#311. Is Happiness a Choice? The Truth About Positive Psychology with Dr. Paul Jenkins

Is happiness really a choice, or is true joy something outside of your control? Dr. Paul Jenkins, a positive psychologist, speaker, author, and trainer with over 30 years of experience, tackles this topic head-on. In this podcast episode, Dr. Jenkins shares empowering techniques to help you take control and increase your happiness. By understanding your metacognition, practicing mindfulness, and cultivating awareness of your thoughts, you can unlock powerful positive psychology processes to cultivate a productive thought life. Dr. Jenkins is a leading authority in his field, with a Ph.D. and practical and clinical experience to back up his advice. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from the best and take control of your happiness today. Get a free digital copy Portable Positivity Check out Live On Purpose Central Follow Dr. Paul on YouTube, Instagram, & FaceBook Sign up for Erik’s weekly newsletter - Adaptation Join the AIM7 Beta Community Episode 1 Quotable moments: 01:00: “Now cognition means thinking basically, but metacognition is a higher level. It's thinking about thinking. And once we go to that level, it creates a new opportunity for us to actually experience choice.” 01:19: “Metacognition creates a space in that space is where choice exists. So until we start thinking about our thinking, we're just gonna default to whatever our programming already is. And either you run your thoughts or your thoughts run you.” 05:26 “In your own mind, and there are exercises and practices that you can do that actually increase your skills in going there. And, you know, like meditation practices for example, that it, that's a classic example of tuning into what's actually going on in your mind. And it, it allows you to quiet it down a little bit.” 06:45 “The natural state of our mind is peace. And a lot of people don't notice that because there's so much noise in there all the time. You know this, this thought, and that thought, and you're going over everything and it pulls us into depression and anxiety. If we get too focused on things that have happened in the past, that kind of leads us to depression. If we get too focused on what's coming, that leads to anxiety.” 10:10 “Well, choice is kind of a double-edged sword. It does give you power, but now you also carry the responsibility. I mean, seriously, if happiness is a choice and I'm not happy, that feels like a bit of a burden.” ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT PODCAST: The BluePrint Podcast is for busy professionals and Household CEOs who care deeply about their families, career, and health. Host Dr. Erik Korem distills cutting edge-science, leadership, and life skills into simple tactics optimized for your busy lifestyle and goals.   Dr. Korem interviews scientists, coaches, elite athletes, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and exceptional people to discuss science and practical skills you can implement to become the most healthy, resilient, and impactful version of yourself. On a mission to equip people to pursue audacious goals, thrive in uncertainty, and live a healthy and fulfilled life, Dr. Erik Korem is a High-Performance pioneer. He introduced sports science and athlete-tracking technologies to collegiate and professional (NFL) football over a decade ago. He has worked with the National Football League, Power-5 NCAA programs, gold-medal Olympians, Nike, and the United States Department of Defense. Erik is an expert in sleep and stress resilience. He is the Founder and CEO of AIM7, a health and fitness app that unlocks the power of wearables by providing you with daily personalized recommendations to enhance your mind, body, and recovery. SUPPORT & CONNECT Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erikkorem/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/ErikKorem LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-korem-phd-19991734/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erikkorem Website - https://www.erikkorem.com/ Newsletter - http://link.aim7.com/adaptation-newsletter  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The BluePrint Podcast is for go-getters and high achievers who crave practical strategies to elevate their health, well-being, and performance. Host Dr. Erik Korem delivers bite-sized, science-backed tactics to optimize your busy life and help you excel in all areas. Whether climbing the corporate ladder or managing a hectic household, this show equips you with the tools to thrive. Oh, and we also talk about pickleball! Dr. Korem interviews scientists, coaches, elite athletes, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and exceptional people to discuss actionable science and practical skills you can implement to become the most healthy, resilient, and impactful version of yourself.   Dr. Erik Korem is a high-performance pioneer on a mission to equip people to pursue audacious goals, thrive in uncertainty, and live a healthy and fulfilled life. Over a decade ago, he introduced sports science and athlete tracking technologies to collegiate and professional (NFL) football and has worked with the National Football League, Power-5 NCAA programs, gold-medal Olympians, Nike, and the United States Department of Defense.   Erik is an expert in sleep and stress resilience. He is also the Founder and CEO of AIM7, the first pickleball health and performance app designed to prevent pain and injury and elevate performance. SUPPORT & CONNECT   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erikkorem/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/ErikKorem LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-korem-phd-19991734/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erikkorem Website - https://www.erikkorem.com/ Newsletter - https://erikkoremhpcoach.activehosted.com/f/ QUOTES   “The key is using stress and adapting to it and improving. That’s what high performance is to me, the ability to adapt rapidly so you can achieve your potential. There are five key pillars to creating the conditions for adaptability: sleep, exercise, mental resilience, nutrition, and community/relationships.” - Dr. Erik Korem   “I maybe have a different concept on leadership. To me, leading is a verb. If you’re leading, you’re a leader. If you’re swimming you’re a swimmer, if you’re driving you’re a driver. If you’re leading you’re by definition a leader. I define leading as being looked to in a particular moment to make a decision or perform an action based on your unique gifts and abilities. So by that definition, everybody is a leader. All rank and role really describe is how many people are hoping you get it right when it’s your turn to wear the weight.” - Clint Bruce "Attention is the currency of performance." - Dr. Peter Haberl “That’s what I’ve discovered in the lives of brilliant, prolific, healthy creatives, is that they have networks of people they leverage in the course of their work. That they learn from, that they were challenged by, that they gave great insight and purview into their own life and work, in such a way that they were able to receive feedback that helped them get better at what they do.” - Todd Henry "Restful and fulfilling sleep enables you to grow, adapt, and thrive. It creates the conditions for adaptation, so you can pursue audacious goals and thrive in uncertainty." - Dr. Erik Korem "Most exercise programs fail, not because the reps and sets are poorly designed, but because the program doesn't adjust for how much stress your body can adapt to that day!. That's why Dr. Chris Morris' research and practical application of fluid periodization is the key for unlocking your performance potential." - Dr. Erik Korem