WOHASU 2022: experiencing resilience first hand
The WOHASU (World Happiness Summit) was held in Miami from 18 to 20 March 2022 and had resilience as a special focus.
It was back in 2017 when Karen Gugghenheim gave birth to the first World Happiness Summit bringing the science of happiness to the public. To date, WOHASU has become a regular appointment and which, year after year, addresses a vast multitude of topics related to happiness and well-being.
The 2022 edition took place in Miami, from 18 to 20 March and focused on resilience: that is, the ability to know how to face and overcome a traumatic event, or a difficult period, and to rebuild oneself and reorganize one’s existence while always maintaining a positive attitude. A topic that has never been so relevant in complicated times like the ones we are experiencing and on which more than 40 speakers from all over the world have expressed their vision. Two in particular:
Resilience and happiness
The pandemic, the war but more generally today’s reality represent a huge challenge not only from an emotional point of view.
But how is it possible to face these difficult times while remaining in balance with oneself?
How can macro and micro changes and the often complex consequences they generate be best managed?
Sandro Formica
Sandro Formica, with whom Smartpeg has been collaborating for some time, is a professor at the Florida International University of Miami, holder of the chair in Personal Power and the Science of Happiness and periodically teaches at the SDA and the Luigi Bocconi Master. In addition, he has been a promoter and consultant on projects in the areas of self-awareness, strategic management, trends and planning and development of organizations and has written multiple books, articles and university texts.
I live every day according to my life purpose: to integrate the science of happiness into businesses, universities, schools and public institutions
How can you deal with a complex and destabilizing event like job loss?
“The first suggestion – says Sandro Formica in an interview at WOHASU 2019 – is to cultivate self-awareness and to dedicate at least 5 minutes to all the components of your being to reflect this inner beauty, this inner strength, on the outside. Then I would like to invite you to choose your career path and not accept everything. I know it may seem absurd, even more so if you have lost your Instead it is the right time to make a selection between the different organizations or create a business, so that there is an alignment between their values and intentions and the values and purposes of those organizations”.
Sandro Formica therefore invites us to have courage in manifesting and expressing ourselves and our needs. Speaking clearly at a job interview is the key to “not go into survival mode, but stay in a state of creativity that makes you so much more productive” .
Not only that. In a sector of suffering such as that of work, it is also highly appreciated by the companies themselves, because if there is alignment between the values of the person and the organization, growth and well-being belong to both.
“Once you understand these things – continues Formica – and put them into practice, maybe it will take you an extra month to find a new job, but then you will have a lot of satisfaction and will feel much happier “.
Mo Gawdat
Mo Gadat, former Chief Business Officer of Google [X], founded the One Bilion movement Happy , is host of Slo Mo: A Podcast With Mo Gawdat and is the author of the best seller The Equation of Happiness.
His life suddenly changed with the death of his son Ali. A tragic and inconceivable event that marked a turning point and today Mo Gawdat is one of the main standard bearers of the movement of happiness and of science that studies and teaches to practice it.
On the occasion of the 2022 edition of WOHASU, the former CBO of Google [X] spoke about resilience, happiness and well-being and the first thing he invited to pay attention to is that A sad or unhappy thing does not exist.
“Crying is good, if it’s the emotion you feel. Connecting with your emotions is a wonderful experience”.
To explain this concept, Mo gave a very striking example with the kitchen. Sweet and sour is a characteristic element of oriental food and it is delicious, but it is not delicious because it is only sweet or only sour. It is delicious because it is both sweet and sour. Similarly, tears alone are suffering but in a broader view they are part of existence: life is beautiful because it is a collection of flavors.
“We wake up in the morning – Mo continues -, we get dressed to go to work and what you want from us is that we put our emotions aside. We are expected to be completely focused on doing certain things, to repeat them again and again. So, basically, we lose the meaning of the taste of existence. It is a disconnection from reality. “
The key lies in the ability to let go, being aware that only a fraction of the things that happen can be controlled.
World Happiness Summit 2023
Reconnect & Celebrate International Day of Happiness at World Happiness Summit
Lago di Como, Italia, 24-26 marzo 2023
