Episode Transcript
Terri-Ann: [00:00:00] Welcome to the happy stack podcast, where we explore the science and strategies behind creating a happier, more fulfilling life. I'm Terri-Ann Richards, and I partner with organizations to address the root causes of burnout, disengagement, and stress, equipping leaders and teams. With the tools they need to thrive, both organizationally and personally.
Each episode, we dive into practical habits, insights, and strategies to help high performers like you level up from the inside out. Let's get stacking. Anik. Welcome.
Anik Malenfant: Thank you, my darling. It's so lovely to share space with you to talk about something that's, I feel, near and dear to both of our hearts. So it's going to be a great conversation.
I'm already excited.
Terri-Ann: I'm excited as well. So let's just jump right into it. I'd love to start with hearing about the work you're doing. Right now. And what's lighting you up about it? Why does it [00:01:00] matter to you?
Anik Malenfant: The element that's really lighting me up is, I gotta be honest, the results. When people come back and they're like, not only am I thriving in my business and I'm getting great results in the products or services that they're offering, but they Wake up in the morning and they're excited instead of like that dread or overwhelm or stretching.
So that's what motivates me to get up every day is wake up and I'm like, I wonder who I get to bring that into not just their lives. But what really excites me, like, especially being a mom is this is the life that they're modeling for their kids. This is the life that they're moderate modeling as leaders in their community or in their industry and I love it when they bring the tools that we develop in the inner world and they bring it into like an accounting office or an industrial, you know, like worksite or these different like places [00:02:00] where you wouldn't expect to see. This type of an intuitive inner work platform taking hold and then seeing them actually take it to the next level. So that's what sparks my heart every day.
Terri-Ann: I love it. Okay, so you kind of touched on it and, you know, I think when it comes to the professional world, leadership. Talking from intuitive nature sometimes throws people off, right? And I know this is a playground that you play, and so I'd love to ask you the question, you know, how has intuitive discernment transformed your approach to leadership? And can you share any specific examples where trusting your intuition actually led to a breakthrough decision?
Anik Malenfant: Yes. So many. So let me pick one, like every day, every moment of the day, if it's okay with you. I want to back up because I find there's a lot of confusion about what intuitive discernment is. So I just want to [00:03:00] like provide the context for it. So each and every day, myself and. Every entrepreneur, business person, and professional is faced with the easy decision or the hard decision, and intuitive discernment supports you in identifying whether you are choosing this safe decision out of fear. Or am I making this decision to reach the opportunity that I desire to make that's totally outside of my comfort zone that every cell in my body is going to be screaming against? And so intuitive discernment is really about having that capacity to discern within yourself: is this my soul speaking, or is this my fear? leading me to recreate what I've already done. And so when I look at using intuitive discernment, one of the really big things that I experienced was, well, this is what everybody else in the industry is doing, and this is the new trend, and this [00:04:00] is the get rich quick scheme of the day, and if you're not on this platform, well, then you're missing out.
And so I've used that intuitive discernment. over and over again to not get caught in trends that don't align with my unique preference. Because at the end of the day, I'm the one that's going to show up on that platform, or I'm the one that's going to do that content or show up to that program. And even though it works for X amount of people over here that have experienced success in it, If I'm not aligned with it, then if, and I allow that external interference to overpower my inner knowing, well then, and I know we've all had this, you end up dropping money, time, energy, and life, like life that you're never going to get back on stuff that's not really meant for you. Yes, you'll learn a lot. Through the way, but for me, it's where I really benefited from [00:05:00] trusting my intuition is not doing the hot trendy thing, and it doesn't mean that there is no thing that I do that isn't popular. It's just I use that discernment on a regular basis because in the. Commercial platform in industry, the market trends are always shifting. And so there is a shiny object at every turn that you can get distracted by. And so that's where I use it the most is here's this shiny new object. Do I want to get on board or not? Is this an alignment with the goals that I have for myself or is this just another, everyone else is doing it. So I feel like I'm going to miss out if I don't.
