Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
"Mick Unplugged" is a transformative podcast that challenges listeners to move beyond the conventional 'Why' and embrace the empowering realm of 'Because.' Hosted by Mick Hunt, the voice of Modern Leadership, this podcast is designed for leaders, doers, and anyone aspiring to create meaningful impact in both their personal and professional lives.
Each episode delves into the principles of Modern Leadership, focusing on discovering your 'Because'āyour core driving forceāand how it can turn dreams into reality and aspirations into actionable steps. With practical advice, real-life stories, and forward-thinking insights, youāll learn to make your 'Because' a daily focus, fueling your journey toward success and fulfillment.
Whether youāre looking to deepen your motivation, set meaningful goals, or apply modern leadership theories to overcome challenges, "Mick Unplugged" provides the tools, strategies, and insights to guide your path. Subscribe now and start transforming your life with purpose and modern leadership principles.
Are you ready to change your habits, sculpt your destiny, and light up your path to greatness? Welcome to the epicenter routine that's not just productive, but powerful. You'll routine that's not just productive, but powerful. You'll embrace the art of evolution, adapt strategies to stay ahead of the game, and take a step toward the extraordinary. So let's unleash your potential.
Intro:Now here's Mick.
Mick Hunt:Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another episode of Mick Unplugged where we go beyond the why to discover your real because. And today, we have a very special guest who's dedicated his life to the pursuit of happiness, helping others find their inner peace. He's a renowned coach, writer, and motivational speaker known for his unique approach to unlocking human potential. It is truly an honor for me to welcome happiness warrior, my happiness warrior, mister Eric North to the show. Eric, welcome on board, my brother.
Eric North:I can really contain myself. You're so I I it's it's so awesome to just hearing your words and and and how meaningful they are to me. I don't hear words like that all the time. So it's I'm really appreciative because I don't always listen to people who wanna compliment me, which is which is something I need to work on still. There's things we all need to work on.
Eric North:So thank you so much. I'm I'm honored. I'm very honored to be here today.
Mick Hunt:No. I am definitely the honored one in the audience that's listening and those that are watching. You're gonna understand why I call Eric my happiness warrior. So so many nuggets he's about to give us. We haven't even prepped for this call.
Mick Hunt:Yeah. And I can promise you you're gonna get nuggets in. And there's some things that I'm gonna want you to do throughout this this podcast episode today for all the listeners. There's gonna be a lot that I'm gonna want you to write down. Eric, I would love just for the audience to know a little bit about who you are and what experiences in your early life inspired you become a happiness coach and a motivational speaker because motivational speakers we hear about.
Mick Hunt:Right? But a happiness coach, that's something that's unique and something that only Eric North can bring. I'd love to hear that story.
Eric North:I think a lot of things in our lives are passed through genetics, and I think that a lot of our traits can come through. We with some things we we we can fix and change or some things are just we can't help it. And I have I was a kid. I was very I was a young kid and I and I was very I was very aware of the world around me in a very young I remember things from when I was 1 years old. Can remember watching Andy Griffith show at a hotel room.
Eric North:I knew I was 1. So I remember things and I started being really aware of people's behavior and I was too smart for most I was too smart at a young age and I was I was always kind of perplexing people and it became kind of odd because I was too smart. Then I went to school, I was in 2nd grade, I was with reading with the 6th graders and I was in math. I mean, they're trying to send me the math. I mean, I was driven to learn and just get the most out of life at a young age.
Eric North:I was also probably a little weird and I wasn't I was I was always shy. I was very shy and I stuttered, which was terrible. My father made my father made me feel very ashamed of it. So that was kind of a source of trouble. Other guy now, and I think I'm glad I went through all that.
Eric North:I'm kinda glad a lot of it taught me about being more respectful of others and and and realizing that we're not walking in someone else's shoes and we need to really think about how other people, you know, we don't know what's going on. So a lot of good things came of that too, but my father would always put me in a gather way or in someone's way. I always felt like I was in the way and I and he was embarrassed about me. And and we and we had a good relationship basically though too, so it wasn't all bad. But there was just, you know, parents think that they're doing the right thing and sometimes they're causing more harm, you know?
Eric North:So, and I think that's just part of life. That's just what we have to we have to just be, you know, accept that they're doing their best. But I have these 3 hats and they were my dad's sisters of varying ages. And I have one left and she is one of the most, she's like my my female version of me and I it's like when we're together, it's like we're twins and she's 20 years older, but it's like we just run the same path, the same humor, the same kindness. And I and I just spent some time with her because it's important to spend time with people that are getting older in their life.
