Messy and Masterful – Details, episodes & analysis

• Understand your genetic programming and the stick and carrot principle to achieve happiness.
• Develop good habits and discard bad habits, starting with small changes and being kind to yourself.
• Live a healthy lifestyle, including getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising, for both physical and mental well-being.
• Use meditation as a powerful tool to rewire the brain and free yourself from negative mental reactions and cravings. Observe mental reactions without reacting and extend this practice to daily life
• Develop contentment and gratitude for a deeply satisfying life
• Engage in flow activities instead of mindless relaxation
• Invest in social relationships and practice altruism
• Don't make happiness the direct goal, focus on equanimity, contentment, and loving interactions

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• Become an Audible Member for only 99 pence for 3 months: https://bit.ly/3vzSox9
• Riverside.fm: get a 15% discount by using the code MESSY or sign up here https://bit.ly/3HCU4IC
• Register to Receive Books for £1 from Scholastic:https://bit.ly/49lRimq
• Leading the Circular Fashion Revolution with Preworn: Get a 25% discount using the code MESSY25: https://bit.ly/49bEXlD
• Cold Case Inc (use the code MESSY and get an exclusive 15% discount): https://bit.ly/3HN75PD
• Connect with the Brands you love at Awin:https://bit.ly/3vzSvJ5
• Find the Perfect Gardener on Care.com: https://bit.ly/4cLKcdZ
• Grown Alchemist: https://bit.ly/3vKGXCD
• Cake or Death: https://bit.ly/3J4tDfG
• Kids Party Craft: https://bit.ly/4cFrULj
• Bike Club: https://bit.ly/3xj7DuF
• The Code Zone: https://bit.ly/3UlspmU

Takeaways: 

• Remaining equanimous, developing contentment, and connecting with others are important pillars for living a happy and meaningful life.
• Meditation is a practice that involves manipulating attention and can lead to a transformation of the experience of life.
• Through meditation, one can train attention, gain insight into their own psychology, and develop a new relationship with thoughts and emotions.
• Detachment from emotions allows for a greater appreciation of both positive and negative feelings, without clinging or craving for them to last.
• The quality of life is more determined by the attention one brings to the present moment than by external circumstances. Meditation is a powerful tool for training the brain and rewiring mental patterns.
• Different types of meditation, such as concentration, mindfulness, and cultivation meditation, offer various benefits for happiness and well-being.
• The Saber protocol (Stop, Accept, Bring attention, Examine, Release) can help manage negative mental reactions and promote emotional freedom.
• Practicing gratitude and cultivating contentment are essential for enhancing happiness.
• Training the brain for happiness requires daily practice and a commitment to observing and transforming negative mental reactions.

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• Become an Audible Member for only 99 pence for 3 months: https://bit.ly/3vzSox9
• Riverside.fm: get a 15% discount by using the code MESSY or sign up here https://bit.ly/3HCU4IC
• Register to Receive Books for £1 from Scholastic:https://bit.ly/49lRimq
• Leading the Circular Fashion Revolution with Preworn: Get a 25% discount using the code MESSY25: https://bit.ly/49bEXlD
• Cold Case Inc (use the code MESSY and get an exclusive 15% discount): https://bit.ly/3HN75PD
• Connect with the Brands you love at Awin:https://bit.ly/3vzSvJ5
• Find the Perfect Gardener on Care.com: https://bit.ly/4cLKcdZ
• Grown Alchemist: https://bit.ly/3vKGXCD
• Cake or Death: https://bit.ly/3J4tDfG
• Kids Party Craft: https://bit.ly/4cFrULj
• Bike Club: https://bit.ly/3xj7DuF
• The Code Zone: https://bit.ly/3UlspmU

• Innovation should be driven by purpose and outcome, not just for the sake of being innovative.
• Reform can be more effective than disruption when it comes to improving institutions.
• Education should focus on nurturing critical wisdom and preparing individuals to make decisions of consequence.
• The current educational system needs to be denounced and replaced with a value system that prioritizes systematic thinking and ethical frameworks.

• The Code Zone: https://bit.ly/3UlspmU
• Cold Case Inc (use the code MESSY and get an exclusive 15% discount): https://bit.ly/3HN75PD
• Riverside (get a 20% discount by signing up via this link): https://bit.ly/3HCU4IC

• There is a difference between education and learning, and it is important to expand such definitions beyond traditional schooling.
• Lifelong learning is crucial, and learning happens both inside and outside of school.
• The Stanford Accelerator for Learning seeks to accelerate to put Academic Research into practice and supports projects with a high impact on education.
• AI has the potential to enhance education, but it should be integrated with existing technology and designed with educators' input.

