Show Notes for Episode #21:

Hot Topic #1 Hacking the American Mind

In tech circles, to hack is to use a computer to gain unauthorized access to data in a system as in the Equifax hack. That s known as black hat hacking, but there’s a positive spin to this hacking stuff.

White hat hacking is exploding across both tech and non-tech industries often through hackathons where you gather a group of bright minds to hack new solutions to solve complex problems.

There s a fascinating book that came out in September: The Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies & Brains by Robert H. Lustig, professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, specializing in neuroendocrinology.

This book touches on both types of hacking largely in the context of nutrition and addiction, but I caught an interview with Dr. Lustig that examines two positive emotions that are often getting confused in today s culture Pleasure & Happiness.

We shared a clip where Dr. Lustig outlines seven key differences between Pleasure and Happiness. Here’s the link to view the full video: The Hacking of the American Mind with Dr. Robert Lustig.

Now, a few quick thoughts about Pleasure & Happiness as it applies to Retirepreneurs

• Be careful about the content you consume, especially on digital channels
• You ll see plenty of Pleasure material the Get Rich Quick Stuff or Get More Twitter followers empty promises. You can easily waste precious time on dead ends like these.
• Happiness is by far the better path for Retirepreneurs — both in the content you consume, as well as the content you share with potential clients.
• Launching an encore career is well within your grasp but opt for the long-term happiness gains, rather than the short-term pleasure hits. Pleasure fizzles in a flash, while happiness multiplies with each passing month.

Hot Topic #2: The U-Shaped Curve of Happiness

Continuing with this Happiness theme, Dr. Laura Carstensen is founding director of the Stanford Center for Longevity and through her work, she s uncovered a surprising paradox that the longer we live, the more positive we become.

We shared an excerpt from a remarkable NICTalk Dr. Carstenensen delivered.

Joining us at the Retirepreneur Watercooler…

Tom Speaks, principal & co-founder at The Impact Group in Hudson, Ohio. Tom s expert team helps clients build awareness, drive traffic, and generate excitement — to ultimately be more effective in their communication efforts. They’re also quite adept at tapping the latest in new media technologies in innovative and meaningful ways.

The Impact Group is already engaging “retirepreneur” talent in extraordinary ways, recruiting seasoned specialists as part-time contractors to share insights and stories to help their clients advance faster and better with their communications strategy.

If marketing & communications is your specialty OR need, be sure to check out their blog, too: Impact the Conversation

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