Eric North:And went to a restaurant in New York. And she had the entire male staff at this restaurant coming to her every unit. Princess, can I get it for you? And she was she had the whole restaurant just in her in her sphere and everyone was happy. And I I have another aunt, she's passed away and she was courageous and very glamorous, very striking, and very, very, very, very intelligent.
Eric North:And she she was an advocate for conditions in mental hospitals in a time when no one really cares or avoids. And you can't go out in public about shopping and or somewhere in my in my area that I live in without a lot of people wanting to stop and tell me what's going on with their life and they're excited to see me, you know, and they, oh, I'm doing all this since last time I saw you and I'm so happy and they, you know, so it can take a while with me to get somewhere. Okay? So, and that's how she was too. So I have, and my other aunt was a serious educator and she was like my cheerleader, she was the youngest one and very serious.
Eric North:She was right there with me when I was young when we were doing IQ tests and things. And I always felt like I was a weird kid, maybe I was a little out of place, but I always felt like the power of their belief in me made me always feel like I had an amazing future because they were so cool, you know? And so they kind of kept me going mentally, you know, my mom was cool, but I was kind of still out of, I was not the kid that they wanted sort of, you know, I wasn't like the football playing. I I like sports and beyond. I was always outdoors, but I wasn't like the I wasn't a a good boy scout.
Eric North:I wasn't good in that type of situation. Okay. I mean, I didn't like the I'm not I'm not really good with authority figures if I don't respect them. Okay? If they're respectable, I I'm I'm I'm honored.
Eric North:I'm honored to respect somebody. But I I guess I actually see things at a younger age than most people are aware of. And that was where I got my kind of like, I have a big thing about something about, if I find someone that is like, especially another man or woman that has a strong, honest integrity, you know, and sort of stands up for things, then I'm gonna automatically, I'm gonna feel aligned. Yeah. And they're generally gonna be people that are happier.
Eric North:They're gonna be people that are easy to laugh and they let people in. Yeah. So that's what we look for. I go on the road to a a new place just like going to a new podcast, and I expect that I'm gonna meet friends right away.
Mick Hunt:And look at us. Yeah. Look at us.
Eric North:I've never had I always say I always go out and go, I like everyone. And then how does that feel when you say that? How does that change your whole dynamic in your day to day life? And there are people, man, they are hard. They make it hard sometimes, you know, but but, you know, you have to just say, I don't know what they're going through.
Eric North:I don't know what they've been through. So I'm really learning that lesson a lot as I as I'm mature. I think that's really important is to really be respectful of what people want to tell you. Yeah. Absolutely.
Eric North:Your own business. I I still think mind your own business is the greatest phrase. I think it's important, You know?
Mick Hunt:Mind your own business. Right? Stay focused on you.
Eric North:Focus on being your best, being your best example, being your being your hero. We gotta be our own hero, right? We're we have to be our own heroes for ourselves because everyone counts on us.
Mick Hunt:That's that's correct. You can't be a hero for someone else until you become a hero for yourself. And I learned that from Eric. I learned that from Eric.
Eric North:Well, I just think it's really important. I think it's so important that we we don't have to have moment. We don't have to have a lot of self congratulation. Okay? We don't have to have a lot of that.
Eric North:I think we need to be able to realize our innate powers and able to be able to vocalize them and actually use them and feel them. So if we have if I have a warrior like mentality, a lot of people have a warrior like mentality, I'm not the only one. And, you know, it's about it's about using that for good. It's using that for it's using that. I care about everyone.
Eric North:I care about my own needs and my family, but I also care about the impact we have on everyone else and and equity and fairness and everything else.
Mick Hunt:No. Absolutely. You know, we've talked a little bit offline, and and you talked about your personal journey and some of the challenges that you faced. Can you share a specific moment where you had to dig deep to find happiness and how that influenced your your future work?
Eric North:You know, I had I always had a lot of friends and I was kinda had this part of the fun crowd and everything. And then I got to a point where I met someone who was kinda dangerous and ended up being someone very dangerous for me. And we were together for a long time. We had a really 2 rocks, 2 dysfunctional rock star couple together kind of times. Okay.
Eric North:We got a lot of stuff that was cool and a lot of stuff that was like, really like, ah, and, it was very abusive. I'm not on my part, it was a very abusive relationship towards me. And I'm not and I didn't have I've never had like I've done partying, drinking and things, but I was never like part of that. There was never something that had that had me locked down. Yeah.
Eric North:We just gotten to a place where I I was concerned for my life. When you're with someone who's abusive, they're you try to control everything in your life. So they try to get rid of your family, get rid of your friends, get rid of your job, anything that distracts you from being from being kept in line by them, you know, so you you know, isolate, you become isolated. And I was extremely isolated and there was an incident where all I could do was call my mom, and I hadn't talked to her in 6 months. And guess what?
