What Makes You Happy

How much do you need to invest to really enjoy your hobby? Some hobbies cost more than others, and some hobbies have higher costs to entry than others. But to really get the most out of your hobby, how much do you have to spend? Today I am proud to present my Thousand Dollar Theory, which will help you budget for your hobby and save you from sinking your life's savings into a pastime.

The first thing I would suggest is to offer multitudes of healthy options at each meal. I can hear you saying, “Yes, but how do I get them to EAT it?” That’s the thing, as long as you’re consistent, meaning, literally every single meal, even breakfast, offering healthy options, eventually the healthy options will get eaten.

Video games sometimes get a bad rap. People tend to think of them as a lazy hobby, one which begets slothful character. I disagree with that sentiment, and I'd like to tell you why. When I'm done, I'm sure you'll agree that video games are not only skilled pursuits, but active and creative hobbies that can be enjoyed by a wide audience. Feedback: If you're enjoying the podcast, or have a question, concern, or helpful criticism please drop me a line at dovid@clevelandcreativeoutlet.com....

Sometimes it's hard to find a hobby to really sink our teeth into, to become entirely engrossed. In this episode, a take a long form approach to answering a question I found on Reddit, although it's a question that pops up time and time again.

We're all stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic, and the question we must ask ourselves at this point is: How will we spend our time? In this short episode, I argue on the merits of using this time to catch up with our favorite hobbies. New Format: In this episode, I'm trying a slightly different tack with regards to the style of the content, and I'd appreciate feedback on it. Do you like the new style? Typically, I outline what I want to say, sit down and talk about it, hitting each...

Nutrition is the topic today, and specifically how it can affect our happiness. Dr. David Gutman joins us today to talk about a Whole Food Plant Based Diet. Disclaimer: Dr. Gutman is an experienced professional and can give his professional opinion. Dovid Stern, although usually an impartial host, has his own biases, particularly towards the Whole Food Plant Based diet. Please seek medical assistance if you intend to adopt the Whole Food Plant Based diet (you will want to supplement certain...

Cycling is one of the most exciting and popular sports for people around the globe. While some utilize bicycles simply as an affordable, green mode of transportation, many others flock to the roads as they push the limits in competition, and enjoy the great outdoors. Here to talk to us today about the many varied joys of cycling is Nosson Spielberg. Feedback: https://goo.gl/forms/qqH5WMOSKIFBeClA2 Table of Contents: 00:00 Intro 00:50 This week's guest - Nosson Spielberg, Cleveland Touring...

Raven Carter is an energy healer and massage therapist. We all know massage, and it's widely known that massage can have massive benefits to your health. But what about energy healing? What is it, and how can it be integrated with massage to heal the whole body, mind, and spirit? Feedback: https://goo.gl/forms/qqH5WMOSKIFBeClA2 Table of Contents: 00:00 Intro 00:50 This week's guest - Raven Carter, Raven's Ki Alchemy 01:35 Icebreaker - If your best friend had to pick a tattoo for you, what...

A Cappella is on our minds this week because we're focused on a portion of the Jewish calendar called Sefira, during which Jews try not to listen to live music with instruments. Here to talk about A Cappella is Mordy Weinstein, a member of the popular Jewish A Cappella group, Six13. He joins us today via Skype, please excuse any blips or drops in audio due to connectivity issues (it doesn't happen much). Feedback: https://goo.gl/forms/qqH5WMOSKIFBeClA2 Table of Contents: 00:00 Intro 00:50...

Zack Raab is a geocacher. He finds hidden "caches" all over the world. Wherever he goes, he can be assured that someone has hidden a small item for him to find. The world's biggest treasure hunt has begun. What will you find? And where will your ventures take you? Feedback: https://goo.gl/forms/qqH5WMOSKIFBeClA2 Table of Contents: 00:00 Intro 00:50 This week's guest - Zack Raab, Geocacher 01:40 Icebreaker - What is the craziest dare you ever took? 03:00 What Makes You Happy? 04:25 What is...

