moments.  In this episode we cover the difference between random daily ideas and big ideas. We talk about the correlation between awe experiences and aha moments. We talk about the brain science in the difference between being busy and being innovative. We talk about why insight is critical for a more happy life. We also talk about how anxiety is one of the natural brain responses to cognitive abuse. We talk about the difference between motivation and inspiration and which one carries us further in terms of inner drive and implementation. 

So many amazing nuggets came from this episode! This is not an episode to miss!

Where to find Craig:

Big Ideas Website: https://bigideastraining.com/

Buy his book here: https://amzn.to/2XBmltw

Find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-case-14995229/

Like the book on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigideasbook/

Join the Big Ideas Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/bigideasbook/

In this episode we talk about the amazing power we all have to climb out of the depths of trauma and misery using what Allie Gardner calls "radical motivation". Allie Gardner is a highly acclaimed musician who, in 2017, lost 14 of her dear friends and family to death. Can you even imagine?! She shares how she was able to climb out of this by remembering her strengths and then using them to benefit the lives of others and lift those around her. 

Where to find Allie:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alliegardnermusic_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMGMusic101/

Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4eBcboxYI0

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/AllieMGardner

Website: https://www.alliegardnermusic.com/

More about Allie

Allie Gardner is a recording artist, vocal coach, studio musician, composer and public speaker with no shortage of personality and enthusiasm. She has been a musician since she was in her high chair when her family called her the “opera baby” because she would mimic her next door neighbor who was an opera singer.

Allie was vocally trained by Dean Kaelin & Glory Naylor. She now works as a vocal coach at Dean Kaelin Vocal Studio, as well as The Piano Place in Draper and Lehi, Utah. She also teaches online songwriting & voice lessons.  

She is a member of BYU Noteworthy, BYU's Premier Female A Cappella Group and was featured as a soloist in their latest music video ' I Can Only Imagine' that has reached over 800,000 views on Youtube alone. Allie has recorded many other music videos that have reached viral status on facebook and Youtube. 

Allie is currently working on a full length album, and several new recordings in the Spanish language that are projected to release later this year. On a personal note, she has a passion for working with individuals with disabilities. One of her best friends is BJ who has Downs Syndrome who she loves and cares about very much. 

This episode talks about how music is a universal language, how exercising your strengths is a powerful way to get through the most difficult and traumatic experiences of your life and how sometimes you need to exercise what Allie calls “radical motivation” to push through isolation and helplessness. 

I’m excited to bring on Allie Gardner!

What story are you telling yourself about your past life? What about your future? What story are you telling yourself about your day today? In today's episode I interview Lori Lee, and expert on storytelling, with a masters degree in folklore. She talks about the power of the stories we tell and how they impact our daily life. We discuss personal narratives, how to overcome victim mentality, powerful tools for reframing your story and increasing your chance of post traumatic growth by saying your story out loud and making meaning of it. From Joseph Campbell to Victor Frankl, we talk through how stories can be life changing and how we can take back control over the stories we are telling about our lives to create a happier life. 

You don't want to miss this episode.  

Where to find Lori:

Website: http://loveyourstorypodcast.com/

Lori’s latest book: https://amzn.to/2Mb8WE9 

Podcast: http://loveyourstorypodcast.com/episodes/

About Lori

Lori is the host and producer of the Love Your Story podcast, a podcast dedicated to sharing candid interviews and conversations about living our best life stories on purpose. Lori pulls no punches in capturing interviews that shine a light on how we make it through the hard stuff – stress, anxiety, suicide, eating disorders, rape, the death of children, abuse, divorce and the real stuff we have to deal with. But, she also shares interviews with Olympians and incredible athletes, life coaches, therapists, and people who are changing the world – most often these two categories are one and the same. She has a master’s degree in Folklore--her research focuses on the personal narrative. She is the author of six books and over 100 magazine and newspaper articles, including her latest, L.I.F.E. – Living Intentional and Fearless Every Day. She consults with individuals on a personal and business level in helping them find their stories, reframe the ones that are holding them back, and manage the stories they currently tell themselves in order to create the story they personally want to live.

Will you reach your full potential this year? Will you reach it in the next 5 years? 10 years? What will help you do this? In this episode I share the story of one of the greatest runners to walk this earth, Steve Prefontaine and how he died with unmet potential. I don't want that to happen to you. So here are six powerful tools to help you reach your full potential in life:

1. Satisfying Work

2. Life Strategy

3. Generate Energy

4. Cultivate Resilience

5. Build Social Capital

6. Tackle Your Fears 

Like this episode? Never miss another post by subscribing to the podcast and the free newsletter. Also follow us on Instagram and Facebook. 