Eric North:She came right to the rescue, and I was able to take that moment and go, turn not I'm not turning around. I'm not turning around. I'm not looking back going forward now. I'm done. I had 20 I had like $50.
Eric North:You know? And I and I and I had lost through a lot of reasons. I lost a real a a really good corporate job with my own I was like 30, I was like 31, 32 and I lost it really. I just that that fear just kinda sputtered and, it was just good too because that's not what I that's not what I wanna do with my life anyway. So you think, I think about all these things is, is anything that brings you into a place where there's a reckoning, you know, and you really have to think about, I don't know if there's some way out of this, you know, like, and if you're thinking that, there always is a way out of it.
Eric North:K? And a lot of people think they have no choice and it leads to self harm and and leads to other things that are bad, like bad nutrition, you know, sleep or self anything. And just gotta let it go. Okay. And you guys think you gotta let it go.
Eric North:It's hard because I had I was angry for a long time after we after we split up. I think you go through a phase of I was angry, I was angry at myself, I was I was angry I was I was I was like, I I was not a victim, but I was I was kind of damaged emotionally because I wasn't able to trust anyone for a long time after that. So I put myself into work. You know, work for me is a solace to look to go into another place, a better place. So I put myself to work and I liked working.
Eric North:I found I could start started 10 years though, I started my, I started my, I started doing testosterone replacement therapy with a clinic in Florida around 2011 or so. And 2010, I was at 43 and I was 42, 42, 42 and I was going from super high achiever full of energy every day, so my energy levels were down, I was not feeling myself. And I was actually feeling sometimes coming home from a really great day at real estate and then I didn't I didn't feel like going to the gym. I didn't feel like having sex. I didn't feel like
Mick Hunt:yeah.
Eric North:I was just things were just kinda going to like kind of, not not a happy place, and I got on the therapy and it changed my it just changed my their clinic I went to is in Florida, and I think Florida, everything there was kinda chaotic anyway. But, they were wonderful people and I learned, but I learned about my own health from them. I learned I learned about how my blood what was blood work numbers meant and things like that. So I was able to start learning how to take control of my health, you know, and and doing it in a way that was safely done and nothing crazy, it was just therapy.
Mick Hunt:And
Eric North:I always seem to people, I think I'm a trustworthy person. I think people tend to tend to me with ideas or they wanna help me help them for sure. And And the owner of the clinic had heard about me from people who was from from his employees and he was like, I'm really excited to meet this guy. I mean, he wants to go into business with me.
Mick Hunt:Mhmm.
Eric North:So I went down to Florida and I met him and, like and I just I just I just and we didn't end up going to business, but he he helped me get started. I spent like 2 weeks in his business every day with different people in the office. And then I was like, I don't wanna do any of this in my own in my own place. If I open up my own place, we're gonna do things a lot differently. And, but I learned but I'm learning how I want at least I'm learning the approach.
Eric North:I'm learning the approach. I'm learning the nuts and bolts. So then I started that and that was the beginning of like working for myself. It's it was my I just had a picture of the other day. This came up in Facebook.
Eric North:It was like me and like a sleeveless shirt and I'm 40 something, so I'm pretty jacked up and I used to do men's physique competition. So it's pretty like, I looked like the owner of a CRT clinic. And there's a picture of me doing drywall because I'm in the beginning of the business. I I invested all of my money. I went into my 401 k to start it.
Eric North:I mean, I was I was I was gonna be broke broke, broke, broke, or I was gonna make it.
Mick Hunt:And you were all the hands in the business. Right?
Eric North:When I started, it was just that was at the time not mainstream. It was there was a lot of negativity, there was a lot of misinformation, facts that were not correct about it. And, in that, in this time period now I have the enjoyment that when people call me, how soon can I make an appointment? Back in the day, I had to do everything. I was cleaning the bathroom, taking trash out, doing everything and, you know, all aspects and working on weekends too, Going to trade shows and going places to get my my name out.
Eric North:That was a time when I had to be I had to let all that other stuff in the past go and and I had to I had to start learning how to be in control of my life, you know, and it was it was there were times when it was really hard and there were times when I was unsure about the mortgage. Almost 12 years later now, I have a I have a business that has helped me launch other businesses now and give me the opportunity to have really good to create really great jobs for people that they work from there.
Mick Hunt:Love it. Let's talk about the Happiness Warrior.
Eric North:Yes. And now, and then we go into Happiness Warrior, saw all the entrepreneur stuff, but that's where I got to the point where I got kinda bored with business, okay. Because I thought, now I'm gonna say I never get bored, right? So I got to the point where I was like, I need to do something more. I need to do more.
