Dr. Rangan Chatterjee: What's at the Core of Your Happiness? (Part 2)
House Calls with Dr. Vivek MurthyShow Notes
How well do you balance your ideas of success with your happiness? And do you really understand what makes you happy?
In Part Two of their conversation about stress, the Surgeon General and Dr. Rangan Chatterjee talk about how our culture of striving for more can undermine our happiness. But if we can identify a few simple things that bring us joy, we can develop the skill of happiness. As an example, Dr. Chatterjee leads Dr. Murthy through a simple “core happiness” exercise we can all practice.
This episode of House Calls gets deeply personal, as both doctors talk about personal challenges in their lives relating to family, love, and loss. This conversation is a powerful example of how connecting human-to-human can help us through hard moments.
We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas.
(02:05) Why really listening, instead of problem-solving, matters.
(06:10) How can we develop the skill of happiness?
(10:22) Does success equate to happiness?
(12:28) The quest for success: the story of Dr. Chatterjee’s father.
(17:14) Want to try the exercise “Write Your Happy Ending?”
(20:20) Look back…what makes you happy?
(23:41) Dr. Murthy shares an internal struggle.
(27:42) And what Dr. Chatterjee reveals in return.
(30:50) Love, loss, and beauty as emotional companions.
(33:57) As parents age, finding new appreciation for life.
(37:41) Want to alleviate stress? Reach out, connect, and be vulnerable.
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, Physician & Podcast Host
Twitter: @drchatterjeeuk
Instagram: @drchatterjee
Facebook: @drchatterjee
About Dr. Rangan Chatterjee
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is regarded as one of the most influential medical doctors in the UK and wants to change how medicine will be practiced for years to come. His mission is to help 100 million people around the globe live better lives.
He hosts the most listened to health podcast in the UK and Europe, "Feel Better, Live More" – which regularly tops the Apple Podcast charts. The podcast has received 125 million audio downloads to date and is listened to and watched by over 8 million people every month. Chris Evans calls “Feel Better Live More” ‘One of the best podcasts on the planet.’
Dr Chatterjee is known for his ability to simplify complex health advice and find the root cause of people's health problems - he highlighted his methods in the ground-breaking BBC One television show, “Doctor in the House,” which has been shown in over 70 countries around the world. He has recently been awarded the title of Professor of Health Communication and Education at The University of Chester.
He is the Number 1 selling health author in the UK; each of his 5 books are Sunday Times Bestsellers in the UK and international bestsellers across the globe. His latest book “Happy Mind, Happy Life” was published on March 31st 2022 and was an instant No.1 Sunday Times Bestseller. Dr. Chatterjee hosts his own Amazon Original daily podcast “Built to Thrive,” regularly appears on BBC Television and has been featured in numerous international publications including The New York Times, Forbes, The Guardian and Vogue. His TED talk, How To Make Disease Disappear, has been viewed more than 5.5 million times.
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“You can re-imagine anything.” This was life advice that fashion designer Phillip Lim was given by his mother. His family escaped the Khmer Rouge and came to America as refugees. They had no resources and had to start over from scratch. Somehow, Phillip rose to become one of the most successful fashion designers in the world. He started his label 3.1 Phillip Lim with his business partner when they were both just 31 years old. In this heartfelt episode of House Call, we catch Phillip in a moment of evolution, surprising the fashion world by stepping away from his company and starting a new, unknown chapter in his life. As he opens up about his continuous journey of becoming, of re-imagining his life, Phillip and the Surgeon General ponder: how do you distinguish between success and fulfillment? How does being part of a community help our mental health? Why is creativity and sense of play so important? What is the connection between beauty and the values we live? While they come from very different worlds of medicine and fashion, Phillip and the Surgeon General are both guided by love of community, a desire to help others, and the inspiration of their mothers. (02:46) What role has Phillip Lim’s mom played in his life? (06:20) How did Phillip Lim maintain a sense of optimism in his early life? (09:20) How did curiosity and creativity put Phillip Lim on an unexpected path? (15:27) How did Phillip Lim navigate the competitive world of fashion? (18:54) What practices does Phillip Lim use to stay grounded? (23:02) What is the difference between success and fulfillment for Phillip Lim? (26:33) How can we find the courage to make big life changes? (31:58) How is Phillip Lim building community and advocating for mental health? (42:32) What message does Dr. Murthy have for Phillip Lim’s mother? (48:05) Phillip Lim asks Dr. Murthy for advice on empowering others to be seen, heard, and show up for each other. We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.
Do you feel you can no longer talk with people who hold different opinions? Has anger become the predominant tone? If we want this to change, how can we as individuals, change the way we talk and connect when we differ?