Jeannie D and the Surprising Truth About Positive People

Loading player...
We've all met someone who seems to light up every room they walk into.
The person who is warm, optimistic, energetic and genuinely happy to be alive.
But are people like that simply born that way, or is joy actually something we can practice?

In this episode, I sit down with Jeannie D (Bekker, née de Gouveia), someone I've known for years and whose energy has always fascinated me. No matter where I've encountered her, she consistently shows up with warmth, enthusiasm and an incredible ability to make people feel seen. So I wanted to understand why.

Together, we unpack the idea that happiness isn't something that happens to us - it's something we actively create.

We explore resilience, positivity, energy management, difficult seasons, personal responsibility and why joy might be far more of a daily practice than most people realise.

This conversation is filled with simple but powerful reminders that happiness isn't found in perfect circumstances.

It's found in the choices we make every day.

If you've been feeling overwhelmed, exhausted or disconnected lately, this episode offers a refreshing reminder that joy doesn't have to be complicated.

Sometimes it's simply a choice to keep looking for the good.
2 Jul English South Africa Health & Fitness · Society & Culture

Other recent episodes

Dr Sandra Kaufmann: Longevity Is About Enjoying Life for Longer

In this episode, I speak to Dr Sandra Kaufmann, physician, scientist and creator of the Kaufmann Protocol, about what is really happening inside our cells as we age and what we can do to support a longer, healthier and more enjoyable life. For Sandy, longevity is not about living forever…
13 Aug 35 min

Supplements: What You Actually Need (And What’s Just Hype) with Toni Carroll

Walk into any health store and it feels like you need every-single-thing! Powders. Pills. Adaptogens. Sprays. Tonics. So where do you actually start? In this episode, Kate Thompson-Duwe sits down with Toni Carroll to cut through the noise of the modern supplement industry - and answer the question everyone is…
30 Apr 42 min

"The future of wellness is happiness." Kate Thompson-Duwe

The Mama Mudra Podcast is your gateway to redefining well-being, all under the guiding philosophy that “the future of wellness is happiness.” In each episode, host Kate Thompson-Duwe invites expert guests from a diverse range of fields into the studio to explore how we can all live more vibrantly. It’s…
4 Dec 2025 16 min