Terri-Ann: Anik,is this a simple question sort of internally of, you know, am I going left, straight, or right, or am I staying still? Like, is it that simple and just sort of listening to the hum inside, or is there something more to it? [00:06:00] Okay.
Anik Malenfant: It is. And there's more to it. So when you developed intuitive discernment, it's as simple as asking, does this feel in alignment with me?
If you don't have that inner work done where you've developed that internal discernment, well, then you ask that question and then you get your whole inner committee all giving you different answers, pulling you in different directions. So when you know you lack intuitive discernment is when you feel torn.
You've got your whole, the peanut gallery's giving you every reason, pro, con, good, bad, this, that, and you're not able to listen to that unifying voice, which is that deeper capacity. So yes, it's that simple, and it takes practice.
Terri-Ann: So interesting. And you know what, I think anybody who's listening to this or watching this, Has had that moment. Had that moment where the world says go left, and you're having this, there's an inner conflict that's happening that's saying, you know what, [00:07:00] left doesn't feel like the right next move for me, but it's hard. Like, I just want to call out the elephant in the room because I know someone's feeling this right now.
It is hard to do the opposite of what potentially the masses are doing, what the shiny new objects, you know, you know, I'm an entrepreneur. I've been an entrepreneur for 21 plus years. So I've been around when we were using the telephone book, when we were using postcards, when Facebook came out. And so I can think back to when moments of this is the thing that's next that you have to do to grow your business and jumping on those, you know, those choo choo trains and thinking that's the thing I got to do. Or when I got into leadership roles thinking, you know, the way that so and so did it and so and so did it.
That's what I have to do. And feeling like. I had like four anchors pulling me backwards at all times. Like this feeling like the thing I'm doing right now, even though everyone says it's the right next move, you want to be successful, you want to be great, do it. And [00:08:00] then I just felt like this ton of weight on me pulling me back.
And it's interesting because when I was in my 20s, I remember a mentor of mine who was in her, I think she was probably my age now. And she said, when you get to be about 40, you know, you're not going to care what anyone thinks anymore. You're going to kind of get to this point where you're just going to do the thing.You're going to be you. You're going to be you. You're going to be authentically you. You're going to lean into that. And I'm thinking, like, I did that now, right? In my 20s. I'm thinking I was doing it now. But looking back, I wasn't. I was trying to be in. The realm of being like other people or following the path that everybody else was doing, whereas now at 41 years old, you're darn right, I do go inward and go, Okay, like, what's this feel like?
And I don't think this, you know, in catch me if I'm wrong, but, like, I don't think this is about not following stats and facts and processes and frameworks that work. I think this is [00:09:00] more about how do you live your best life and live it authentically. And I think there's an inner knowing sometimes of what that next Like, if there's a fork in the road, which path you should be on, I think there really is something smarter on the inside than sometimes our cognitive brain can tell us.
Anik Malenfant: I totally agree. And I love that you brought that in because it doesn't mean that a process doesn't work because it's a cookie cutter approach, but there's a reason why that cookie cutter approach works for this group of people and not for this other group of people. Right. So it's up to us to decide, okay, well, I like this, but I'm going to take elements of that.
And then I'm going to make it, I'm going to tweak it so that it suits me like this, right. There's always like, especially as entrepreneurs, like if we were meant to live in a box, we wouldn't be entrepreneurs, you know, like it's because we want to do things in a way that represents our [00:10:00] business as an extension of our true expression. Essentially, right? This is how I want to see the world. I'm going to create a business, a service or a product that reflects that vision in some way, shape or form.
Terri-Ann: So let's talk about this then. I'm picturing, you know, leaders in, you know, high stakes, high pressure environments, and there's steps that are required to take. Or maybe not how, what are some of those first actionable steps that leaders can take to align their business or leadership strategies with their highest values, especially when they're in high pressure, high stressful environments? Like, how do you stay aligned with your highest value?
Anik Malenfant: I love that you brought that in because I feel uniquely gifted to share that I used to work on the stock market and it was all about yeah, I worked for huge portfolio managers and at the push of a button we would trade like millions of dollars, right?