Eric North:And I sort of flew around the modeling business for a while. That was kind of fun. I got to meet a lot of people. And then the happiness lawyer, once my, publicist told me that I was a happiness lawyer, I just took that brain on and put it, laid on like a suit. I thought this would give me a really, really powerful motivation to be my best every day, never let anyone down, never let myself down.
Eric North:Always being adaptable, always being ready for a change. I I I developed my core values and I I use those a lot And I I have to take care of them. We're it was going to COVID time, and everybody was health wise. I said, I need to help people. And so I started doing a lot of I did a lot of videos on online that, you know, they'd just be like, you know, this is how we just take it take it down a notch here and start start feeling better about ourselves first Right.
Eric North:Out in the world again, get our mask off, you know. But that that was that was a tough time to help people get through as well. And that was the time that I I I felt like I could do a lot of good. Like, when the when folks started and this is terrible, I I I was thinking I'm I was thinking I'm I'm I'm training for something. I've been doing all these things to get all my all my skills and every all my powers, upon.
Eric North:And I now when it came, I said, oh my god. I gotta close my business. I gotta do all this stuff. And I thought this is what I'm ready for. Now I'm ready to be a leader now.
Eric North:I'm ready to make sure this is in my world, this is gonna be handled as well as I can and get through this to wherever the other side is. I think the other side now is awesome. I think where we are right now, despite some political stuff, I think where we are right now as as a as a world, we have a lot we have a lot of potential now.
Mick Hunt:So in the book, The Happiness Warrior, what are three things that people should go dive into the book that they're gonna get out of it that they can implement like right now?
Eric North:First thing is that they have a right to be happy and then you give themselves permission to be happy. We need to make I think we're really, really, really important to make the mind body connection, like, we're sphere, you know, like we're breathing in our bodies and our mind, and we feed, what we think, what we speak, it affects who we are, it affects our health, it affects our outcome. Making that just adjustment to loving yourself as much as possible, That includes loving yourself in spirit and soul and body and mind. And I think it's a very important one of them. We just people don't realize that they deserve much more in their lives.
Eric North:Yeah. That's where I really try to think about is that active just starting something that that you're dreaming about doing can can lead to something that is more amazing than you ever thought of.
Mick Hunt:I totally agree.
Eric North:Yeah. So I'll try to always be positive, Sam, without calling myself a positive person. I don't wanna have that level. I always I don't like I like to steer the ship. Yeah.
Eric North:My direction where I steer is towards everyone is happy with themselves, content with themselves, and at peace with everyone around them. Tough. Because that that that that is a hot that's a mighty goal, but I think it's
Mick Hunt:I think it's possible. Oh, wholeheartedly. Wholeheartedly. And I told the audience and the listeners when we started that there's some things that I want them to write down, and they these things were impactful for me.
Eric North:Okay.
Mick Hunt:Eric, one of the things that you released is titled the only 5 things that matters. And I have to be very honest and transparent. It is probably the best article or blog that I have read in 2024.
Eric North:Wow. Thank
Mick Hunt:you. Because it is so impactful. Like, I love things that are action, and that's what this podcast is about. Right? Like, we wanna give the listeners, the viewers, things that they can start implementing in their life today.
Mick Hunt:Right? Like, you don't need to go hire anyone. These are insights that you can start putting into your life.
Eric North:Everyone is capable. The answers the answers we're looking for are always within. Absolutely. You know that. This is your your story is so inspirational too because you were able to dig past whatever was going on and say, I deserve to live and be better and make my life the way I the way I wanted to be.
Mick Hunt:Right. And I know I had to go
Eric North:when we're younger, we get put into boxes in places and we don't necessarily get a chance to make what we wanna do of ourselves, you know. And then when you get older, the blessing is that we really have that that wisdom.
Mick Hunt:Yeah. Wholeheartedly. Wholeheartedly.
Eric North:Do you wanna show
Mick Hunt:I wanna go into again, for those and we'll have this the link to this article, I'm in the show notes, but it's on the the metropolitan digital.commetropolitandigital.com. And with Eric, it's the 5 things that matter. And what he's talking about here, the 5 things that truly matter to have a happy life and to impart happiness in your life. And so, Eric, we're gonna go through these together. So I'm gonna highlight what the first one is, and I want you to kinda tell us what you meant by that.
Mick Hunt:So number 1, and everyone write this down. Express gratitude before rest at night. I'm gonna say that again. Express gratitude before rest at night. Eric, why is that important?
Mick Hunt:I'm gonna tell you, it totally changed my life. I had the the best sleep. The first night that I implemented this, I slept like a baby in the past. I've been a baby.
