Andreea D. Vanacker
on Joy and Purposeful Leadership
“Life is about finding and living our spark to find true joy.”
To Andreea Dutescu Vanacker, every day is a rebirth. A birthday. A duty to pursue joy and human flourishing, “must-haves” that can't be contained on a spreadsheet. It took years of courage and honesty to express this, landing from the board room to the surgery room to have a large benign tumour inside her skull removed, one that was silently pressing down on the nerve, growing unnoticed for at least a decade.
"Can you smile at me?" the doctor asked Andreea, after the 9-hour operation.
"Despite the immense pain I was in, I was able to smile. I could not believe it! After I heard that he removed the totality of the tumour without any damage to my facial nerve, I was in total awe and relief."
From that day, joy became her compass.
Andreea Dutescu Vanacker, Ph.D. is an entrepreneur, international speaker and author, her insights being featured in Forbes or Fast Company on topics that inspire leaders to create human-centric organizations so individuals can thrive. Andreea focuses on finding synergies between neuroscience, positive psychology, leadership, human resilience, joy, and purpose.
Her TED Talk, “The Trilogy of Joy”, and “One Million Years Of Joy”, her global project, podcast, and future documentary are both a quest to discover how people experience joy: “To be truly happy and joyful in life we need to take 100% accountability and responsibility for our actions and their results.”
Inspired by her daughter, Andreea created and wrote "Successonality", as she knew that, one day, her children would be asking what it takes for someone to be successful. Is this something that you are just born with or can you learn a personality of success? She believes there are no limits around what someone can learn, do or be: “Building a personality of success ultimately comes down to habits, the way you think and what you do to propel yourself forward.” To Andreea, an inspiring leader is someone who can build trust, encourage authentic conversations, recognize that they are far from perfect, and is always eager to learn. Introspection and self-awareness are essential: “One needs to start from a place of immense purpose and passion, having a clear compass for all the actions and decisions.”
What’s your Successonality? It might be the drive to do your best from the start, treasuring the moment and not letting life pass you by, your positive attitude, or being your own “Chief Life Officer” who shows perseverance, confidence, courage, creativity, passion and self-development. Maybe all of these in one!
Discover Andreea Dutescu Vanacker, Ph.D.’s answers for Inspirators and never take your precious life for granted!
Thank you, Andreea, for being Joyfully Resilient!
#INSPIRATORS QUESTIONNAIRE
Name: Dr. Andreea D. Vanacker
Company / Institution: One Million Years Of Joy
Title: CEO; Author; Podcast Host; International Speaker
Website: www.andreeavanacker.com
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreeadutescu/
Country of origin: Romania
Country you currently live in: Canada
Your definition of Regeneration: Investing in building a future that is better than our past.
Main driver that keeps you going: A thirst to always evolve, grow, learn, discover, and experience life to the fullest.
The trait you are most proud of in yourself: My ability to tap into joy in any circumstance.
The trait you most value in others: Authenticity.
Passions & little things that bring you joy: Every second of being alive is a joy and a miracle!
The Inspirators who determined you to take the regenerative path:
Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia
Dr. Bernard Piccard, Solar Impulse
A starting point for companies or professionals that are beginning the regeneration journey: Everything starts with self-awareness.
Without an inner capacity to question our actions, beliefs, and ways of being, and to be self-aware of the domino effect we are creating on humans and the planet through our actions, we will not be able to have a positive impact in this world.
Most used and abused clichés in sustainability that bother you:
“Someone else will save our planet, I can’t do anything about it.”
Products that are defined as “Clean", but that still have chemicals that are harmful to our human existence.
An honest piece of advice for young people who lose hope:
Explore your purpose. Try new things, experiment. Connect with people who inspire you. Focus on what you can control and tap into your inner power to achieve incredible things. This is why you were born! To explore endless possibilities and opportunities that exist around you, or create them.
Live with no regrets!
Books that had a great impact on you / Must-Reads for any regenerative professional:
Regeneration by Paul Hawken
Conscious Capitalism by John Mackey & Raj Sisodia
Purposehood by Ammar Charani
Websites / Podcasts you visit frequently: EWG.org, weforum.org; The Diary of CEO, Steven Bartlett; On Purpose with Jay Shetty.
Places you travelled to that left a mark on you: From the over 50 countries I have travelled to, those that have left a lasting impression on me are Japan, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, India, China, Italy, France, UK, Switzerland, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, Brazil.
Global Regenerative Voices you recommend us to follow:
Ammar Charani (Purposehood)
Stephen Hecht (Million Peacemakers)
Reasons to feel optimistic about our future in 2030: Progress in AI, innovative medicine, technology, UN's 17 SDGs.
Regenerative Leadership qualities much needed today: Kind authenticity, vulnerability, empathy, and purposeful leadership.
The Inspirator you are endorsing for a future edition is:
Ammar Charani
The quote that inspires you:
“The work we love, small or big, paid or unpaid, prestigious or not, is a transfer of love.” (Ayse Birsel)
“Joy is the only measure of success.” (Deepak Chopra)
Your quote that will inspire us:
