Choose Happiness With Rachel Cole

Join Rachel Cole, author of Choose Happiness, as she delves into the concepts of how we can make the choice to invite happiness into our lives, regardless of what challenges may come our way or what is going on in the world around us.

Beware the Danger of Rationalization 07/29/2026

Beware the Danger of Rationalization As we go through life and experience situations that leave us disappointed, sad, angry, or frustrated, we might tend toward rationalizing the outcomes to make ourselves temporarily feel better. If this becomes a habit, it can seriously hinder our emotional growth and prevent us from living the happiest and healthiest life that we can imagine for ourselves. Here are some ways that we can break the cycle of rationalization and take the steps necessary to validate our own feelings; which then leads to standing in our own power and living our own truth, no matter what might come our way. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/42248720

Three Things That Help Me To Choose Happiness 06/26/2026

Three Things That Help Me To Choose Happiness Sometimes choosing happiness can be hard. It's so much easier to allow ourselves to be bogged down in the misery of regrets from the past, worries about the future, or the state of the world that we're in at any given moment. But among the difficulties of life we do have the choice to focus on what's good and the reality of what's going well instead of leaning into despair. For the past few years I have been developing tools and practices to help me choose happiness when I'd rather stay mired in grief and sorrow. I share some of the most beneficial ones in this podcast in the hope that they will help us all to make the choice to find the good and get us out of our own heads when necessary. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/41811515

Choose Happiness Interview with The Okayest Magician, Gary Hernberg 05/27/2026

Choose Happiness Interview with The Okayest Magician, Gary Hernberg Join me for a fun and fascinating interview with The Okayest Magician, also known as Gary Hernberg. Learn about his journey toward fulfilling his dream of becoming a professional magician post-retirement and finding tremendous success along the way. We'll also learn a magic trick to impress our friends and family! Gary shares some great advice about how to make a favorite hobby into a profession at any age, and reminds us that it's never too late to experience all of the magic that life has to offer. Check out Gary's website here: Instagram: /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/41440135

Let's Stop the Unnecessary Competition With Each Other, Shall We? 03/30/2026

Let's Stop the Unnecessary Competition With Each Other, Shall We? Competing with others is rooted in human nature as a deeply ingrained evolutionary strategy for securing scarce resources—such as food, mates, and shelter - to ensure survival and reproduction. However, in today’s society when we’re not competing for basic survival, the innate, inherent drive system of competition has evolved, as things do, into modern competition for status, power, and achievement. Social media has intensified this need to compete and has blown it completely out of proportion with the "highlight reels" that people post, and the online trolls who make it their mission to tear people down for any (or no) reason. Additionally, at times I have found myself in situations where people have chosen to be in competition with me even though I haven't even entered the race. I have an idea: Let's turn off the comparison machine and stop competing with our fellow humans because those only lead to jealousy, bitterness, and dissatisfaction. A better choice for happiness is to be so focused on making our own lives the best that they can be, which doesn't leave any time or energy for competing with anyone else. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/40671600

Choose Happiness Interview with Entrepreneur Ellen Rubin 03/04/2026

Choose Happiness Interview with Entrepreneur Ellen Rubin I learned to become an expert knitter by being persistent, being tenacious, and being willing to make mistakes. Which also applies to life. -Ellen Rubin Ellen Rubin is one the most inspiring people I have ever met. Her main goal in life has always been to help others. First as an immunologist working with cancer patients and then transitioning into owning and running a magnificent full-service yarn and fiber arts store called Luv 2 Knit and More in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. She also founded a non-profit organization called Therapeutic CraftCare, which builds community and supports students, children with emotional needs, teenagers in foster care, veterans, cancer patients, nurses and anyone else who can benefit from the mental and physical transformations provided by knitting and crochet. Throughout her years of teaching knitting and crochet lessons, Ellen has seen children with autism have major breakthroughs as a result of learning fiber arts skills. She has also made great strides working with the Philadelphia school district incorporating literacy with crochet in a very successful afterschool enrichment program. Ellen has gone through some truly harrowing and traumatic life experiences and has made the conscious choice to see the lessons from the difficulties. Her overall determination to have a better second half of her life than her first half is a wonderful reminder to always trust our gut and follow our instincts to know what’s best for us. She encourages everyone to always be true to themselves and to live the most fulfilling and positive life we can imagine for ourselves. Visit her store at Check out Therapeutic CraftCare and donate here: /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/40311810

