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Sara is joined by Meik Wiking, the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute, who shares stories from his Little Book of Lykke. Plus there's 30 minutes of hits in the Half Wower.

Sara is joined by Meik Wiking, the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. He shares stories from his Little Book of Lykke and gives listeners the Monday Motivation they need to kick start the week, including how getting together with friends to enjoy good food could make us a little happier. Sara gets nostalgic with the listeners over pink custard, concrete cake and dinner ladies. Plus there's 30 minutes of back to back hits in the Half Wower. Karthi Gnanasegaram covers the sport for Vassos and is joined in the Sports Locker by football shirt enthusiast Neal Heard. Plus writer and Vicar Dave Tomlinson has the first Pause For Thought of the week.

2 hours, 59 minutes

Music Played

  • Wham!

    Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

    • Fantastic 80's Disc 1 (Various Artis.
    • Columbia.
  • Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

    Holy Mountain

    • Who Built The Moon?.
    • Sour Mash Records.
  • John Newman

    Love Me Again

    • Tribute.
    • Island.
    • 2.
  • Dr. Alban

    It's My Life

    • (CD Single).
    • Arista.
  • The Kinks

    You Really Got Me

    • The Journey - Part 1.
    • BMG.
    • 7.
  • Jessie J

    Price Tag (feat. B.o.B)

    • (CD Single).
    • Lava Records.
    • 1.
  • The Jacksons

    Blame It On The Boogie

    • Disco Fever (Various Artists).
    • Global Television.
  • Camila Cabello

    Havana (feat. Young Thug)

    • (CD Single).
    • Syco Music.
  • Leading Ladies

    I'm Every Woman (Radio 2 Session, 3 Nov 2017)

  • Callum Beattie

    Man Behind The Sun

    • (CD Single).
    • 3Beat.
  • Rod Stewart

    Maggie May

    • The Best Of Rod Stewart.
    • Warner Bros.
  • Charlie Puth

    How Long

    • (CD Single).
    • Atlantic.
  • Freeez

    I.O.U.

    • Club Classics From The 80's (Various).
    • Disky.
  • The Lightning Seeds

    The Life Of Riley

    • Sense - The Lightning Seeds.
    • Virgin.
  • Gloria Gaynor

    I Am What I Am

    • Gloria Gaynor.
    • Gold Box.
  • Pet Shop Boys

    West End Girls

  • AR Rahman & The Pussycat Dolls

    Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny) (feat. Nicole Scherzinger)

    • (CD Single).
    • Polydor.
    • 1.
  • Buzzcocks

    Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)

    • Greatest Hits Of The 70's (Various).
    • Disky.
  • Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson

    The Best Things In Life Are Free

    • (CD Single).
    • DEF JAM.
  • Barry White

    You See The Trouble With Me

    • Barry White - The Collection.
    • Mercury.
    • 2.
  • Rita Ora

    Anywhere

    • (CD Single).
    • Atlantic.
  • Toni Braxton

    Un-Break My Heart

    • Toni Braxton - Secrets.
    • Laface.
  • David Bowie

    Let's Dance

    • David Bowie - Best Of Bowie.
    • EMI.
  • Captain Sensible

    Happy Talk

    • Sensible Singles.
    • A&M.
    • 5.
  • Elkie Brooks

    Rising Cost Of Love

    • Pearls: The Very Best Of Elkie Brooks.
    • A&M.
  • The Osmonds

    Crazy Horses

    • The Very Best Of The Osmonds.
    • Polydor.
  • Robbie Williams

    Strong

    • (CD Single).
    • Chrysalis.
  • Tears for Fears

    I Love You But I'm Lost

    • Rule The World: The Greatest Hits.
    • Virgin EMI Records.
  • Soul II Soul

    Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) (feat. Caron Wheeler)

    • NOW 100 Hits 80s No.1s (Various Artists).
    • NOW.
  • Candi Staton

    Nights On Broadway

    • Bee Gees Songbook (Various Artists).
    • Connoisseur.

Pause for Thought: "Truth is, there are no instant answers to life’s problems, no guaranteed cures to all our ills."

From Dave Tomlinson, writer and Vicar of St Luke’s Holloway in London:

One day, bored, waiting for a delayed flight, and surfing silly internet sites, I stumbled on an item I just had to have – a breath spray claiming that when you applied it on the back of the tongue – bingo! –  you instantly believed in God, all doubts eliminated. A must-have item for a man of the cloth, I facetiously reflected. 

And I got to thinking – why not an ‘Instantly enjoy your job’ spray, or ‘Instantly make someone fall in love with you’ spray? What about ‘Instantly believe it doesn’t matter whether Liverpool win or lose on Saturday’ spray? That’s one I could certainly do with!

Truth is, there are no instant answers to life’s problems, no guaranteed cures to all our ills – and definitely no certainty when it comes to things of faith and religion. I sometimes tell my congregation, if you have no doubts or uncertainties, see me afterwards and I’ll share some of mine; there’s plenty to go around.

Last week I preached in St Paul’s Cathedral on All Saints Day – the day when the church celebrates its heroes, the A-List of believers. However, I chose to focus on the unlikely saints I meet all the time in north London, some of whom struggle even to believe in God, yet whose lives do more for my faith than any rational argument or high-minded doctrine or creed. 

When Jean first attended church after I took her daughter’s funeral, she told me ‘I’m not a woman of faith, Dave, but I am a woman of action. She wasn’t kidding; her dedicated campaigning on behalf of the disabled earned her an OBE and Woman of the Year award.

Faith isn’t about believing six impossible things before breakfast; faith means having convictions and acting on them to bring compassion and goodness into the world. On that basis, Jean is a giant of faith – as is Sophie who despite having cancer dedicates her life to bringing hope to others with the disease, or John who after a hard day at work regularly visits his lonely neighbour and fetches her shopping.

I think I’ll leave the miracle breath spray in the packet, but I definitely want a good dose of whatever it is those people are on.

Broadcast

  • Mon 6 Nov 2017 06:30

Farewell Chris Evans: The best bits from his last shows at Radio 2

After eight years of hosting the Breakfast Show, Chris Evans leaves Radio 2.

500 Words

Â鶹Éç Radio 2's story-writing competition for kids.