Eric North:It started for my need to get better sleep. And then I was with my sister one day, and she has a pretty high stressful she's an entrepreneur too. We don't have time to talk at the time. When we do have something to say, it was kind of very insightful. And she says, when I go to bed at night, I know that I've done my best.
Eric North:I sleep I I go to sleep right away. And I said, well, that's not wasn't what I was expecting and and that that it wasn't what I was expecting to her to say, but it touched me because I was like, that's kind of what I need to hear myself. So, one thing I'm doing is new. I'm just passing information that I'm processing information and sharing it. And I think it's important, but that was a great point.
Eric North:So then I started this practice of, you know, I grew up, you know, prayer before bed and things like that. And I later on, it wasn't my thing, but I did it because it was the right thing to do at the time. And I still think there's something very valuable in kind of recounting your day. And that's the first thing I say in my in my prayer or whatever it is, and my affirmation is, I did my best today, I will do better tomorrow. Because what's the point?
Eric North:You don't wanna do better tomorrow, what's the point in it? What's the point? You know, and I think, you know, oh, I did this really cool. I mean, I can hit maybe if you're just if you're like shooting baskets, okay, and you're getting, like, you're getting you're getting them all in, keep doing it better, you know, and anything like that. It's something that creates higher level of self esteem, skill, affirmation, anything like that.
Eric North:And so that I can do better tomorrow is always exciting to me. Yeah. Excited.
Mick Hunt:Totally agree.
Eric North:And then I might go through a little bit and it depends on how tired I am. I'm usually I'm getting ready for bed. And I was about to say, I am grateful. I am thankful. I am content.
Eric North:I am happy. You can go, you can go amen or you can go nothing. You can do whatever you want There's no rules. Okay. So whatever strikes our best as individuals is important.
Eric North:But I think that I did my best today. I can do that. I will do better tomorrow. So I think that's crucial.
Mick Hunt:It is. And I'll tell you again, once I read this and then I I saw a few of your videos that they were kinda talking about this as well. You actually have to believe it
Eric North:too. Right? Oh, okay. It's gratitude.
Mick Hunt:Yeah. But don't say things just to say things, like, have conviction around that gratitude. And and like I said, Eric, I I owe you because now it is a part of my nightly routine.
Eric North:I'll tell you an embarrassing tidbit real quick after I went to my high school reunion last year, and I I I was one of those kids. I was a I was a good kid. And the kids that came, the guys that the kids, the adults that came the older adults that came to my reunion, they were like the core group of friends that I had back then. That was like the cheerleaders and the class president and all the good all the good kids that participated, they're good kids. They're all grown up now.
Eric North:And one of them, she said to me, she says, I just I remember you as being very earnest.
Mick Hunt:Mhmm. I
Eric North:thought, well, that's probably that at that age, at a young age, I would have been embarrassed by that. And then for at this area, I'm just like, oh, that that that's so awesome to hear that because I've never I've never changed. Yeah. You know, and I I was honest. I mean, like, I was an artist.
Eric North:That's embarrassing, you know. I was like I said, you know, I see I see you should get to know me better now because now it's just a whole another whole another world going on. So
Mick Hunt:Love it.
Eric North:That's how I feel. And I also I know you're on your your questions, but in the morning, what's the first thing that they they they we should do as we wake up?
Mick Hunt:Be thankful that we saw this day.
Eric North:Right. But I always say I always say, and I I did this. I used to have another, Instagram called redefining 50 when I was turning 50 and and a lot of people followed that. And some people were like, I give my employees this to want them to listen to what you're saying, you know, if it's motivational. And I started this thing.
Eric North:I heard I picked it up somewhere. As soon as I wake up, I don't care where I am or what I'm doing. I say, good morning, Eric. It's gonna be a great day. It's all I have to say.
Mick Hunt:I like it. Can you believe it?
Eric North:One time I was I was I was it was during COVID and and I I skipped it and I was traveling to Arizona. I was at the airport and everything was going wrong and it was just a big mess. And usually, I have a really happy journey. Usually, when I'm going anywhere, I'm happy, everything's wonderful, nothing gets in my way, everything's fun. And this morning, everything was kinda like dark.
Eric North:And then I was going up into the elevator to the coffee in the place that's closed. I said to myself, oh my God, I didn't say that this I didn't give my affirmation this morning. That's the reason everything is terrible. Okay. Dramatic.
Eric North:But I and then I did it and I was I was by myself in this mirror elevator. I looked at myself and I'm like, hey, Eric, it's gonna be a great day. After that, everything went really well. So it's just voodoo, it's whatever you wanna call it. I think it's the mindset.
Eric North:There you go. Mindset. It's a mindset that and the people would tell me it's so it's so a 3 year old can do this as well as a 60, 7 year old. It doesn't it can be any age, but for p I had a lot of really high level folk people high level people that do amazing things that have told me, and you would think, oh, they're just too jaded to do anything like that. Right?