Choose Happiness Interview with Sam Butler 02/02/2026

Choose Happiness Interview with Sam Butler "I don't want to live through people, I want people to live through my life." -Sam Butler Join me for an uplifting and fascinating conversation with Sam Butler, proprietor of The Hermitage Bookshop, Denver's oldest independent bookstore. I encourage you to watch the video of this one because he gives us a tour of the beautiful store as well as gives us on-camera insights into some of the rarest and most interesting books they have on the shelves. Sam shares about his journey from educator to rare book specialist, and reminds us all of the importance of cultivating our personal relationships. Maintaining connections with others is a vital key to overall happiness, and keeping openness, love, hospitality, and compassion alive in our hearts are true keystones for living a happy life. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/39962270

Give Yourself Permission To Be Unreachable 10/05/2025

Give Yourself Permission To Be Unreachable In this age of everyone being able to be reached at every minute of every day, I have found a certain degree of freedom in allowing myself to be unreachable at times. Let me be clear - I love my phone and I really appreciate the fact that I can communicate with people quickly and efficiently. But the stress of having to respond to every text immediately or the burden to have to pick up the phone when we're in the middle of doing something else can be weighty, especially if we're going through a hard time. This episode is a reminder that our life is our own, our phones are there for our convenience, and at no time should they be something that we feel tethered to at all hours. In this time of instant response expectation, maybe it can be good to remember that the Do Not Disturb function is there for a reason, and we can be empowered to avail ourselves of it any time we choose. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/38469555

Choose Happiness Interview with Artist Jud Turner 09/10/2025

Choose Happiness Interview with Artist Jud Turner Welcome to Season 4 of the Choose Happiness podcast! I am thrilled to kick off this new season with an interview with a truly remarkable individual. Jud Turner is a gifted artist whose work speaks magnificently not just to the eye, but to the soul. Known for his breathtaking sculptures and beautifully unique creative vision, he has carved a space for himself in the art world that offers not only exquisite works made from found materials but also provides a significant service to his community through his distinctive and meaningful public art installations. But beyond the gallery walls and recycled motorcycle parts lies a story even more compelling. In this warm, engaging, and inspiring conversation, we’ll explore not only his journey as an artist, but also his deeply personal and courageous path to sobriety. With honesty, grace, and unwavering strength, he shares how recovery is possible by choosing to build a life that we want to be fully present for. I encourage you to watch the video of this interview, as we will be examining some of Jud’s awe-inspiring art in real time. If you are listening only, please go to his website to see the pieces we are talking about as well as all of Jud’s truly spectacular sculptures. To see Jud’s amazing art in person, visit: The Oblivion Gallery 3923 Cross Street Eugene, OR 97405 Check out his phenomenal parking meter community art project here: https://www.instagram.com/eugeneparkingmeterart /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/38159715

Do the Thing...with No Judgement 07/28/2025

Do the Thing...with No Judgement I have long espoused the importance of trying new things when choosing happiness. But a lot of us have found that when we try something new we're faced with self-judgement, self-criticism, and a lot of self-doubt. In this podcast I share my own experience with trying a new activity (that I have always wanted to try), and how I came up against not only my own insecurities, but also a cranky sewing machine that had me consulting the owner's manual far more times than I had expected. Thankfully I did triumph in the end, and I hope my story of perseverance helps to encourage you to try your own new pursuit of what could bring you joy, with absolutely no judgement to be found. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/37587100