A remarkable interview about resilience, passion and trying to make an impact on this world.
Aldo speaks to Jo Besford and Mark Swartz, founders of GreenShoots an organisation focused on improving numeracy and Maths skills of all students in South Africa.

You can find out more about GreenShoots here: https://www.greenshootsedu.co.za/
This interview was recorded at the World Innovation Summit for Education in Doha in November 2023. You can find out more about WISE by going here: https://www.wise-qatar.org/

Our very last episode of the year analyses what makes us human beings happy. Aldo speaks to Dr. Michael Vlerick, our most listened to guest of 2023, about his new book ‘Why We Are Not Happier’ and what makes us tick in an era of negative news clickbait and social media depression.

We explore terms like ‘hedonic adaptation’ and ’negativity bias’ all carefully explained by this great philosopher who explains his reasons to publish his third book. 

Michael is an assistant professor in philosophy of science at Tilburg University and authored two previous books "De tweede vervreemding" and "Critical and Scientific Thinking”. He gives talks on topics such as global cooperation, critical thinking and happiness. 

For more on Michael you can go here: https://www.michaelvlerick.com/
You can purchase his latest book (in Dutch) here: https://www.bol.com/be/nl/f/waarom-we-niet-gelukkiger-zijn/9300000148166225/
You can purchase the eBook version of his book here: https://www.amazon.com/Waarom-niet-gelukkiger-zijn-Dutch-ebook/dp/B0C8RPTKSV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1HK71L23R5ZXY&keywords=waarom+we+niet+gelukkiger+zijn&qid=1702384163&sprefix=waarom+we+niet+gelukkiger+zijn%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-1

Aldo shares his reflections on attending WISE11 in Doha on November 28th and 29th, 2023. 

You can help out those who have been deprived of an education because of war by making a small donation to one of the following organisations:

UNICEF for Gaza: https://www.unicef.org.uk/donate/children-in-gaza-crisis-appeal/
Education Above All: https://donate.educationaboveall.org

Find out more about WISE here: https://www.wise-qatar.org/

1. 'A House for Mr. Biswas' by V.S. Naipaul: https://amzn.eu/d/davSL9e
2. 'The Practice of Groundedness' by Brad Stuhlberg: https://amzn.eu/d/1ZLbTxx
3. 'The Years' by Annie Ernaux: https://amzn.eu/d/gIS1yEC
4. 'Demon Copperhead' by Barbara Kingsolver: https://amzn.eu/d/gU4zce7
5. ‘Siddhartha' by Herman Hesse: https://amzn.eu/d/5lIu8n3
6. 'Man Search for Meaning' by Viktor E. Frankl: https://amzn.eu/d/8xxVVRM
7. 'The Covenant of Water' by Abraham Verghese: https://amzn.eu/d/8147pNe
8. ‘Afterlives' by Abdulrazak Gunrah: https://amzn.eu/d/eVSQTK3
9. 'If You Want to Write' by Brenda Ueland: https://amzn.eu/d/fgaaGcT
10. ‘Build The Life You Want’ by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey: https://amzn.eu/d/b4596xt
11. ‘The Big Leap’ by Gay Hendricks: https://amzn.eu/d/17hnLHb
12. ‘The Gene: An Intimate History’ by Siddhartha Mukherjee: https://amzn.eu/d/57uBkhW

A great conversation with Dr. Charles Wiles about entrepreneurship, education, software and AI. 

Charles shares with Aldo his experience and insights on working for and building technology companies and explains what drives him to ensure his current endeavour will be a big success. 

Find out more about Dr. Wiles company Zzish here: https://www.zzish.com/

A deep conversation about career choices, family life and health with professional negotiator and Headhunter Laurence Dewaele.

Aldo speaks with Laurence about her journey from being a lawyer at one of the top firms on the planet to becoming an expert in negotiation and Executive Search. 

Laurence speaks about the book she co-authored called ‘Eat Sleep Negotiate!’ together with Katia Tieleman. 

The Dutch version of this book will be available as of March 2024 and you can pre-order it here.
https://www.lannoo.be/nl/eat-sleep-negotiate