The Hidden Why Podcast

The Beginnings of a Positive Mindset

by Leigh Martinuzzi

“Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.” Roy T. Bennett

As Michael Hyatt points out is that we can alter our happiness levels by merely smiling more. There is a direct correlation between smiling and positivity. Smiling produces positive emotions that benefit our well-being. Not to mention the reaction from others we receive when we give them a friendly smile. It can only be a good thing.

Having a positive mindset is like constantly allowing your mind to smile. Frowning does the opposite - it breeds negativity. Both positivity and negativity are contagious.

Is our state of mind a choice? What control do we have over developing a positive mindset? In this episode, I share some ideas and thoughts on the beginnings of creating a positive mindset.

Raj Raghunathan

In this episode, I bring you a very popular interview I had with Raj Raghunathan.   We discuss the correlation between happiness and success.

If intelligence helps with decision-making, smart people should naturally make better life choices. So why are so many of the smartest, brightest, most successful people profoundly unhappy? This leads him to research and writing If Your So Smart, Why Aren’t You Happy? - our topic of conversation in this interview.

It will give you a powerful new perspective on your work, personal goals and relationships, whether you’re already successful or just starting out.

Guest Bio

Raj Raghunathan, Ph.D., is Professor at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business, where he relies on themes from psychology, behavioural sciences, decision theory and marketing to explain consumer behaviour. He serves on the editorial board of Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing, and Journal of Consumer Psychology. He is also one of the fourteen faculty members of Whole Foods founder John Mackey's Academy of Conscious Leadership.

Addiction is a significant part of the human condition. It has been argued to be a condition that influences many living species. In some way, shape or form, I would say that we are all prone and exposed to addiction at some stage in our life.

My interest in addiction is personal however from what I can tell; it’s common for all. Many make claims that addiction is a disease however as Candice Shelby in her book Addiction explains is an addiction is a phenomenon that is best solved on many different levels at once.

Addiction is more of an essay than a book. Shelby describes such dependency from many different perspectives. As a professor of philosophy, Shelby not only presents philosophical insight but also neurobiological, psychological, developmental, environmental, and sociological and any other discoveries humans have made along the journey of better understanding addiction.

Enjoy this book reflection!

Eating

Today's featured guest is Dr Monali Y. Desai.

The topic is "Eating."

Let the show begin.

Biography and Connect

Dr Monali Y. Desai is a cardiologist, and she helps busy professional women easily learn how to lose weight by making realistic changes while still enjoying eating, travelling, and going out with friends and family. Want to see how? Get her free guide What to Eat When You Go Out to Eat and Still Lose 15 Pounds and start losing weight this month.

Ego

by Leigh Martinuzzi

What is Ego? That is the question that I reflect on in this episode - my solo rant.

Neil Degrasse Tyson said, "If your ego starts out, 'I am important, I am big, I am special,' you're in for some disappointments when you look around at what we've discovered about the universe. No, you're not big. No, you're not. You're small in time and in space. And you have this frail vessel called the human body that's limited on Earth."

The ego is our attempt to protect our Self-story. Who we are in this world. Our sense of meaning. Our sense of importance. It is the part of us that is obsessed with Self. The issue is that this can often have us thinking and behaving in ways that perhaps do us no great justice.

I would go so far to say that our ego often limits our potential to progress and flourish. Restricts us from truly breaking free and disables us from living a life with great meaning and joy.

And yet, at the same time, it can be our driving force that pushes us beyond comfort and complacency, challenging us to take greater risk, forcing us to fail, learn and forgive. And in the process, realising that we are not as important as we once thought. Giving way to deeper respect, understanding and meaning to this life.

You might remember Russell Brand from such films as Get Him To The Greek or Forgetting Sarah Marshall, however, did you know his other passions?

Under the Skin is a podcast by Russell. A podcast that delves beneath the surface of people we admire, of the ideas that define our time, and history, to display, inspire and shift restricting perspectives.A famous comedian and actor, yet with another side that keeps me curious and intrigued.

With a vast array of guests, from psychological professors, artists, activists, spiritual gurus and other experts or thought leaders, it is a podcast I enjoy!

Check out my review here - listen or have a read.

Meaning

Today's featured guest is Rob Scott.

The topic is "Meaning."

Let the show begin.

Guest Bio

Rob Scott is a Master Level Coach and the founder of Fundamental Shift, LLC. His work has influenced hundreds of thousands of people, helping to “shift their identities.” He helps them evolve their consciousness, and create profound changes in all aspects of their lives. The result of this shift is a person who is living to their full potential and achieving levels of success they once thought impossible to reach.

"Easy decisions makes for a hard life, hard decisions makes for an easy life."

In this episode, I reflect why and how we make decisions, the good and the not so good. In a Ted Talk by Dan Gilbert, he shares his thoughts as to why we make poor decisions using a formula introduced by an 18th-century Swiss mathematician - Daniel Bernoulli.

The formula looks like this: Expected value = Odds of gain + Value of gain. I wrote an article on my thoughts that I share in this recording. In understanding the how and the why perhaps we can move continually strive to make better decisions.

Have a listen and enjoy!

Charlie and Linda's bloom have tackled that challenges that come from a life of marriage. Almost to a point of divorce, they managed to overcome their struggles and differences to make their love last and blossom. After all, love is what brought them into this.

In this episode, I chat with Charlie and Linda about their new book That Which Doesn't Kill Us - learnings on relationships and a life in marriage.

They open up sharing both their stories, perspectives and techniques they used to push through the broken places. An important and powerful conversation. Enjoy!

Dr Stephen McKenzie is a professor of psychology and researcher of medicine and preventative health. Having published a few bestsellers including this one and another that he did in collaboration with Dr Craig Hassed called Mindfulness for Life he is somewhat attuned to the marvellous benefits that arise from developing one's awareness through mindful practice.

He has dedicated 20 years to specialised research in the areas of anxiety, stress depression and substance abuse and believes that mindfulness, a tool available to everyone for free, is an excellent antidote for such conditions. This book focuses on how we can bring mindfulness to our working lives to counteract stress, improve workplace relationships, manage time and unexpected events and in doing so, hopefully, be a little happier. Enjoy!