Choose Happiness Interview with Erin Guard 06/17/2025

Choose Happiness Interview with Erin Guard Join me for a fascinating conversation in my Powerful Women series with CEO and all-around extraordinary person Erin Guard. She shares how in her role as decades-long business owner she has built her extremely successful company on the bedrock of staying true to herself and her own core values and integrity. She embraces an "abundance over scarcity" mindset, which encourages her employees and clients to stop worrying about what might NOT be there, and instead to make what is supposed to be there, be there. Erin also offers stellar advice for anyone who wants to start their own business or make their current business more effective. I learned so much from this dynamic business leader and humanity-focused woman and I know you will too. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/37047520

Never Underestimate the Power of a Smile or Kind Word 05/21/2025

Never Underestimate the Power of a Smile or Kind Word We're so into checking our phones all the time now that we rarely have the inclination to look up and smile at one another. I recently had an experience of sharing a smile that was very profound and meaningful and it made me realize just how easy it is to turn a bad day around with something as simple as a smile. A smile makes us all feel accepted and seen, and it releases chemicals in the brain that reduce stress and instantly make us feel happier. So I encourage you to share a smile today, as it will improve your own day, as well as the day of the person who is lucky enough to receive a bright and happy smile from you. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/36661740

Choose Happiness Interview with Amy Rollins 04/22/2025

Choose Happiness Interview with Amy Rollins Get ready to find your calm. Join me for an enlightening and beautifully informative interview with the amazing yoga and mindfulness instructor Amy Rollins. She shares some truly life-changing tips for relaxation, how to mindfully begin each day, how to easily fall asleep, and how to go about our life with less self-judgment and more serenity overall. She explains how important our breath can be to quell anxiety and reduce stress, and shows us simple breathing practices that we can use in difficult or overwhelming situations. Amy is a gift to the world and I am so excited for you to learn from her knowledge, wisdom, and tried-and-true mindfulness techniques. Find Amy and her wonderful content here: /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/36265025

Self-Loathing is Not a Requirement for Achievement 03/30/2025

Self-Loathing is Not a Requirement for Achievement If self-loathing was a requirement for achievement, we all would have accomplished everything we wanted to do in life and more. It seems that we tend to put ourselves down in the hopes that our own criticism and self-deprecation will spur us into action. I have found the opposite to be true - and the only thing that berating myself does is make me feel badly about myself and curbs my enthusiasm for getting things done. Imagine what our lives would be like if we spoke to ourselves lovingly, the way we talk to our friends, our loved ones, and even our pets! Making the choice to give ourselves positive encouragement when trying to achieve our goals is choosing both success and happiness. Guaranteed. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/35926765

For When You Think You're Not Doing Enough 02/14/2025

For When You Think You're Not Doing Enough We tend to put a lot of value on things like awards and accolades in our society. But while it's wonderful to be acknowledged for our work, prizes and trophies are fleeting, and we can sometimes feel like if we are not highly recognized for what we do that it's not worthwhile. I believe that what is most important in life is who we are and not simply what we do, and always seeking outside approval is no way to live a happy life. Join me for this podcast episode, For When You Think You're Not Doing Enough. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/35290990

Choose Happiness Interview With Sarah Dubow 01/13/2025

Choose Happiness Interview With Sarah Dubow Join me for a fun and fantastic interview with health coach, women's health advocate, meditation specialist, and recent MBA grad Sarah Dubow. She shares how she helps her clients to live life according to their own terms, her specialty meditations that encourage play and imagination, and to be gentle with ourselves, no matter what we're going through. Learn about her "Well-Being Non-Negotiables" like always incorporating nature and creativity into her day, and the important gifts we can give ourselves through prioritizing our mental and physical health. Find Sarah's wonderful and insightful content here: /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/34842560