Eric North:Well, they do it, and then and then I hear, oh, you can't believe how awesome my life has been. Yeah. I do believe it because I believe in it, you know, but I love hearing that because I think, okay, they might even if they forget about me, they're still gonna spread that. They're still gonna share that with others, and that's gonna help more people. So Yeah.
Mick Hunt:That's really good stuff. Really good stuff.
Eric North:I go rambling off. I think those are important things to get to know what my real intention is.
Mick Hunt:Of course. Of course. And that's why we're doing this. This is this is your show. This is this is what it's about.
Mick Hunt:Alright. So let's go through the other 4.
Eric North:So we have a personal I won't digress. I'll I'll keep going.
Mick Hunt:No. No. No. You're good. You're good.
Mick Hunt:So number 1 was express gratitude before rest at night. Number 2, and this one is deep. Always express desires and intentions thoroughly with someone you trust. What's the what's the meaning behind that one?
Eric North:Do we want our life to happen or do we not want it to happen? If we want it to happen, we have to be proud of we have to be proud of our decisions and our choices, and we have to own it. We have to own it. And by owning it, I mean, I know I've had like this idea of accountability. I mean, this is now something that belongs to us, these are our dreams, these are our destiny.
Eric North:So sharing that with someone that you trust, I can't, I didn't just become the happiest warrior all by myself. There's so many people that I've sort of come along with in my journey over the years that would do anything for me. They're they're they're they're they're and I'm and that it's another thing that I I don't I don't deserve that, but I I I think if if I have to make it honorable, I wanna make sure I give I could give value, you know. So it's just balance. It's balance.
Mick Hunt:I love it. I love it. Alright. Number 3, be always at work on something that provides value. Love it.
Mick Hunt:To me, that's one of the best nuggets of wisdom that that I've heard in a while. Always be working on something that provides value.
Eric North:There is always something that we can be doing to improve our mindset, make ourselves happier, take our mind off something that's negative and turn it around. And I think that it really comes down to what am I doing with my time right now? And we need to take time off. And I'm a big believer in time off and I'm a big believer in being outside and tuning out and tuning out of our phones and everything. But I think that having something that gives us pleasure too and something that gives that makes us feel like we're part of something, that we're creating something or there's so many things.
Eric North:It doesn't there's no definition of what that is. It's just the definition that we find within ourselves. And for me, it's coming from my ass. It's that I wanna I I'm I'm the happiest wearer. They were happy to stay with their happiness warriors.
Eric North:It's just I'm just the maybe I'm the one in the family who's carrying that along, you know, but that's my right now in my time in life right at the present. That's who I am.
Mick Hunt:Love it.
Eric North:Love it. You probably have his words in my name. I don't care. No. I'm just kidding.
Eric North:That is it. That is it.
Mick Hunt:Alright. Number 4 number 4 is absolutely my favorite and it's something that I work on a couple of times a year. Number 4, nurture key relationships and let others go. And so I say this a little bit differently. I say always work on your circle, your circle of friends.
Mick Hunt:I
Eric North:like that.
Mick Hunt:But nurture key relationships. And and most important, you gotta be able and willing to let others go. So powerful because when you talk about happiness and Eric, I say this a lot. Everyone that you think is for you isn't always for you. Yes.
Mick Hunt:Right? When you talk about happiness, there are some people in this world whose main objective is to bring up all the obstacles in life. There there are people in this world who are just negative by nature and the more that you have and and you have this in the blog, the negative vocabulary around you. Mhmm. Negative mindsets around you.
Mick Hunt:Mhmm. It starts to penetrate into you whether you wanted to or not. And and so I love number 4, nurture key relationships. Most importantly, let others go. So, Eric, I love your your 2 minute take on.
Eric North:I have I have, I have such a a place in my life for friendship. It's a very important part of who I am. And it's not about having, I have friends everywhere. But I mean, this is friends that I've had for maybe a short time that have become very important, but a lot a lot of it with me are long term deep friendships that don't we don't see each other all the time. But I call those my friends for life and I always tell them, you're my friend for life, you know, you're my friend for life no matter what, you know, and if we were in my one best friends halfway across the world for 5 years, but we're still walking the door, we're best friends again.
Eric North:You know what I mean? There's not gonna be I'm not I'm I'm still I'm still solid with that friendship. There are other I I've also found that there like you just said, there are people who hurt people hurt other people. They hurt other people. So you gotta think about and having a having a anyone who's gone through a rebuild in their life or a renewal in their life knows that we have to, man, we have to if we wanna get out of our our funk or whatever or or our trauma, we have to be around.
