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BITESIZE | The Secret to Long-Term Happiness and Fulfilment | Matthew McConaughey #237

Feb 11, 2022 15m 5s 14 insights
Are you performing at life, or are you really living it? Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart.  Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests.   Today’s clip is from episode 134 of the podcast with the wonderful Matthew McConaughey. In this clip Matthew explains why authenticity is important to him and how, by understanding who we really are and showing up as ourselves more often, we can live a happier life. Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore Order Dr Chatterjee's new book Happy Mind, Happy Life: UK version: https://amzn.to/304opgJ, US & Canada version: https://amzn.to/3DRxjgp Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.   Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/134 Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Actionable Insights

1. Be More You

Strive to understand who you really are and show up as yourself more often, as this is key to living a happier life.

2. Eliminate Undesired Actions

To take pressure off the challenge of knowing what you want to do, first identify and eliminate the things in your life that are not what you want to do.

3. Journal Successes for Recalibration

Keep a journal of your habits and mindset when life is going well, so you can reference it later to recalibrate when you find yourself in a rut.

4. Journal Failures for Learning

Use journaling to reflect on why you experience setbacks, which helps you understand the underlying reasons and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

5. Seek Solitude for Values

To truly understand your values, seek solitude and dedicate time to switch off external noise and look internally.

6. Envision Future Self

Write down who you aspire to be in the future (e.g., ‘who I am in 10 years’) and then live your story towards that aspirational headline.

7. Accept Flaws & Imperfections

Look your flaws, scars, bumps, and warts directly in the eye without denial, moving from embarrassment to laughter or from shame to forgiveness about those things.

8. Align Internal & External Self

Strive for a state where there is no gap between who you are, what you do, and how the world responds to you, fostering genuine reciprocity.

9. Engineer Green Lights

Recognize that ‘green lights’ (affirmations, freedom, progress) are often about your own choices, and you can engineer your decisions to have more of them in your future.

10. Deny False Trauma

Choose not to give minor crises or ‘red/yellow lights’ credit, denying them as false trauma and blowing through them to maintain forward momentum.

11. Avoid Dwelling on Setbacks

Do not dwell on ‘yellow lights’ (hardships or crises) to prevent self-sabotage and stop them from escalating into deeper ‘red lights’.

12. Recognize Lessons in Hardship

Understand that ‘red and yellow lights’ (hardships and crises) often contain valuable lessons necessary for growth, even if the benefit isn’t immediately clear.

13. Embrace Resistance for Growth

Accept ‘yellow and red lights’ – resistances, slowdowns, and stops – as essential forces that help you grow and evolve.

14. Seek Solar-Powered Green Lights

Pursue ‘solar-powered green lights’ that provide long-term, sustainable positive impact, shining brighter and longer into the future and even after you’re gone.