So it was like in the markets moving. You know, like at a moment's [00:11:00] notice. So it was actually exactly in that situation. And here's what I have to share about that. Is the advisors and the portfolio managers that were the most successful in how they managed the movement and the trends of the market were the ones that Had done their inner work and were highly intuitive.
And it's not that they didn't read the reports and we didn't look at the financial statements and we didn't do all the work. The true gift of choosing the right stocks at the right market and the right in and the out time was able to read between the lines. And I dare say that that's true after working with entrepreneurs from all walks of life.
That's true in every industry. It's not about what the report says, because you can make any number look like anything. Like, let's just be real. You can create a proposal that looks beautiful on paper. The capacity to read between the lines is what makes a great doctor, is what makes a great accountant, is what makes a great architect.
And what I've learned is when we look [00:12:00] at the people who are really leading the way in innovation and who are the cream of the crop in their industries and in their professions, they're not just highly trained and highly experienced. They're extremely intuitive. Whether they realize it or not, like they've tuned in and they're completely aligned with their values.
And so when an opportunity shows up, they have that built in discernment to be like, this feels, it feels like the right call. And the numbers reflect that as well. Right? It's not that you're going against the current, maybe sometimes you are, but it's really when you develop that intuitive discernment, you're also developing your self confidence and your self trust and you're developing your judgment.
So like all of those skill sets that are highly important for leaders and anybody at a top level in any company, those are skills that you want to be able to really harness. So that you can make like the big
Terri-Ann: decisions. [00:13:00] So true, so true. All right, we're going back there because I just keep thinking of myself in my earlier days when I was being taught this stuff and I'm like, what in tarnation?
Like how do I do X, Y, Z? And it kind of, the image I have in my head is. Developing your intuitive discernment is sort of like when you go to the gym and you pick up the two pound weight to begin. I might be wrong, but that's the visual I have in my head right now. So what daily practices or habits could our viewers do cultivate that intuitive discernment as a superpower?
Anik Malenfant: So an actionable takeaway is you start by developing discernment on the stuff that doesn't matter if it goes sideways. So you start with the little stuff. And so one of the trainings that I do, because we do a lot of muscle testing and development, so I love using the muscle testing to build the capacity that as soon as you say something out loud, you know if you're full of it.
Like, you just know, you're like, I'm so full of it right now. Like, it just feels [00:14:00] wrong. Just kind of like you're saying a name that's not yours. So when we do muscle testing, we use the baseline of what your name is. My name is Anik, my name is Tony. And I'm like, okay, this is what off feels like. When I say something out loud, this is what off feels like in my body.
So you start with really basic stuff. Should I go to this restaurant or should I go to that restaurant? Because, you know, the outcome of that, it's not going to be detrimental in your life. And the more you develop it with the baby stuff and the stuff that you're unattached to, because that's really what it's about, is you start to practice on the stuff that you're not attached to the outcome.
Because when you've got like your livelihood attached to the outcome. That's where intuitive discernment gets challenging. So I would say practice with the little stuff. Muscle testing, applied kinesiology is one of the tools that I teach and I love to use because everybody's got a body.
Terri-Ann: So talk about that for a second because I, again, I only just learned. What it was called. I think I knew about it because I think you taught [00:15:00] me this like maybe 10 years ago. It just feels like a really long time ago that I learned this stuff. Probably around then, yeah. So, what is this applied kinesiology muscle testing? I'm moving my hands, folks, and doing things. Exactly.
Anik Malenfant: But it's exactly that. What your body naturally does is whenever you're stating a false statement, you say something that's false out loud, like, my name is Tony, naturally your subconscious is going to respond to that. And what happens is your body weakens. And so all different modalities utilize applied kinesiology in order to develop clarity on what the core issue is.
And so there's actually, I have a training video that on YouTube of just exactly how to do muscle testing. Right on. So we will link to that in the show notes. Yeah, I'll send you the link over to that since we talked on that. Awesome. So you can do it with your fingers. You can do it with your arm. This one's one that a lot of people will see is the [00:16:00] arm one because that one's extremely visual.