Turning Old Ideals Upside Down To Embrace New Perspectives 11/20/2024

Turning Old Ideals Upside Down To Embrace New Perspectives I have been learning a lot as I've been traveling around recently, and I've found that the more places I go and the more people I meet, the more of what I thought were my core beliefs have been turned on their heads and I've realized they aren't actually true. I encourage you to open yourself up to new perspectives and different points of view to recognize what old ideals may no longer align with your own belief system now. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/34024947

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone! 10/24/2024

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone! Our comfort zones are comfy, and can bring us a certain amount of joy, but I believe that staying for too long in one's comfort zone is not a good practice for choosing happiness. Trying new things and having new and different experiences are what bring color and sparkle and excitement to our lives. And if that seems scary, it's important to remember that every single thing that we are comfortable doing now was once new to us (think: driving, riding a bike, typing) so there's no excuse for putting ourselves out there to see what new things there are to try and get excited about. Remember the old saying, "Everything you've always wanted is just outside of your comfort zone." /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/33600612

Our Minds are SO Powerful 10/05/2024

Our Minds are SO Powerful I talk about the power of thoughts very often and how if we're able to change our inner narrative, we can change our whole outlook on a situation. One reason why this is so important is because our brains can't tell the difference between real and imagined scenarios, so whatever event we are playing or replaying in our mind, the brain is actually living it as if it were really happening. So it is vitally important to stay in the present moment and recognize the reality of our current circumstances, rather than potentially spiraling out of control or focusing on the negative aspects over the positive ones. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/33340762

Choose Happiness Interview with Nicole Trincia 09/22/2024

Choose Happiness Interview with Nicole Trincia Join me for an illuminating and extraordinarily inspiring conversation with ICF Professional Certified Coach Nicole Trincia. Through her work she inspires high-achieving, independent women to slay self-doubt, confidently claim their true calling, and thrive in their purpose. In our time together she shares the importance of aligning our decisions with our core values, to exercise our own freedom and power through intentional choice, and the vital step of saying “no” to others’ expectations in order to say “yes” to ourselves and our own passions. Nicole is currently enrolling participants in her 12 week Discover Your True Calling program, beginning on October 1, 2024, which will enable you to start off the new year with clarity, confidence, authenticity, and happiness. Sign up here: DYTC Program: www.nicoletrincia.com IG: @nicole.trincia FB: LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/33156312

Protecting Ourselves From Toxic People - Bubbles, Allies, and Armor. 08/30/2024

Protecting Ourselves From Toxic People - Bubbles, Allies, and Armor. We all have people in our lives that we'd rather not deal with. And yet, we can't banish them from our lives for a variety of reasons. So here are a few tools for our Choose Happiness Toolbox to protect our psyches when the tough people try to infiltrate our defenses and steal our joy away. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/32803517

Choose Happiness Powerful Woman Interview with Courtney Spikes - Part One 07/18/2024

Choose Happiness Powerful Woman Interview with Courtney Spikes - Part One Join me for a captivating and thought-provoking interview with Professor, Lecturer, and Film Historian Courtney Spikes. She provides a fascinating look at how we can successfully teach kids discernment between all of the information they are bombarded with on a daily basis, and provides insights on how we can use history to create a more positive and caring present-day and future society. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/32208042

Things to Do When We've Been Hurt by Others 10/11/2023

Things to Do When We've Been Hurt by Others Unfortunately most of us will not go through life unscathed by hurtful experiences from the words and actions of other people. Things like betrayals, break-ups, and the loss of relationships that we thought were safe and "for forever," happen, and can leave us feeling deep, seemingly insurmountable emotional pain and grief. Having been there myself, here are some concrete things to do to help pull ourselves out from the mire of sorrow, and help us to become stronger, more resilient, and ready to trust again when the time is right. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/28288184

