#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.