Christina Hidek is an organizational expert, and today she's going to talk us through some basics in spring cleaning. We all tend to coop ourselves up all winter, and come the sunny season, we just want to throw open our windows, let in the fresh air, and give ourselves a fresh start. Christina has some valuable tips and tricks for us to get started, as the task can seem at times to be entirely overwhelming. Feedback: https://goo.gl/forms/qqH5WMOSKIFBeClA2 Table of Contents: 00:00 Intro...

Bladesmithing is an ancient craft and its notoriously technical. For some, it may be a surprise that in today's age of mass produced cutlery and other metal objects, anyone would bother to hand forge these tools. Laevi Susman is here today to talk about the incredible art of blade smithing, and how you can get started as an amateur blacksmith. Feedback: https://goo.gl/forms/qqH5WMOSKIFBeClA2 Table of Contents: 00:00 Intro 00:50 This week's guest - Laevi Susman, Artisan Bladesmith 02:13...

Sender Radcliffe joins us today to talk about the exciting world of board games. We'll cover some of his top picks for new gamers, why it entertains him to this very day, and the elements of a good game. Sender is a wealth of information, and he's clearly thought about all of this for quite a while. We are honored to have him on the show today. Feedback: https://goo.gl/forms/qqH5WMOSKIFBeClA2 Table of Contents: 00:00 Intro 00:50 This week's guest - Sender Radcliffe, Board Gamer 01:35...

In this episode of What Makes You Happy? we have the honor and pleasure of speaking with one Larry Josefovitz, a Jewish cantor and professor of classical music appreciation. Classical music is, generally speaking, understood to be more nuanced and pure than most other forms of music. It is something that really needs to be worked at to be truly appreciated. To get us started on the road to understanding, we asked Larry for some insight into classical music. Feedback:...

In this week's episode, we explore my newest hobby, ham radio. Featuring interviews with ham operators, a prepper, and a podcaster fascinated by hobbies (not me), we will dive in the deep end to discover what ham radio is all about. It may seem like an outdated technology from a bygone era, and like stamp collecting or knitting sweaters, is a pastime that really serves no purpose today beyond some mental stimulation. While this couldn't be further from the truth, we will investigate these...

This week, I fell ill with a virus, and as I had planned on editing this week's episode during that time, I decided to record a short episode to deliver quickly rather than throw together a less than optimal product. The question arose in my mind, "Can illness actually make us happier?" For more What Makes You Happy?, read our blog, www.ClevelandCreativeOutlet.com/wmyh What Makes You Happy? is a project by Cleveland Creative Outlet, a video production company. You can learn more and see...

This week we've got a special crossover episode, starring Alex of Time For Your Hobby, which is a podcast about peculiar hobbies and pastimes. Much like our own show, What Makes You Happy?, Alex finds friends, neighbors and acquaintances with unusual hobbies and asks them about the specifics of their chosen pursuit. Today he's with us to talk about his own chosen hobby, podcasts themselves. In this rather meta episode of What Makes You Happy?, prepare to learn a little bit about the world of...

We appreciate your feedback. Please let us know your thoughts using the feedback form. We all know we need to move more, but not very many of us have explored the ins and outs of exercise and fitness. In particular, we want to answer the question, "How does exercise make us happier?" To help us answer this and other questions, Dustin Carnish of DC Strength Ohio and Ript Fitness joins us. Dustin is a wealth of information on all things fitness. Table of Contents: 00:00 Intro 01:00 This week's...

Laura Freiman joins us today to help us get the most out of Valentine's Day this year. She has deep insights into strengthening relationships, romantic gestures, emotional language, and the mistakes we inevitably make. It's a short, informative episode. Don't forget to leave some feedback using the form from the link below. Thanks! We'd love to hear what you think! Please tell us using the feedback form. Table of Contents: 00:00 Intro 01:16 This week's guest - Laura Freiman, Relationship...

The subject of this episode is cookies. Steven and Elana Perlin join us today to talk about Oreos specifically, and their enjoyment and reviewing process of these ubiquitous treats on their YouTube channel, the [sic.] "Oreo Taste Testers !" Ordinarily, What Makes You Happy? interviews professionals in very deep and technical fields in which amateurs can operate alongside professionals. But when it comes to cookies, it takes no skill or know-how to participate. Table of Contents: 00:00 Intro...