One that we use a lot in my training is we call it a body sway where you stand up. Close your eyes, let go of whatever you're thinking about, and then you just let your body move. And so that one is a really basic one that works for a lot of people. The thing that you want to do is you want to make sure that you're facing north because the planet has an electromagnetic field. You have an electromagnetic field. And then what you're doing is you're aligning your internal compass to that of the planet, right? So it just helps your energy be more in alignment. And it's not a woo woo energy. It's a measurable energy. We all have it, whether we want it. Acknowledge it or not. And it really supports you in developing that.
But it's like anything else. It's like practicing yoga. It's a practice that you do. And you start by practicing discovering your baseline, because in the tutorial that I have on my YouTube channel, I provide, I think, four or five different variations because. [00:17:00] Everyone will have a different one that they'll gravitate towards, right?
So you want to use the one that's like, Oh, yeah, this is what my yes is. And so what you're doing is you're developing that discernment so that I know what a strong yes feels like for me. I know what a strong no feels like for me. Because half of the time, when you're going to be asking an important question in your life, you're going to get a maybe. And then you've got to decide, OK, what? Part of me is not on board and what part of me is not on board. And something really important to note about muscle testing is it's only going to show you what your subconscious thinks. So if you're like, I'm beautiful, well, you might get a maybe, well, it doesn't mean that that's true. It means that you may be, there's a part of you that might say yes. And a part of you. So we use like specific statements that we develop to get like real details on. A part of me feels this way, another part of me doesn't, or it feels this way. There's a part of me that's afraid of taking this, you know, my higher [00:18:00] self or my inner knowing recognizes the opportunity.
So there's different tricks that we use when you start to really expand into muscle testing. And I've been using it for over 12 years. So it's really like something that you can expand into kind of like any other skill, right? There's like basic, and then there's like advanced.
Terri-Ann: Love that, love that. Okay, so let's talk about burnout for a second. You know, I'm looking at the data, it's a place that I play a lot in terms of talking about, you know, wellness and mental health and building, you know, personal, emotional intelligence and resilience. When you think of where we are as a society and the number of individuals that are struggling, whether it's through mental health issues, um, They've hit that wall and are now having the physiological effects of burnout, lacking joy.
I want to kind of go back to thinking about leaders and safeguarding their personal integrity in the ability [00:19:00] to prevent burnout and prevent all that chaos that sort of ensues internally. Can you talk to us about How leaders can create those safeguards.
Anik Malenfant: So here's the number one reason I've seen people, myself included, find themselves in burnout. It's the movement away from their personal values. Because the reality is, is we have all of these other people and places and things that need or want or try to grab our attention from us. So what happens is when we allow other people's expectations or other people's values or other people's priorities to overpower or be a bigger priority than our personal values, that is the recipe for burnout.
And so when you stay in integrity with your values, you know, like there's all these things that you can do to stay out of burnout. But I would say here's the one thing you. Should do, or this is the one way to stay on the path to not burning [00:20:00] out is when you're in integrity with your values, you can't burn out because your values are going to support you in choosing health, choosing Making the hard decision now to get the benefit of the life that you want to lead.
And sometimes that's saying no to somebody and being afraid of disappointing them. Sometimes that's not meeting other people's expectations, but you doing what feels good for you that you can be proud of. Sometimes it's about saying yes to a new position that scares you. Sometimes it's about saying, Goodbye to something that's been holding you back and weighing you down.
That's non alignment with your values. So I want to say like that for me is like the guiding light is if it's out of integrity with your values, that is the recipe for overwhelm, burnout, depression, lack of health, mental illness, everything. When you're on your path, that's your environment that's going to support you in [00:21:00] thriving.
So I focus more on that than, you know, what are the things I have to stop this? I'm like, well, you only have to do one thing to not have all of these symptoms is To just stay in integrity with your values. So that speaks to this whole authenticity, you know, trend, if you will, that we're looking at is for me, what that means is what are my values and how do I embody those on a moment by moment basis?
