Originally from southeast Louisiana, Jerry talks about Cajun culture, and the emphasis that is placed on community and socializing. He believes that surrounding ourselves with positive people will bring more positivity into our lives. He discusses the challenges of growing up gay in a conservative, Catholic community and how that shaped his relationship with happiness. He also discusses his appreciation for sophisticated design and awkward public interactions. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/commonhappiness/support

Cherise discusses the joys of motherhood, the value of peace, the impact of loss and the joy her family brings her. Cherise maintains her peace by embracing her simple pleasures, time with her family, cooking and meditation. She also shares a good laugh from watching her son try to wear his jacket on his legs and getting stuck! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/commonhappiness/support

When he’s not researching the influence of the environment on surgical outcomes or working in the OR, Johnny is watching birds, reading and admiring the starscape as an amateur astronomer. He loves the Japanese concept of ikigai, balancing your passion and skill and turning it into something you can actually get paid for. He likes centering himself with physical activity and hiking. We discuss science, maintaining a sense of purpose and the book, the Great Animal Orchestra. Johnny recommends checking out Zazie in the Metro by Raymond Queneau for a fun, absurdist adventure in Paris. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/commonhappiness/support

Inspired by the impact of mental illness and lack of access to adequate care growing up in Cabrini Green in Chicago, Kamilah pursued a career as a child psychiatrist and focuses on working in underserved communities. Motherhood and love amplify her joy. Meditation and positive affirmations bring her out of a bad mood if one befalls her. This is a fun conversation, check it out. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/commonhappiness/support

As a master of many trades, Will finds fulfillment in productivity. Other people getting joy from his work is a nice bonus. We talk about the value of not holding on to a grudge. The humor in farts from cute creatures may also come up. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/commonhappiness/support

Generally opting to see the positive, Suzy believes in breaking down daunting tasks into the next step we can take. It has helped her to separate that which she can control from that which she can't. As an agented and traditionally published author, Suzy recently took the plunge and independently published a fantastic middle grade novel, Sierra Blue. It's a story about a girl who grows stronger the more she learns to accept herself. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/commonhappiness/support

Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) is a Danish concept of living. The hygge concept cannot be translated to one single word but it encompasses a feeling of cozy contentment and well-being through enjoying the simple things in life. After getting admitted to medical school, Walter felt withdrawn because he was concerned about whether or not he would enjoy the experience of being a physician and if he would be able to tolerate the challenges of seeing patients die. We agreed that taking leaps of faith and getting out of our comfort zone has been essential to our growth as physicians and people. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/commonhappiness/support

As an ambitious woman, Angelia eventually learned that prioritizing her work over everything else did her personal life a disservice. Angelia describes her late mother as her number one and her happiest place as in her husband's arms. She skydives to seize the day and prioritizes her relationships to cultivate joy. Ultimately to build joy she says we must love ourselves first, teach others and practice the golden rule. We discuss card parties with chicken and beer. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/commonhappiness/support

Billy tries to balance his mind, body and soul. The ups and downs of patient care in medical training made Billy shift his perspective on happiness from thrill seeking to appreciating stability, not only in his own life, but in the lives of people he cares about. Much like me, Billy gets frustrated by disingenuous people and business people taking over medicine. He maintains his zen by mitigating that energy and disconnecting as needed. Music and gaming are compared to meditation. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/commonhappiness/support

Nature, sisterhood and learning new things give Monica joy on a day to day basis. Monica pursued adversity with the goal of professional advancement, but admits that there is a cost to this that's often shared with the people around you. She acknowledges that all of us are on the pursuit of happiness and on that journey there is value in living in the moment. She also amuses herself by keeping her husband aware of his responsibility to clean their house air filters, even if he jokes about it keeping him up at night. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/commonhappiness/support