011: Doug Hensch, Rethinking Resilience

Throughout his life, Doug Hensch has helped people to be more resilient, happier, and to achieve greater levels of success. His journey began with coaching football at University of Chicago, progressed to organizational development for telecom companies like Sprint Nextel, and evolved to creating online resources for increasing happiness. He was co-founder of Happier.com, a web site that launched in 2008 that helped thousands increase their happiness and resilience. And now, he’s an executive coach and writing a book on resilience, due to be published in early 2017.

We discuss:  

Career stepping stones including coaching youth baseball
Achieving success by following what interests you rather than pursuing the expected career path. In Doug's case this meant pursuing a job applying positive psychology rather than website product development.  
Being in the right place, at the right time, with the right attitude
Benefits of talking to people wherever you are - at Starbucks, a taxi cab, an airplane...
Making a role your own
Meditating 
The evolution of Doug's book deal
Resilience practices 
Perceptions of luck
Three addictions in life (as defined by Peter Worrell):     1) Carbohydrates
   2) Heroin
   3) A Paycheck

Doug's Recommended Resources

Books

Love 2.0, by Barbara Frederickson, Ph.D.

Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, by Martin Seligman

Made to Stick, Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

The Upside of Your Dark Side, by Todd Kashdan and Robert Biswas-Diener

Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age, by Sherry Turkle

Free Range Kids, How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children, by Lenore Skenazy

Connect With Doug

DRH Group

LinkedIn

Thanks for listening!

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