Success vs. Failure 09/09/2023

Success vs. Failure When we look at what determines "success" or "failure" in our lives, it's so important to realize that these judgments are usually being measured by someone else's criteria. What success looks like to us professionally as well as personally, depends on where we are in our lives and changes throughout our journey. No one ever has the right to call us a failure for any reason, regardless of what we look like, how much money we make, or how many possessions we own. Success or failure is always subjective, and it always depends on how we choose to evaluate either one. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/27987552

Choose Happiness Interview with Carole Miller 08/23/2023

Choose Happiness Interview with Carole Miller Join me as we kick off Season 3 of The Choose Happiness Podcast! We are starting off with a dynamic interview with Carole Miller, the founder of Miller Happy and Healthy, LLC. Carole shares her inspiring journey of self-discovery, as she made the choice to take control of all aspects of her life: her mental health, physical health, financial health, and spiritual health; and created an existence of joy, fulfillment, strength, and true power that she practices every day. Carole is seeing clients in person in the Philadelphia area, as well as remotely all over the world. To contact Carole at Miller Happy and Healthy, LLC: On Facebook: Carole May Miller Website to come: /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/27833574

Change Your Thoughts - It Really Works! 04/11/2023

Change Your Thoughts - It Really Works! As the Buddhist saying goes, "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional." It's very easy to get mired down in negative thoughts and have those thoughts take control and make our difficult situation worse. When we make the choice to change our thoughts, we consciously take control of our emotions and our attitude, resulting in a fresh perspective and a happier outlook overall. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/26513031

The Freeing Realization That It's Not All About Me 03/25/2023

The Freeing Realization That It's Not All About Me We all exist in the center of our own universe and our world view is determined by how things outside of ourselves affect us. Oftentimes we tend to live in our own heads and apply our own viewpoints and baggage to situations, making them personal, when they actually have nothing to do with us at all! Making the choice to question the authenticity of a perceived offense or insult can help us to live a happier and healthier life, as we take the focus off of ourselves and place it back into reality where it belongs. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/26336385

What Is Worth It? 03/02/2023

What Is Worth It? Sometimes we can get stuck in an endless loop of unhealthy mental behaviors - like worrying about what someone else might say to us, assuming the worst is going to happen, putting ourselves down for making a mistake, the list goes on and on. When we've started down that all-too-familiar road of misery, there are 4 words that can immediately snap ourselves out of the spiral and get our minds focused on the positive instead. These words are: Is it worth it? What is worth our time, our energy, and our brain space? I have found that most of the things that regularly go through my mind are actually NOT worth any of the time and effort that I assign to them. Asking yourself if the things we are thinking about or doing are actually worth it is a real game changer when choosing happiness. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/26118885

Taking Action Against Regrets 02/16/2023

Taking Action Against Regrets Hopefully we don't have many regrets in our lives, but if we do, we can find ways to turn those regrets into gifts; encouraging us to pursue what we've always wanted, nurture lost relationships, and change our futures to avoid further remorse. It may require some creative effort, but a life free from regret is a happy life indeed. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/25956216

Beware of the Fallacy of the Brass Ring 02/08/2023

Beware of the Fallacy of the Brass Ring While grabbing for "The Brass Ring" is a great metaphor for going after our biggest dreams in life, it's important to remember that when we focus solely on the prize, we can miss the beauty and magic of the carousel ride along the way. We also need to realize that there is no "One Brass Ring" that makes everything fall into place as promised - the real brass ring is a balance of everything that brings us fulfillment and joy. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/25872879

Using Envy as a Teacher 01/18/2023

Using Envy as a Teacher We all know that envy can be a destructive and dangerous emotion. However, what if we took the chance to use envy as a springboard for making our dreams come true? Or if we recognized when we feel jealous of someone, it's because we were programmed to automatically covet what they have, even if it's something that we don't actually want. Join me as I describe how I recently learned to use a tiny spark of envy as a tool for choosing happiness. /episode/index/show/choosehappiness/id/25649469

Choose Happiness With Rachel Cole

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