Episode 10 - Doctor Happiness
A warm welcome to another episode of ‘The Naked Truth about…Podcast’. In this episode we talk to Dr. Elia Gourgouris, …….‘The Happiness Doctor’ who is joining us from Colorado USA. ‘Happiness is a choice and a skill set’, he says. He is on a mission to make this world a better and happier place, and help us live a more balanced and healthy life. Dr. Elia focuses on corporate wellness, mental health, positive leadership, and building resilience and agility. He is the Executive Producer of the Reality TV show Cash Cowboys (where he is following a group of people saving the landscape after several naturally occurring disasters) and is currently doing a new Reality TV show called The Kindness Factor. There are so many things we can do for each other, to support each other and make the world a better place! He wrote the #1 Amazon Best-Selling book "7 Paths to Lasting Happiness!" In his latest book, "7 Keys to Navigating a Crisis" which he co-authored with Kon Apostolopoulos, he provides insights to help minimize the negative impact of a lot of things that can happen in our lives like the pandemic, or natural disasters, financial meltdowns, or any other major disruptions in our lives. There is so much KNOWLEDGE, TOOLS, GOOD VIBES and LAUGHTER to share in this episode. So TUNE IN!!! …………………. 02:03 Dr. Elia Gourgouris shares with us why he thinks that happiness is a choice and a skill-set. 02:55 We dive into the background of Dr. Elia. 04:35 Kindness is now more needed than ever. We need more uplifting positivity. 05:20 The 7 keys of Navigating a Crisis and the 7 Paths to Lasting Happiness books. 06:48 Dr. Beverley talks about the possibility of bringing the franchisable TV Show, The Kindness Factor to Europe and why that would be a good thing. The format is there, but we also need the finances to do it over here. 08:30 We all have been through a lot the last couple of years. We need things that unite us and uplift all of us. We have more in common than what divides us. We all want to be happy. We want that for ourselves and our children. 09:53 Why are we so lonely and unhappy in a world where we have so much! What are we lacking? 11:25 What happened with the teenage brains during the pandemic? They aged by 4 years (not matured, but aged!!!!!!). 12:22 You cannot be in a state of gratitude/happiness and being depressed at the same time. Gratitude is vital for our wellbeing. Nature is vital for our wellbeing. 13:31 We suffer from lost connections and loneliness. How can we contribute to a less lonely society? What are Dr. Elia’s thoughts on that as a clinical psychologist? 15:25 Why does Dr. Elia love to work with young people? What can we learn from them? 17:21 We talk about multi-generational-connection and why Reverse Mentoring is so important and why we should put our ego’s aside and open our hearts. ‘Heart-set’ is even more important than ‘Mind-set’. 19:01 We need a good relationship with ourselves and with the people around us. We are social beings. 20:08 The importance of self-care and doing a ‘health-check’ every month. Keep track on how you are doing in life. Please look at the Personal-Health-Assessment Dr. Elia Gourgouris created. 21:24 With toxic people in your life it is difficult to stay happy and healthy. So have HOT (Honest, Open, Transparent) conversations with the people you interact with from a place of love, not anger. We must treat each other with Love, Kindness and Respect! 23:17 Can happiness truly be learned? Or is it in our genes? It is both! 24:24 On the importance of compassion, forgiving and being grateful. 26:20 There is growth when you get out of your comfort-zone. 27:22 Forgiveness equals freedom and is the attribute of strong people. 27:50 We talk about Happiness at Work and finding your purpose. But how do we deal with mental health issues at work? 30:11 Happy and healthy employees tend to be more innovative, creative, more engaged. 30:40 H30: Health and Happiness in Hospitality and in all other organizations. Because we spend so many hours at work. Let’s make it a good place to be. 32:12 Employee satisfaction is directly correlated to high turnover which is very costly. If we take care of our people in companies, employees are more loyal but also become ambassadors. They attract new people. 33:28 Why we should use the Personal Health Check more in schools and universities and help each other in area’s were we are not in a good place at the moment. 35:40 We must keep reminding ourselves of taking care of ourselves and others. The Personal Health Check is a great tool to stay on track. In life it is important to DO something with the things we know. 38:04 Is being happy also a cultural thing? Or is it our personal responsibility? 39:04 When facing a crisis, people often tend to fall into one of 4 categories of behavior: the Victim, the Critic, the Bystander, and the Navigator. All 4 of this personality-types exist in us human beings. But it is key to move the needle forward and move on, like the Navigator does. 40:48 Is self-care selfish? Is it a good thing to do, or do egoistic people use it to escape responsibility to others? It should be balanced. When my cup is full, I can take care of other people. 43:30 We are all brothers and sisters and must take care of each other. Be mindful and kind to each other. 44:00 Stillness. On the importance of listening to your own inner voice. And act upon what you hear. Connect with other people, it can make a world of difference. 46:20 Dr. Elia shares some more tips with us on how to create happiness in our lives. One of the important things is: do not procrastinate your happiness! Forget the “WHEN”. Live your best life now! 49:40 Don’t forget to laugh. It is so healthy. Find the humor in things, even in our imperfections, and let go strive toward perfectionism. 51:00 What is a truth Dr. Elia can bring to the table today? He elaborates on living his best life and contribute to the world. 52:55 Our talk was so infectious! The three of us are making plans on how to move on from here with H3O!