Terri-Ann: So, let's assume someone's listening to that and they're like, yeah, that makes sense. I don't know what my values are though.
Anik Malenfant: Step one, and I can't tell you that's with a lot of my clients, that's exactly where we start because what happens is our values, a lot of the times, have been determined by our upbringing, society, external pressures, and we're like, well, everyone else, this is what makes them happy.
I guess I'm kind of, this is where I might be. And that's where the inner work journey really begins [00:22:00] is that's great. And you might have similar values than other people, but how you're going to prioritize them and how you're going to embody them is going to be very unique. And so for me, that's like day one and inner work, because if you don't know what that is, well, then nothing else is going to work.
Terri-Ann: So if they were to. Start trying to figure out what that one to three values that they have in their internal system are. What could be a step, a tactic that they could take to start figuring out, well, what is my values?
Anik Malenfant: I love that question. So here's an actionable, and this is something that we do a lot in my work.
So what I would say is, I get them to imagine where they would desire to be in five years, like best life ever, most wonderful thing, your banking account's full, you live in a dream house, you're traveling, all the things, right, you're happily engaged or married or kids or whatever your thing is, you're living like la viva loca and you're [00:23:00] in that frequency and in that energy When you give yourself permission to really just be there without this, the meant, because your mind's going to be like, well, that's not possible.
You're going to have this chatter happening, giving yourself permission to be in that space and to quiet the chatter. What you'll notice is there's a frequency. That that life has, and that frequency for most people, they'll notice it as an emotion, kind of a focal point. And for some, it might be like, I feel like really at peace, or I feel like really proud of myself.
There'll be a specific emotion that will really reflect and embody that entire experience. And that every one of those little circumstances and relationships and the things in their life, is an embodiment or representation of that particular frequency and or emotion. And so that's where you discover what your primary focal point of your values are. It's like, if my number one [00:24:00] value is peace, well, then why am I scrolling Facebook? Right. If my number one value is love, well, then why am I allowing this toxic relationship just because we've been friends since high school? If my number one value is, you know, like, empowerment, well then why don't I speak up for myself and do the thing that is really exciting for me, is like perfect for me, or, you know, like, be an adversary of self.
If my value is passion, and creation, well then why do I keep telling myself my ideas are bad and I don't let myself try and be curious and have fun with things, right? So that really gives them a lot of, like, a really great starting point is in a perfect world, in five years, everything's roses. What is that primary feeling?
And then that can be your guiding light. And then what happens is when they spend a little bit of time, they'll notice, Oh, well, there's this primary emotion, [00:25:00] but then there's also like, usually three or five is a really good way. And I call those your top emotional priorities because those feelings, which is a really good entry point for most people, most people can feel into their feelings or with a little work they can. Okay, well, if I follow this feeling, where does it take me? What decisions am I making? What thoughts am I having? What behaviors and actions am I taking? Right? So it's kind of a point to entry to that total behavior. So emotions being one of those behavioral catalysts. It's like your emotions drive your actions. So if you can. Find a point of entry, feelings being an easy one for most people, to change the cycle that you're in and then choose a different feeling. And that, of course, takes practice.
Terri-Ann: Well, and I think it's interesting because I always sort of put myself in the shoes of someone who's sort of starting this work.
Today, and thinking back to those beginning days for me [00:26:00] when I was living out of authenticity and sort of following the choo choo train, whatever way it went and feeling very drained, definitely, you know, on the verge of burnout, if not already in it, and just not feeling like I was living my best self, right?
And it wasn't until I defined what is it that you stand for? That I was able to actually build my intuitive discernment because it made it really easy to say, heck yes, and heck no, to situations, to shiny new objects, to people, to relationships, and like, no word of a lionic, I have them on a sticky note, like, my core values.
Do you have yours as well? I love it. So I have my Everybody
Anik Malenfant: do this. Everybody do this. Put it on a sticky note. Put it Followed by, exactly.
