Podcast

Join Jared and Emily Akers as they talk about life, love, happiness, and respect for oneself and our partners in life. They explore many topics from life, love,
relationships, self-respect, travel, and keys to living a happy life; all from personal experience. Through Jared’s personal blog - How to Be Happy: Happiness for the Practical Mind - they receive questions about living a happy life from people all over the world. Through sharing their personal experience they humbly demonstrate how self-respect, authenticity, and love are vital components of living a happy life regardless of circumstances.

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HTBH 021: Stop Being So Needy

by Jared Akers

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Do you have a needy partner, spouse, or friend? Or maybe you’re the needy one.

In this episode of the How to Be Happy Podcast, we sat down to discuss how to stop being so needy.

Whether your partner is too needy, or you feel you need a partner to be happy, “need” is a form of control. The more self-worth and love we have, the less we need to be happy and fulfilled.

You don’t need anyone to make you happy.

Topics in this episode:

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HTBH 020: Creating a Positive Self-Image

by Jared Akers

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It’s been a while since we recorded our last podcast. Emily and I sat down today to discuss what it means and the importance of creating a positive self-image.

Topics in this episode:

Self-Image
Self-Esteem (doing esteemable acts)
Acceptance

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HTBH 019: Dealing with Unhappy People

by Jared Akers

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Last week after talking to my mother about dealing with unhappy people, she forwarded me an email with a story about The Law of The Garbage Truck. After some research, I discovered the story is from the book The Law of the Garbage Truck: How to Stop People from Dumping on You (Amazon) by David Pollay. Here’s the story:

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport.

We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, ‘Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!’

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, ‘The Law of the Garbage Truck.’

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. [Read more…]

HTBH 018: Dealing with Aging Parents

by Jared Akers

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Dealing with aging parents is a part of life we should feel lucky to experience.

However, in some cases, depending on the relationship we have with our parents or the circumstances involved, there can also be a lot of stress, guilt, and resentments related to such an experience.

In response to a reader sharing a touching story about taking care of her mother and then mother-in-law, Emily and I discuss the topic of dealing with aging parents and steps we can take to lessen the burden for our children as we age.

Topics in this episode:

Nursing Home vs. Retirement Community vs. Assisted Living
Are we obligated to take care of our parents?
It’s OK to feel some guilt or resentment
Legacy File / Legacy Drawer (next week we’ll share more about this and what it entails)

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HTBH 017: Effective Communication with Your Spouse or Partner

by Jared Akers

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In this episode of the How to Be Happy Podcast, Emily and I sat down to discuss our experience on effective communication in relationships.

One of the best ways to become a great communicator is to know who you are and what you need.

What’s the difference between nagging and someone just not paying attention or listening? At some point, if you’re nagging, you have to realize that you’re putting expectations on the other person to make you happy.

Topics in this episode:

How to Develop Good Communication Skills (accidentally on purpose)
Gene Simmons Family Jewel’s
Kindness
Respect (listen to episode 015)
Timing
Honestly
Sarcasm
Anger
Expectations (listen to Episode #5)
The 90 Second Rule

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