Jake Pearson  00:00

Are you trying to figure out the secret to happiness? We're here at What Makes You Happy with Jake Pearson. We want to make that happiness more accessible for you in your life. So stick around as we interview everyday people, inspirational leaders and your favorite celebrities on what makes them happy.

Welcome back to the podcast where we ask the question, what makes you happy?

My name is Jake Pearson. And today we have with us and award winning author, we have Dr. Marni from the US Virgin Islands. Dr. Marni, pleasure to have you here.

Dr. Marni Hill Foderaro  00:39

Well, thanks, Jake, for having me.

Jake Pearson  00:40

Super excited to talk about all things that make you happy. And I see that you've got a few of your own books in the background, don't you? 

Dr. Marni Hill Foderaro  00:47

I do. I'm a writer. 

Jake Pearson  00:49

How long have you been a writer? 

Dr. Marni Hill Foderaro  00:50

I was a high school teacher for 35 years in the Chicago, Illinois, US suburbs. And, you know, I love to write, I love to read. But it wasn't until close to retirement that I actually wrote my first award winning book. And then came a few other books after that. So it was kind of later in my life.

Jake Pearson  01:14

Oh, that's super exciting. And congratulations for doing that. Does that tie into what makes you happy?

Dr. Marni Hill Foderaro  01:19

Most definitely. In fact, because I love to write and I love words, I actually made an acrostic having to do with what makes me happy. And I actually wrote a book of acrostic poems, that is one of the books of my five book series, True Deceit False Love. But anyway, I wrote the word happy. And I tried to think of what really makes me happy. 

• The first one is Helping others. You know, just as being a teacher, you know, I'm just a natural helper. And raising two beautiful children, of course, a mom needs to help their kids. And one thing I'd like to help them as adults is just to be independent, and live their own life and pursue their passions. So sometimes helping, is actually giving wings to let them fly. I'm just drawn to helping other people. And it makes me very happy to do so. 

• The second letter A is an Author, I'm happy to be a writer. I wrote an award winning spiritual fiction, God Came to My Garage Sale. And it's was endorsed by James Redfield, who wrote the The Celestine Prophecy. And that was super validating that someone with his caliber of writing actually saw what I did and saw value in it. So that was pretty cool. But I find writing very therapeutic, and so that's something I enjoy doing, and it makes me happy. 

• And the third letter is P-- Actually, the third and fourth are P, and they kind of go hand in hand with places and people. I am a lover of world travel. I have not been to Australia where you are from, but I've been to many other places. And I just love meeting new people, and seeing new places, and learning about the history and just kind of getting into the culture. And I think in my travels, I've realized that we are all human beings, and we have so much in common. That's something that makes me very happy. 

• And then the last letter of happy is Y. And I like Yoga and Meditation. And I could have just gone on and on. But I like being in nature and just connecting with Mother Earth. And I just feel connected to God and spirit. And, you know, just all things good and amazing when I am practicing yoga, practicing meditation, now that I'm in the Caribbean, swimming in the ocean, hiking the rain forest, all that brings me so much joy. But I will say that even when I was in the Chicago suburbs, and I was in the middle of a very hard winter. And you know, it was very dark and freezing. I still found beauty in that as well. So, I think I'm someone who could be happy wherever I land.

Jake Pearson  04:34

Oh, that's a really good trait to have and to be able to recognize that you can be happy no matter what and be able to be grateful and be present in those moments and just accept it for the beauty that it is but what would you say to our listeners who are struggling to find happiness in their own lives? What's your one piece of advice be for them?

Dr. Marni Hill Foderaro  04:54

You know, we all have challenges in our lives. And if we can handle our challenges with love and positivity, kind of looking at your situation with the glass half full, not looking at the glass half empty, you're going to be in a better place and enjoy your days more because you know you're approaching these challenges or adversity with a positive lens that you can get through this. So I'd like to give hope and inspiration to anyone who's experiencing challenges because it does get better.

Jake Pearson  05:32

Beautifully said Dr. Marni, thank you for coming on our podcast to share all things that make you happy. We've really enjoyed your time here. 

Thanks for listening to the podcast. We hope it gives you something to think about on your quest to discover what makes you happy. Make sure to check out whatmakesyouhappypodcast.com to connect with today's guest and follow us on all our social media platforms and to stay up to date, what's happening next and what makes you happy. Don't forget to share this episode with a friend and we'll see you next time!