Terri-Ann: Yeah, and I have it on my laptop, and it literally has a question, like, and I'll just name one of them. One of my core values is curiosity. And I have the question beside it. Am I staying open [00:27:00] to learning and exploring new perspectives today? That's how I know if I'm living true to my key core value, and I just think that that's beautiful. Okay, I want to pivot a bit, because I want to know more about you. I want to know more about you, the human, Anik, versus the person who helps and supports so many leaders and entrepreneurs. So what is a habit or ritual that brings you joy every single day?
Anik Malenfant: So many. I just did a revamp on my routine. And so I love that you shared that because I'm going to like make it general. But the one thing which is actually one of many things is in my discovery of the self, I design my dream week, and when I stay true to that dream week, it's how I stay true to my values, just how you have your goals.
I've got my dream week, and this is what it looks like, and of course it moves around. But the one thing that I do every day that at the end of the day, I'm like. Oh, I feel so good about the decisions I made. I [00:28:00] was really like, I showed up as my best self, whether that was at 20 percent or at 85 percent depending on, cause you know, like we have days and I did my best to show up in this space.
And so that did take a little bit of work to recognize, okay, well, when am I most creative during the day? When am I most. productive during the day, when is the best time for me to do my exercise, to be creative, to bring in new information. And so taking the time to identify in a perfect world. What does my day look like so that I can thrive?
And when I stay in integrity with that, that's when I have my best days. So it's like one thing, but it's many things, but it's one principle that I live by.
Terri-Ann: I'm gonna try that. I mean, I have a visual in my brain, but I like the idea of taking it out of my head and maybe putting it on my whiteboard right here and like looking at it, right?
I like that. I like that. So tell me something that you [00:29:00] do to stack happiness when light feels Maybe just a little overwhelming.
Anik Malenfant: I love that this is the premise of your show, too, because I think one of the things that we're challenged with is we think of self care as something extra that we have to do.
Like, I gotta find some extra time to meditate, some extra time to self care, some extra time to do this. And then you just have more stuff to do. And then it goes from being a portal for pleasure and peace To just another friggin habit, another chore thing that you need to do, you know, to like, stay healthy.
So for me, what I love to teach is when you're doing your dishes, that's a meditation. When you're doing your laundry, sing a song, dance around, put some fun music on. So it's like taking the daily stuff that we just do, cause we got to do, everybody's going to do their laundry or their housekeeping or their driving or whatever the things that might be mundane.
And simply asking the [00:30:00] question, how can I make this more enjoyable, more fun? I love the one that you had, like, how can I bring more curiosity? And learn into this. So whatever that focal point when they discovered their core value is, how can you bring that emotion more into all of the little stuff that you're doing every day already and not needing to like Find more time to do these things, but to embody this emotion into the everyday stuff, because that's where real transformation happens.
It's not, you know, like I found new joy in my life, but I still fold my laundry just like everybody else, but I do it with a different energy, with a different intention, with a different value behind it. That's my self care is I'm going to have nice new fresh clothes. Whereas before I was like all laundry, like, you know, like two weeks to put it away, one day to clean it kind of thing. Right.
Terri-Ann: I love that. So, it's so funny. So what I do to bring joy to my day, [00:31:00] 'cause you know, when you have a team and you're busy and you're, there's just a lot going on. Mm-hmm . Even though I work in the field of resilience and happiness, I mean, there are days where I'm just having a day, but what I do every day is I go into full on concert like nobody's listening. But I put on songs that I think maybe this voice can sing to, and I go in full on concert mode. I could be driving down the street. I could be folding laundry. I could be working out. But anybody who walks in the room is like, this is the Tyrian concert today. Yeah. It just brings me. I'm on stage. Oh yeah, I'm on stage. Like, I'm in, I'm dancing, I'm Beyoncé, I gotta. Nice. It is my groove.
Anik Malenfant: Yes. And I love that simplicity of it because a lot of times the obstacle that most people have is, well, once I have more free time, or once I paid down this bill, or once I, it's like, no, no, like, how can you, like your perfect example, you know, like, what's their [00:32:00] thing going to be?
Terri-Ann: Yeah.
