The Happiness Expert Making 1 Billion People Happier - Mo Gawdat

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Jun 23, 2022

Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer of Google X and author of "Solve for Happy," shares his profound journey toward happiness after the loss of his son. He emphasizes that happiness is a learned state rather than a fleeting emotion, advocating for an intentional mindset shift. The conversation dives into the difference between genuine happiness and temporary fun, the impact of societal narratives on well-being, and the idea that true fulfillment arises from meaningful connections and personal growth rather than external success.

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INSIGHT

Happiness Equation

Mo Gawdat introduces his happiness equation: Happiness = or > Events - Expectations.
He uses the example of rain, which can be happy or unhappy depending on the context.

ADVICE

Balancing Expectations and Ambitions

Mo Gawdat advises balancing lower expectations for happiness with higher ambitions for success.
He suggests aiming for realistic expectations and ambitious aspirations while staying content.

INSIGHT

Life's Infinite Game

Mo Gawdat explains that life is an infinite game, where the goal is to play and enjoy the journey, not just achieve targets.
He emphasizes writing for enjoyment, not just publication.

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If you take control over your brain, you can do anything - but what’s the formula?

Some moments in life fundamentally change the way you think about the world - that’s what this conversation with Mo Gawdat did for me and what I’m certain it will do for you too.

Mo is the former Chief Business Officer of Google X, Google's moonshot factory of innovation, a prolific researcher and writer on the topic of happiness and has an incredibly touching story.

In 2014, Mo lost his son Ali unexpectedly during a routine medical procedure. Days after, Mo set off on a mission to solve one of the biggest problems of our time, by pouring his research into the international best selling book, ‘Solve For Happy: Engineer Your Path To Joy’ - the audiobook brought me to tears.

#OneBillionHappy is his moonshot attempt to honour Ali by spreading the message that happiness can be learned and shared with one simple technique: the happiness equation.

For the next 90 minutes I ask you to forget everything you’ve learned about happiness from the modern world until now. In the episode we talk about a lot of things, things that may sit uncomfortably with some people, but also have the potential to be truly life changing.

00:00 Intro
2:16 Writing a book about happiness after losing your son
07:37 Battling the negativity bias instinct
10:42 Is happiness a choice?
19:59 The difference between happiness and fun
31:07 Understanding the happiness equation and unhappiness
39:23 Do lower expectations make us happier?
43:01 How should we manage ambitions?
57:00 You are born a millionaire
01:01:31 Is solve for happy the domain of the privileged?
01:09:00 Relationships: life is a question of context
01:15:22 Feminine vs masculine energy

🔔 Sign up to Cohort 6 of my Part-Time YouTuber Academy: https://academy.aliabdaal.com/

🔗 CONNECT WITH MO

🎥 YouTube Channel
🐦 Twitter
📸 Instagram
💻 Website
🎙 Slo Mo Podcast
😊 Solve For Happy: Engineer Your Path To Joy
🗣 That Little Voice In Your Head

🔗 CONNECT WITH ALI
🎥 YouTube Channel
🐦 Twitter
📸 Instagram
💻 Website
👥 Linkedin

Find the show notes and the transcript on the website: https://aliabdaal.com/podcast/