027: The Art of Brilliance with Andy Cope

Do you often find yourself languished and dejected, unable or unwilling to make progress with your goals? Do you ever find yourself in conversation with someone who seems profoundly and robustly happy, and wonder how they do it? Are you unsure about how it is possible to remain positive when faced by the difficulties of our present predicament, from climate change to COVID-19?

In this episode, we’re thrilled to be speaking with ‘Doctor of Happiness’ Andy Cope, a bestselling author who has a PhD in Positive Psychology from Loughborough University. In conversation with Coffee, Calm & Connection’s Sarah Myerscough, he discusses the changes you can make today to build positivity into your mindset. In doing so, he suggests that you can develop tenacity and resilience, and make genuine progress towards becoming the person you wish to be.

 

Quote of the Episode

“Do, or do not. There is no ‘try’.” (Yoda)

In the episode, Andy invokes the learned Jedi wisdom of Yoda. In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker has crashed his spaceship into a swamp. He tells Yoda that he will ‘try’ to use the Force to raise his ship from the water; he is uncertain in his ability, and believes he will fail. He is unable to lift the ship, and gives up. Yoda, however, manages. He does not ‘try’ to lift the ship, he simply does. This principle can also be applied to self-care. If you would like to eat healthily, or start a new fitness regime, or learn a new language, do not tell yourself that you will simply ‘try’ to achieve these things. To discuss ‘trying’ is to allow for the possibility of failure while merely considering the prospect of your goal. If you decide to do something, you will be far more likely to commit to it, by assuming a more resilient attitude. You become able to use the Force.

 

Key Takeaways

Andy Cope argues that while much of modern psychology entails the treatment of mental health problems once they have developed, ‘positive psychology’ is a branch of research focused on preventative strategies. He suggests that there is an array of ‘intentional strategies’ we can learn, which imbue us with a persistently positive attitude even when we are inevitably faced with undesirable circumstances or misfortune.

 

‘Sisu’ is a Finnish term which lacks a comprehensive equivalent in English translation, but essentially refers to a tenacity and grit characteristic of the Finns, which enables them to face and overcome adversity with unyielding determination. Andy suggests that, by actively undertaking a positive attitude, we can begin to build a similar resilience within ourselves, which will enable us to power through tough times that may otherwise seem insurmountable.

This is due to the fact that, for Andy, there is an important distinction between positivity and happiness. It is impossible to be happy all the time; happiness is a temporary emotional state which is created by external phenomena. There is often a somewhat cynical tendency to tell miserable or depressed people to ‘choose to be happy’. This is fallacious and offensive. Happiness is not a choice. However, positivity is an attitude that can be actively undertaken, and which, in conjunction with self-care practices, can profoundly help you to overcome your personal trials and tribulations, and to actualise your aspirations.

 

The power of a positive attitude is highlighted by the fact that ultimately, our lives are a story we tell ourselves. That story is malleable and changeable; the way we recollect it is down to a matter of perspective. We possess the power to change the narrative of our own lives, both in the past and in the present.

 

Best Moments/Key Quotes

“Positive psychology is a preventative thing. What we're currently doing… is we're waiting for people to break, and then we're fixing them. Whereas positive psychology gives you some strategies, and some knowhow, and some tools and techniques, so that when the world does get worse… we might bend, but we don't have to break, if we know how to be more resilient, and we know how to be mindful and grateful.”

“People have got different explanatory styles… We're all one big story, we are a story that we tell ourselves, who we are is just what we accumulation of stories that we've told ourselves. And therefore… I think it's never too late to have a good childhood, even at age 54. I can let some bullying at age 7 ruin my life at age 54. If I think about it now, at age 54, I can still feel insecure about that. Or I can change the story. I can change the narrative. And once I change the story, which again is in my head and not an external thing. ‘You know what, I survived that bully, and I’ve grown’.”

“My two percenters… watch less news, they know it makes them feel bad, so they watch less of it. Whereas most people know it makes them feel bad, but watch it anyway and continue to watch it. By restricting the use, or consumption of it, you're restricting the opportunity to [be exposed to] bad stuff.”

‘The biggest single thing that my two percenters do is they consciously and deliberately choose to have a positive attitude’.

Resources

Solve For Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy by Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at GoogleX

Star Wars - Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

About the Guest

Andy Cope, ‘Doctor of Happiness’, is a bestselling author and keynote speaker, with a PhD from Loughborough University in Positive Psychology. He has worked with several large businesses, including Kellogg’s, Nationwide and UEFA, and is a prominent authority regarding wellbeing and employee engagement.

 

About the Host

Sarah Myerscough is the Sales and Marketing Director of Boston Tullis Group and the M.D and creator of Coffee, Calm and Connection. 

 

Connect with Sarah 

https://www.instagram.com/coffeecalmconnection/ 

https://www.facebook.com/coffeecalmconnection 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/70927508/admin/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmyerscough/ 

 

Website: Coffee Calm & Connection (coffeecalmconnection.org)