Most people think happiness comes from achieving more, but Chade-Meng Tan has proven it can be cultivated from within. Former early Google engineer, known as Google’s “Jolly Good Fellow”, and the creator of the groundbreaking Search Inside Yourself program, Meng has dedicated his life to making mindfulness, compassion, and emotional intelligence accessible to everyone. He joins Mercedes and Anastasia for a deeply insightful conversation on mental fitness, the science of joy, WHY meditation brings happiness, as well as gets real and raw about his own journey to happiness.
From behind-the-scenes stories from his early days at Google to teaching how to “default to joy,” Meng shares practical tools, surprising science, and the inspiring mindset shifts that can help you create a happier, more compassionate life, no matter where you’re starting from.
In this episode:
- Meng’s journey from Google engineer to global mindfulness teacher.
- Tips to feel happier and shift your emotional “default setting.”
- Meng's real & raw story: from depression to Jolly Good Fellow.The science and practice of emotional intelligence and why it’s a superpower.
- Meng’s “compassion formula” for building better relationships.
- Hacks to being mindful in daily life.
Practical, 2-minute habits to feel happier.
Behind-the-scenes stories from Google’s early days.
Whether you’re feeling stressed, stuck, or simply curious about the link between mindfulness and happiness, this episode will leave you with simple, powerful hacks to start building more peace and joy into your life today. It's easier than you might think!
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Ready to Hack Your Happiness some more? Listen to our interview with Founder of GivingTuesday, Asha Curran. In this episode, Asha shares how any can make a difference, hacks for being more generous, and how technology will impact the future of philanthropy: https://open.spotify.com/episode/39fBsyIgwJCLv29uj0mPWN?si=vTHzJQjcT9-zQ83su4bjsg
(00:00) Intro
(02:47) Meng's Journey: Working For Google, Realizing His 'Purpose', and Creating A Program At Google
(06:41) Greatest Lessons From Working At Google
(12:08) Funny/Memorable Stories From Google
(16:53) What Can I Learn From The 'Search Inside Yourself' Program?
(28:23) Top Tips For Building Mindfulness Into Your Day
(35:09) Meng On Shifting His Default From Sad To Happy, And How You Can Too!
(45:43) How Does Technology Affect Our Happiness?
(50:53) How Can I Create Good In Small Ways?
(56:20) One Billion Acts of Peace: What It Is + Their Goals
(1:01:55) If Meng Could Visit Any Country + Culture, He'd Go HERE!
(1:04:14) What Brings Meng A Small Bit of Happiness?
(1:05:59) Key Takeaways
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