Anik Malenfant: Right? Like, and music's such a frequency changer, right? Like as soon as you hear a song, it changes your mood. Oh, you feel it right in your soul.
Terri-Ann: Yeah. I love it. Yeah. If you could leave the audience with one piece of advice or some tactic today, what would, that they would get from this conversation, what would that be?
Anik Malenfant: What I'm feeling like they need to hear is if you want to do more out there, you're going to do more in here.
Terri-Ann: She's pointing inside y'all.
Anik Malenfant: Oh, you probably can't see my, because of my mic. So, if you want to be more productive, be more, create more impact, Be more prosperous, have more loving relationships, your inner world is a reflection of your outer world, and your outer world is a reflection of your inner world.
So if you want more out there, the place you need to start is in here. And that I know with every ounce of my being, and I've seen it time and time and [00:33:00] time again. Because it feels too simple, but it is. It
Terri-Ann: is simple. It's also work, right? But it's the good work. It's the stuff that is ongoing. It's part of this journey called life. And I think you're right. I think you need to get to know yourself. You need to do the work inside. And I think that work's just forever evolving. And it needs to become a priority because everything that you want out there starts in there. And you're 100 percent right. I love that.
Okay, I got some lightning round questions for you. Ready? Ready? Ba bam.
Morning person or night owl?
Anik Malenfant: Morning person.
Terri-Ann: What is your favorite way to unwind after a busy day?
Anik Malenfant: Ooh, a crackling fire.
Terri-Ann: Like, do you have a real fire or do you like put it on the TV? We have a
Anik Malenfant: Real fireplace. Yeah.
Terri-Ann: I don't.
Anik Malenfant: I miss out in the summertime because it's an indoor fireplace, but I would say in the summer it's stargazing. In the winter it's the crackling of our fireplace, which is [00:34:00] so Incredible. Such yummy energy.
Terri-Ann: Someday I will have a fireplace again. What's the best advice you've ever been given?
Anik Malenfant: Trust yourself.
Terri-Ann: Bam. And if you could keep one habit for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Anik Malenfant: Mm. And this one's a new one because Mel Robbins is do not hit the snooze button, which is why I'm now a morning person.
Terri-Ann: So you weren't a morning person before?
Anik Malenfant: No, I was never a morning person. And then I did this whole new routine thing and I discovered that I actually am a recovering not morning person. And now I'm like, when I don't get up. Early, I don't have a great day. And so, and I was like the snooze queen, like, you know, those memes where you have like the phone and it's got like 50, 000 snooze buttons, that was me, like, two years ago.
And even my husband's like, I get up earlier than him and he is a morning person and he's like, Oh, you're getting up? And I'm like, Yeah, get on with the day. So [00:35:00] for me, that's the number one habit that The snoozing, I no longer do, but the getting up and getting going, it's also a really great indicator to where I'm at, because if I don't want to get up, then I've got some questions to answer for myself, because I'm like, Ooh, what it is, what is it about my day or my life that I'm avoiding?
Terri-Ann: Love it. And to land this beautiful plane, what is the one thing that you would put in a happiness survival kit for leaders?
Anik Malenfant: Hmm. A mirror.
Terri-Ann: That was a mic drop moment. That was good. A mirror, y'all. And why a mirror?
Anik Malenfant: Well, because the only truth is in your own reflection, right? We love to like, oh, well, once they do this and if they could stop doing that and once the economy, but that is the most disempowering thing you can do to yourself because then what you do is you take control of your life and you put it out there.
So when you have the mirror and you reflect [00:36:00] back to yourself, like, what can I control? That's when you take your power back. You take your power back from other people, from circumstances, from other things, from whatever the government's deciding Tuesday, right? Like, doesn't matter what's going on out there. You get to decide how you show up and how you respond.
Terri-Ann: Brilliant. Anik, thank you so much for joining me today on the HappyStack podcast, and I appreciate you. I appreciate you too, darling. Thank you so much. Thank you. Have a great day. You
Anik Malenfant: too. Bye bye.
Terri-Ann: Hey, thanks for listening to the HappyStack podcast.
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