Join the More Happy Life school here: 

www.morehappylife.teachable.com 

Get a free morning routine to boost positive emotions here: www.morehappylife.co/morning-routine-for-positive-emotion-boost/

How often do you play?

Do you feel like you need permission to play as an adult? 

Do you need a breakthrough in your life? Play might just be the exact thing you need to make that happen. Jeff Harry and I discuss why this is the case in this amazing episode about the transformational power of play.  

Jeff Harry has worked with Google, Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day. His play work has been featured on AJ+, SoulPancake, the SF Chronicle, and CNN. He is a certified positive psychology practitioner and is also certified in laughter yoga. How cool is that?! haha. 

Where to find Jeff:

Website: https://www.rediscoveryourplay.com/about-jeff

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/jeffharryplays/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/jeffharryplays

Businesses and brands have an amazing opportunity to create a positive experience for people who interact with them. Scott is on a mission to help businesses to create more happiness in the world through optimal customer experience. In today's episode, I speak with Scott Porter about how he has taken his passion for street tacos and combined it with his passion for fantastic customer experience. He believes that we can make the world a happier place by increasing the amount of positive customer experiences. He has started with his artisan churro business San Diablo Artisan Churros, and is now interviewing CEOs about how they make positive customer experience a priority. Scott says we are moving from a transactional economy into a relationship economy and that every relationship touchpoint is critical for your business to thrive. 

Find Scott Porter here:

Website: 

http://searchfortheperfecttaco.com

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/searchfortheperfecttaco/ 

https://www.instagram.com/Tacoincidence/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcraigporter/

Scott Porter has eaten thousands of tacos in a relentless worldwide search for the perfect taco where he's found the secrets to unlocking the power of brand and customer experience to thrive. He founded and currently owns and operates Utah's only gourmet churro business, San Diablo Artisan Churros — delivering deep-fried happiness to over 1,500 celebrations since late 2016 and winning back-to-back Best of State for pastries. Scott is a seasoned entrepreneur and leader having been the executive director of two nursing homes and a home health agency, co-founded as the CMO the first all-you-can-fly membership airline called Surf Air, co-founded and launched the game of Reverse Charades, co-founded an international non-profit organization called Singular Humanitarian and has been a management consultant with Gartner (formerly CEB), InsideOut Development and General Assembly.  He holds a B.A. in public relations and an M.B.A. in international business, marketing and entrepreneurship both from BYU as well as an M.A. in Spanish from California State University-Sacramento. Scott was born in Arizona, raised in Canada, is from Las Vegas and has lived and worked in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru and Mexico. 

There are networkers and then there are super connectors. Scott is one of the very few gifted super connectors that I know. He is just an all-around amazing person who exudes positive vibes and I’m stoked to have him on the show. Don't miss this episode!

If you help one person, it was worth the effort. 

Do you ever feel discouraged when working on your dreams? Just remember the reason why you are doing what you are doing. This and many other amazing nuggets came from today's episode with Nadia Khristean.  

Nadia's advice to have more happiness: Enjoy the journey. Don't wait for some future event to embrace the happiness in your life. Why not enjoy now? There is so much beauty in the journey.  

Nadia Khristean writes music for causes. She partners with different organizations, gets the community together for a specific cause and then shoots a music video! She is passionate about several subjects, but most of all, passionate about making music that will motivate and inspire others for good. Also, she is a blackbelt and loves honey bunches of oats. 

Where to find and support Nadia's cause:

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/nadiakhristean

Website: https://www.nadiakhristean.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nadiakhristean

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nadiakhristean

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadiakhristean/

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nadiakhristean

Today I interviewed Seth Adam Smith, a dear friend and amazing human being (read more about him below). Seth is a suicide survivor who has turned his life into a message to inspire people who struggle to have a reason to live. In this episode Seth talks briefly about his suicide attempt and how the world inside his head was very different from the real world around him. This didn't become evident until he was in the hospital. 

We talked about the idea of enjoying the paths of life slowly and how happiness is a season of emotion. Seasons are temporary and they also return so if we remember this, we will be more able to deal with the days of winter in our lives. 