Eric North:We have to say no to negative people. We have to say no to people that are gossiping or saying things about people or people any anything that we have to be around positive people that are happy, and they're there. We can find them. You know, they're always there.
Mick Hunt:And and that's the key. Go to those places because if there's situations, if there's places that always bring negativity to you, stop going
Eric North:there. Yeah.
Mick Hunt:Right? It it is totally okay to be in control of your surroundings and your situations as adults. It is totally okay to stop negativity from creeping in.
Eric North:I I you know, the same way with business too. I think it just it overlays everything in our lives. And I think it's important with family. I think no one can hurt you more than family. No one can hurt us more than our family members.
Eric North:I think they can dig deep. It's important to be forgiving too. And I think in in realizing that there are people, you know, I might be angry at them, but I think it's important to realize that you don't get a lot of second chances in life. Right?
Mick Hunt:Mhmm.
Eric North:That's right. Some things are very finite, and and and once you cross that line, you're done. And that's why I'm big on this. That's why I'm really big on the words have spirit. Words have spirit because words never go away.
Eric North:And so and words are beautiful. I find so much pleasure in writing words, you know, and my thoughts come out of my head so fast that I'm creating a new column. I'm not even sure who who actually writes it. It just comes out of my head because I'm on my hand on the keyboard. And I look at that as a gift.
Eric North:It's a gift, not that I have, it's a gift that's been given to me. I feel like if I don't use it, I'll lose it, but I'm also I'm using it because it really I find that it really helps me to have more clarity and maintain more clarity and identify what people need to hear. So I go through phases where I'm thinking a lot about so I do a lot. Almost everything is self empowerment. I want people to self empowerment.
Mick Hunt:Absolutely.
Eric North:And I want people to feel that they have everything that I have. Okay? I don't wanna be I don't I'm not a I wanna always have that kind of idea that no one's better than anyone else. I don't think that's ever true. Mhmm.
Eric North:Be kind, be kind. Nice is fine, but kind is actually taking that feeling that you do care about someone you know, and we do care about other people and that they and that can change someone's entire life.
Mick Hunt:Absolutely. Yeah. Totally. Alright. Number 5.
Eric North:Okay. We'll get there.
Mick Hunt:Dang it, Eric. You you wrote number 5 for me. Take care of your bodies and minds as if your life depends on it because honestly, it does. And so I made 2024 my year to to get back into better shape, you know. I don't make excuses, so I'll just say I took advantage of COVID.
Mick Hunt:How about that?
Eric North:I took advantage I have some really I don't have a diet for your plan for you, but I have a couple of really good tips for almost anyone. Okay?
Mick Hunt:Alright. Let's get these tips now. We
Eric North:need them. It starts with you it's coming to the first book, it'd be a reference book kind of thing, but many books in the future will be Happiness Warrior's Guide to Love, Happiness Warrior's Guide to Your Body. Okay? And not science so much all sciences, it's solid factual stuff, but I'm coming to as a regular person trying to help someone else, you know, on their journey without feeling bad about them. And my biggest thing is I don't want anyone to ever feel bad about themselves.
Eric North:Okay? You can't start anything good if you're feeling like you're you're already finding yourself in your in your defensive. So I want everybody to feel like happy playing field where it's just about learning about themselves. So for food, and I think everything we eat has a purpose. Today, I wanna have a really good brain for you.
Eric North:I wanna be on I want my brain to be on fire, not on caffeine. So I had I had some like canned salmon, I made some some I made some brain food, and I just had something light that kept me, some good protein, good energy, a little holy bread. And that to me was perfect because I had the protein, but I wasn't feeling heavy from a hammer or something like that. So literally, I'm subconsciously feeding my brain and feeding my, feeding my brain mostly, I wanna stay sharp and focus. And then one of the rules that I have, which is not always easy to do, is that everything that every time we have it, even if it's a snack, right, and some snacks are not so bad.
Eric North:Every meal, every major meal, it should have a, something something from the produce family. Okay? So breakfast, have some fruit of some sort, don't have fruit juice because that's high in sugar, raw fruit. I do frozen blueberries, which are easy, it's much cheaper. And that's also brain food because after I have my little breakfast I have, I'm gonna write, I'm gonna close out the I'm gonna do a little emails and a little bit of work and get everything set set up for the day, and then I'm gonna shut that side down and I'm gonna write for an hour.
Eric North:And I need my brain to be under my control. I need to have things under control. I need to have everything be on track. And then I say every meal have, what we do in our house is we have, I like preparing my own food most of the time. So we have a big salad before every meal and eat that first.
