logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2025
1h 32m

Your Unhappy Brain Needs Some Assistance...

SIMON SINEK
About this episode

Happiness is a choice. But it’s not always an easy choice to make.

Mo Gawdat had to face an impossible choice. Before he was a bestselling author and podcast host, Mo worked a lucrative career as Chief Business Officer at Google X. He reached the heights of business influence and amassed a fortune by 29. And yet, he was miserable. It was only after the tragic death of his 21-year-old son Ali that Mo was forced to confront the truth.

Mo now dedicates his life, work, and research to figuring out how human beings can be happier, and he’s on a mission to make 1 billion people happy. He sat down with me to share what he’s learned – that happiness is both a choice and our default setting, how to trick our brains out of survival mode, and why the happiest emotions we feel are rooted in the present, not the past or future.

This…is A Bit of Optimism.

To learn more about Mo and his work, check out:mogawdat.com

Up next
Sep 23
Rob Lowe Names Names: The Power of ‘Screw It’
Hey Optimists! We’re taking a little hiatus, but exciting things are coming your way! We’ll be back on October 21 with some amazing new episodes that we can’t wait to share. In the meantime, take care of yourself, enjoy the little moments, and remember—good things are just around ... Show More
1h 2m
Sep 16
The Future You Avoid Is Riskier Than the One You Face with LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman
The future is something we create, not just something that happens. To guide progress toward real good, we need bold, optimistic visions of what society can become.Reid Hoffman makes the case for better science fiction - stories that don’t just entertain, but illuminate the futur ... Show More
1h 6m
Sep 9
What Your Love Life Can Teach You About Work Relationships with psychotherapist Esther Perel
We’ve never had more freedom in our relationships—yet many of us feel more disconnected than ever. Marriage, family, and even the workplace have all been reshaped by shifting norms, new technologies, and rising expectations. Happiness, once a nice-to-have, is now the very glue th ... Show More
1h 2m
Recommended Episodes
May 2020
One Billion Happy: Learning To Be Happy In A Pandemic
Learning to be happy is hard enough. Learning to be happy in the middle of a pandemic should be nigh on impossible. Not so, according to Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer of Google [X], serial entrepreneur and author of “Solve for Happy: Engineering Your Path to Joy” (2017 ... Show More
56m 41s
Jan 2025
The Surprising Secret to Happiness (It’s Easier Than You Think!) with Mo Gawdat (Re-release) #510
Happiness is a choice.It’s a bold statement, but it’s one I wholeheartedly support. Whether you agree with this statement, or whether the idea sits a little uncomfortably with you, I think you are going to get a lot out of this uplifting conversation. My guest is Mo Gawdat and he ... Show More
2h 13m
Jan 2025
179. Finding Positive in Negative Emotions: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing
A double definition of happiness — and how to cultivate both parts. The new year gives us an opportunity to reflect on who we are and who we want to be. As we set resolutions and prepare for evolutions, this special four-part series on communication, happiness, and well-being exp ... Show More
24m 24s
Apr 2025
3550: More Money, Less Happiness: When Money Makes You Miserable by Michael Laurence with Get Rich Slowly
Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com.Episode 3550:More money can improve life if used wisely. Michael Laurence explores why higher incomes don’t always lead to greater h ... Show More
10m 39s
Dec 2024
Some happiness is predetermined. The rest is up to you.
Happiness, it turns out, comes down to a science — even though what makes each of us happy can vary pretty widely. Host Cristina Quinn talks to happiness scientist Emiliana Simon-Thomas, science director at UC-Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, about exactly what makes us ha ... Show More
12m 53s
Aug 2024
Harvard Professor EXPOSES Why You Feel Unsatisfied & Unhappy In Life | Arthur Brooks
Could your toughest days hold the secret to personal greatness? It's time to rethink everything you thought you knew about being happy... Arthur Brooks, a renowned happiness expert and professor at Harvard, joins me today to unravel how embracing life's challenges can transform y ... Show More
58m 3s
Jun 2024
3215: [Part 1] Pursuing a Richer, Fuller Level of Happiness by Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist
Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com.Episode 3215:Joshua Becker of BecomingMinimalist.com shares a compelling story of Jason and his family, who found that adopting a ch ... Show More
10m 47s
Jul 2024
How Much Money Ankur Nagpal Needs to be Happy for Life
How much money do you need to be happy?Money alone is not going to make you a happy person, but it can sure as hell help you get there. Money can buy you security, time, health, and safety for you and your loved ones, and it can relieve stress when it comes to life's financial pr ... Show More
29m 13s
Apr 2025
HAPPINESS IS OVERRATED
We've been taught to chase happiness like it's the ultimate prize, but what if that pursuit is leading us in the wrong direction? In this episode, we explore the idea that happiness is often fleeting, overrated, and even distracting from what truly matters. Instead of fixating on ... Show More
8m 30s