About Seth:

Seth Adam Smith is a best-selling and award winning author and blogger whose writings have been translated into over thirty languages and featured on the Huffington Post, Good Morning America, Fox News, CNN, the Today show, Forbes, and many other news outlets around the world. He wrote an article entitled "Marriage Isn't For You" that has been viewed over 100 million times across the internet and translated into languages all over the world.  When his article went viral, he instantly was approached by publications and people who wanted him to write about marriage or about how to go viral. But this isn't what Seth was passionate about. He started to really ask himself "how do I make an impact?" Seth has been working since then to go from from viral blogger to suicide awareness activist. He has since given a TEDx talk and has written books, including Your Life Isn't for You, which was awarded a gold medal for inspirational memoir. A suicide survivor himself, Seth is an advocate for resources and understanding concerning depression and suicide prevention, and he regularly writes about these topics in his books and on his blog.

Where to find Seth: 

Website: http://sethadamsmith.com/

TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU5hgkyDsC0

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SethAdamSmith

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SethAdamSmith/

1000 Words Talk: https://youtu.be/LGl_My_Q8f4 

Seth's Books: https://www.amazon.com/Seth-Adam-Smith/e/B00J5L56UY?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1557525631&sr=8-1

It seems like a sexy thing to just quit your job and go for your passion, but what if you CAN'T do that? What if quitting your job puts you into a really bad financial position where you wouldn't even be able to think about your passion? Today's episode features Sam Inch, who has kept her day job while pursuing her calling and found that her day job has slowly evolved into her passion so that she can keep her bills paid while feeling more meaning in life. I LOVE this approach and I thought that this is something that needs to be shared because it builds hope. Sam shares the truth that you have time to test out your passion while in your job and that your passion may not be a job description. You might have to create the job description and slowly move into it at your current career, but that it might just be right under your nose, where you currently work! Don't miss this episode if you feel stuck in your current career, but have a different passion. There is HOPE! 

 Where to find Sam:

samanthainch.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samantha_inch/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/samantha_inch

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthainch/

Samantha Inch is a Certified Professional Coach who helps women in high-stress careers reduce anxiety and design life on their terms. Certified in Applied Positive Psychology, Samantha has created a neuroscience-based approach to help clients manage their minds to manage their lives. As a result, she has helped countless people implement strategies that encourage “high quality living."

At Jefferson Health, Philadelphia’s largest academic medical center, she is empowering employees and medical students to cultivate “mind tools” to better prepare for and manage stress, resolve conflict and achieve peak performance. Her learning and development programs, wellness initiatives and academic courses include emotional intelligence, resilience, mindset, gratitude, empathy and mindfulness.

Samantha also conducts mental and emotional wellness workshops for small businesses, and serves as a teaching assistant for professional coaches enrolled in the world’s first Certificate in Happiness Studies, created by Tal Ben-Shahar.

Samantha’s passion for helping people who suffer from chronic career stress comes from her own experience. She was once on a blind pursuit of corporate success, victim to the endless cycle of trying to find ‘balance’ between work and life. Through her work in positive psychology, she has transformed her career, mind and life – and is honored to help others do the same. Learn more at samanthainch.com 

 How many destinations are on your bucket list? Do you get excited to travel around the world someday? You're not alone. One of the top regrets of the dying is that they didn't travel more. So what holds you back?! In today's episode (which is the 100th episode!!! WHAT?!) I interview a travel expert Kylie Chenn. 

Kylie has traveled to 104 countries around the globe. She studied Business Strategy and International Development at the Marriott School of Management and attended the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge to study Social Innovation and Business Strategy.  Her international experience and love for authentic travel led her to found Acanela Expeditions which she grew to a million dollar business by the age of 25! On top of this, she has cracked the email marketing code, growing her business email list from 500 to over a million in just a few years. She was recently featured at Utah’s Business Top 40 under 40 for her business Acanela Expeditions which allows individuals the opportunity to immerse themselves in hands-on cultural experiences around the world while they travel. Amazing!

Traveling is one of the things that has brought a lot of meaning and positive emotion into my life so I wanted to interview Kylie about this to share it with you! Enjoy this episode and get out there and travel! 

Find Kylie here:

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/acanelaexpeditions/

https://www.instagram.com/kytrisha/

Website:

https://www.acanela.com/

Medium: 

https://medium.com/@kylie.chenn

Like this episode? Never miss another post by subscribing to the podcast and the free newsletter. Also follow us on Instagram and Facebook. 

Join the More Happy Life school here: 

www.morehappylife.teachable.com 

Take my instagram growth course here: 

www.insta10k.teachable.com 

Get a free morning routine to boost positive emotions here: www.morehappylife.co/morning-routine-for-positive-emotion-boost/