What Makes a Good Life? Lessons From the Longest Study on Happiness

Ready to unlock your potential? 🔥 https://bit.ly/2024makeithappen 👈 Sign up for my FREE 2-part training, Make It Happen with Mel Robbins. It’s designed to show you exactly HOW you can go from dreaming to doing! — This one study will change how you think about your entire life. Today, you’re getting the definitive answer to this powerful question: What makes a good life? There is nothing more important than this conversation. Because by the time you are done listening, your life won’t be the same. In this episode, you’re getting the research, the secrets, and some very surprising takeaways from an 86-year-long study at Harvard. The Harvard Study of Adult Development began in 1938 and is the longest study that has ever been done on happiness, relationships, and the human experience. Joining Mel today is the director of that study, Dr. Robert Waldinger, MD. Dr. Waldinger is a medical doctor, professor at Harvard Medical School, and a zen priest. He is here to share all of the groundbreaking research and, more importantly, give you the answers to what you need to do starting today in order to live a good life. You’ll learn the best life advice and lessons from 100-year-olds, the surprising question of whether you can predict if you’ll be healthy at age 80, the simple daily habit that leads to lasting happiness, and more—all backed by decades of research. This episode is a companion to Mel's brand new free training, Make It Happen. This training is designed to help you make your next 6 months extraordinary. It includes a 29 page workbook and 2 video trainings that use the latest research to help you get clear about what you want and create a plan to make it happen. And the cool part? It takes less than a minute for you to get started. Just sign up at http//www.melrobbins.com/makeithappen For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page: http://www.melrobbins.com/podcasts/episode-161 Follow The Mel Robbins Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themelrobbinspodcast I’m just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll see you in the next episode. In this episode: 7:26: What IS the Harvard Study of Adult Development? 12:03: The biggest and surprising takeaway from this study. 14:38: What was the strongest predictor of health at age 80? 17:07: Causes of loneliness and how to feel connected again. 20:36: The #1 strategy for couples who don’t feel connected. 24:27 Remember THIS when you’re trying to make new friends. 26:41: Mel shares what was happening in her life at 27 years old. 29:05: The advantage to getting older. 31:28: What do we get wrong about happiness? 40:31: What does money have to do with happiness? 46:14: How do we stop comparing ourselves? 48:29: How to find happiness when you’re in your 20’s. 56:52: What kind of relationships do you NEED to have a good life? 1:02:12: What will help you get the most out of life? 1:10:17: What to hear if you don’t have a romantic partner. 1:14:47: #1 pro tip for nurturing your friendships. 1:18:45: How to have deeper conversations with your friends. 1:26:06: The most important thing to know about raising healthy children. 1:29:32: How to help your kids and loved ones meet the challenges of life. 1:34:30: What were the biggest regrets for people at the end of their lives? 1:37:45: These are the only people who will remember that you worked late. — Follow Mel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@melrobbins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melrobbins Website: http://melrobbins.com​ — Sign up for Mel’s newsletter: https://melrob.co/sign-up-newsletter A note from Mel to you, twice a week, sharing simple, practical ways to build the life you want. — Subscribe to Mel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/melrobbins​?sub_confirmation=1 — Listen to The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday & Thursday! https://melrob.co/spotify https://melrob.co/applepodcasts https://melrob.co/amazonmusic — Looking for Mel’s books on Amazon? Find them here: The Let Them Theory: https://amzn.to/3IQ21Oe The Let Them Theory Audiobook: https://amzn.to/413SObp The High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/4l54fah