In this engaging keynote from the Global Wellness Summit, the speaker reframes the classic “glass half full or half empty” metaphor, grounding the discussion in scientific research. Starting with stories of naturally optimistic individuals and the remarkable case of Maurice Becken—who emerged from a 37-year wrongful imprisonment with no regrets—the speaker illustrates innate differences in outlook.

Next, the Minnesota Twins Study—looking at separated identical twins—demonstrated surprising similarities rooted in both nature and nurture, initially suggesting happiness may be as fixed as height. Yet researchers corrected this misinterpretation, acknowledging that despite genetic similarities, personal choices significantly influence wellbeing.

The real kicker: research shows happiness is about 50% genetic, 10% life circumstances (like jobs or housing), and 40% intentional actions—things we can cultivate. The speaker emphasizes the importance of permitting negative emotions, savoring positive moments, and introducing novelty—like “keeping the exotic alive” to fuel connection and joy.

Concluding with warmth, the speaker reminds us that happiness isn’t about never feeling sad, but about staying resilient, savoring life’s small joys, and actively refilling our own glass.

In 2010, while working in marketing for a multinational in Spain, Silvia García was unexpectedly asked by the company president to “take care of happiness.” At first, she thought it was a polite way of being dismissed, and even her children joked that happiness isn’t a real job because you can’t control it.

But her boss was visionary: he understood that emotions drive decisions. Customers, employees, even bankers—everyone makes decisions through emotions. Innovation, therefore, depends on which emotions we choose.

Silvia explains:

• The worst emotion for innovation is fear. She illustrates this with the story of Ron Wayne, who co-founded Apple in 1976.
• Fear of risk made him sell his shares for $800—shares that today would be worth $35 billion. Fear paralyzes or makes us flee, which is the opposite of what’s needed to innovate.
• The best emotions are positive ones—confidence, energy, and encouragement. These allow us to believe in fragile new ideas and bring them to life. She uses the example of Elon Musk’s Hyperloop project as an innovation born from imagining what was possible, despite initial skepticism.

But positivity isn’t enough. Many startups fail because they don’t prepare for obstacles. She recalls the Titanic disaster of 1912: excessive optimism and lack of preparation meant lifeboats were underused, costing over 1,500 lives. The lesson: prepare for worst-case scenarios before fear sets in.

She reviews how happiness is shaped by multiple factors. Genetics and circumstances play a role, but intentional actions and daily choices meaningfully move the needle. Using the Minnesota Twins story and its early misread in the media, she underscores that happiness is not fixed; people can shift it up or down through habits, attention, and culture. Leaders should be cautious with snap judgments and instead engineer experiences that our memory will keep, highlighting the “peak-end” idea to create a standout moment and a calm close to the day.