How to Find and Pack Your Suitcase of Happiness

I’m thrilled to have Mark Jaffe, author of “Suitcase of Happyness,” as my guest. Mark is a former Walt Disney executive, and he has spent a good deal of his life looking at how to cultivate happiness. At a young age he realized that his happiest life was not something out of reach. He studied, observed, cultivated, and ultimately enjoyed an enduring happiness through a singular focus on identifying what worked and what didn’t. In this episode, Mark and I talk about how to find and pack your suitcase of happiness.

I truly enjoyed speaking with Mark, and I love that we had the opportunity to dive into some of the ways that you can start to regain your happiness and joy after the 2016 Presidential election. Many people are reeling from the decision; and while we don’t all know what changes lie ahead, Mark and I share our (non political) thoughts on how you can re-focus, honor what you are feeling, and make a plan to move forward.

A few inspiring quotes from the show:

“Happyness doesn’t come to those who passively wait for it. Just like anything in life doesn’t come to those who passively wait for it. We have to choose it, actively choose it.” – Mark Jaffe

“If we can treat each other with tenderness and kindness during this time of fear, that’s very much where the healing starts. And then, our shared vision can start to come together.” – Paula Jenkins

The Shehecheyanu (Jewish Blessing of Praise)
Our praise to You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of all:
for giving us life, sustaining us, and enabling us to reach this season.

“The way to be beloved is to be lovely.” – Adam Smith

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ― Melody Beattie

“The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers & cities; but to know someone who thinks & feels with us, & who, though distant, is close to us in spirit, this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

In this episode, Mark and I talk about:

– the inspiration for the name of his book, and what a “Suitcase of Happyness” means
– how being unhappy as a child motivated him to seek out happiness
– the collected moments that come together for our own suitcase of happiness
– the four laws of focus, and how they can help you
– what to do if you’re having feelings of loss and confusion over the election results
– how unexpected people and moments can inspire you to lead a happier, more passion filled life
– how to set priorities and define balance in your life
– Mark’s thoughts on how to jumpstart your joy – the crossroads of serendipity, passion, and gratitude