Eric North:Because when you have that fiber and that and the greens inside of you, you're fuller and you're also gonna accept the food that's coming on top of it now. It's gonna be better easier to digest too. So you're gonna not gonna eat as much, but you're gonna feel full and you're gonna feel satisfied and you're gonna feel energized from food that way. It's crazy stuff. And the other thing I have, this is about big one for me, water, black coffee, whole organic milk, not very much.
Eric North:If you wanna have any kind of whole organic milk, small amount, if you you know, you need it every day. And the water or black coffee, tea, or something like that. Anything else, I'll go reuse it. No sweet beverages, put that way.
Mick Hunt:So I need to throw the oat milk away that I just bought, Eric? You can
Eric North:do that. That's also dietary too. So that's not my point. But for me, that's how I am. I'm very like has to be the cleanest, best stuff.
Eric North:And that's all I will drink. Mostly I drink water, coffee, I drink coffee during the day. And but that way, you're a lot of people get a lot of sneaky calories in from things that they drink.
Mick Hunt:I believe it.
Eric North:I love I love it all. I love all that stuff. I have to say to myself, you know, it's I I have I wanna be the a good example for you. Okay? And Yes, sir.
Eric North:You can count on this. It's gonna not kick your butt, but it's gonna be, like, on your side. You You know? I don't like the idea you're a coach and you gotta hurt somebody. I like the idea that you go, okay.
Eric North:Well, you know, how do you feel about doing this? How how do you feel today? Is this is this making a difference? Is this positive thing for you? If it's not working, let's let's there there's another way.
Mick Hunt:Absolutely. Absolutely.
Eric North:And and also my always never give up, especially on yourself.
Mick Hunt:There you go. I love that. Alright, Eric. I'm getting you out of here on this. What's one thing you want listeners to do right now?
Mick Hunt:What's what's your biggest key to happiness?
Eric North:Well, I I really would like to have every everyone reading me every week. Okay? I'd like to have people start to really talk to me and then get back to me. And I have a new website. It's it's beautiful.
Eric North:It's www.thwarrior.com. So it stands for the happiness warrior, thwarrior.com. Get in there. I'm gonna get some new pictures pretty soon. I just I did I did a new photo shoot with a really cool guy the other day.
Eric North:And I'm just trying to keep it. All my all my articles are on there too, so you can get into, the issue wire file on there. And I'm just trying to build an audience that we can start saying, hey. Do you want me to come and speak for your event? I'd love to go speak for your event and set something up there.
Eric North:And the speaker that you've never had before, like you've never had before, because I'm not gonna do it in the scripted kind of way that is done.
Mick Hunt:There you go.
Eric North:I'm gonna take it. I'm gonna mold this. Anything I do, I'm gonna kinda mold it in the way I want
Mick Hunt:it to be. Mhmm.
Eric North:So everyone's having fun and learning and serious too. I think I'm always serious too. I'm a very serious person. I like to laugh, but I'm very serious too. So Yeah.
Mick Hunt:Awesome stuff. So, th Warrior. Warrior. Dotcom. Mhmm.
Mick Hunt:T h And warrior dot com. And you can also find Eric on Facebook, on Instagram.
Eric North:I think so. He has
Mick Hunt:a ton of articles. He has a ton of videos. Like, I promise you, you will not regret it. You will not regret it.
Eric North:I have everything as well, Mick, and I have, it's called the happiness warrior official. Yep. So that is that's that's where all my all my a lot of a lot of my video all my videos and things are too. So
Mick Hunt:And and that's what I follow, the happiness warrior official on Instagram. That's what I follow. I follow you too there. So That's what I Instagram.
Eric North:That's what I follow. I follow you too there.
Mick Hunt:So I promise
Eric North:you, you will not be disappointed.
Mick Hunt:You can find daily inspiration, daily motivation. You you will find I promise you something every day from Eric. And it'll put a smile on your face and a smile in your heart as well. And, Eric, that's what I appreciate the most about you, brother.
Eric North:Oh, I I I can't I I have so many things I appreciate about about you as well as well, Nick. And I and also just thank you for having me on your show. This is your personal show, and it means a lot. It means more than anything to me. So
Mick Hunt:It means the world that you're here. It It means the world that you're here. And we're definitely gonna do this again. So I I can see us having a happiness warrior series that that we do on the podcast. I I think we should do that for the people.
Eric North:We'll be the happiest warrior duo. Okay?
Mick Hunt:There you go. I love it. From all the listeners out there, remember, your Because is your superpower. Unleash it.
Intro:Thanks for listening to Mick Unplugged. We hope this episode helps you take the next step toward the extraordinary and launches a revolution in your life. Don't forget to rate and review the podcast and be sure to check us out on YouTube at Mick Unplugged. Remember, stay empowered, stay inspired, and stay unplugged.