What Cancer Taught Me About Happiness | Alex Louie | TEDxRutgers

What actually makes us happy? Society claims life experiences, achievement, hot yoga, good hair days, and other things are what we can do to enjoy our lives. But what happens if none of these things actually work? Alex discusses how his experiences as a cancer patient revealed a new perspective on how our subconscious derives joy, how society influences our perception of enjoyment, and how we can all make small adjustments in our lives to achieve the paramount goal we are all chasing: unconditional happiness. Life moves fast. Getting what you want requires hard work and high energy. Most millennials recognize this, and Alex was no exception. He lived by the words, “nothing worth having comes without hard work,” so naturally, he believed happiness to be derived from achievement and tenacity. However, stage 4 cancer shook his world, and through his battle, he found himself reframing his idea of happiness. Now that he is cancer-free, he strives to redefine his perception of joy in the hopes of unraveling the truth behind what it takes to be truly content and grateful, even in your darkest times. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@PursuitofPossibility]

Alex I really enjoyed this talk. Your thoughts on conscious gratitude really reframed my thinking and I’m going to work on cultivating this habit in the new year....especially around the small things!

[@LucasRuns]

Amazing Alex. Thanks for sharing