The NewsWorthy — Special Edition: ‘Are You Happy?’

Host: Erica Mandy
Guest: Ozd Trepka (filmmaker, creator of the “Are You Happy?” series)
Date: November 29, 2025

Overview

This special Saturday episode departs from The NewsWorthy’s usual fast-paced news format to pose a perennial yet often unasked question: “Are you happy?” Host Erica Mandy welcomes Ozd Trepka, the filmmaker behind the viral TikTok series and newly released documentary “Are You Happy?”, where Trepka travels the world asking strangers about happiness. Together, they explore what it means to be happy, common patterns and insights gleaned from thousands of interviews, the role of gratitude and support systems, and wrestle with the reality—and mythology—of sustained happiness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Genesis of the Documentary

[01:10–02:02]

• Why Make This Film?
  • Ozd wanted to move and inspire people beyond routine narrative. He quit his L.A. studio job, packed his car, and let his journey be guided by the responses and directions of strangers he met across the country.
  • Quote:

    “The thesis was, what would happen if I just set out and started talking to random strangers and let them guide where the film went?... The good news is that it ended up being better than anything I could have ever imagined.”
    — Ozd Trepka [01:40–02:02]

The Power—and Rarity—of the Happiness Question

[02:05–03:18]

• We rarely ask ourselves or others if we’re truly happy—often because we're too busy, afraid, or stuck in autopilot social exchanges.

• The simplicity and candor of the question resonated:

  “We don’t ask ourselves if we’re truly happy, or what would make us happier... When you see random people being asked that question, it’s very eye opening. But what’s even greater is that the answers... are heart opening.”
  — Ozd Trepka [02:05–02:49]

• Initial Reactions:

  • More challenging for Ozd to ask the question than for people to answer. People do want to open up when given the chance.

Chipping Away the Facade: Authenticity in Answers

[03:18–04:22]

• Many default to “I’m happy,” mirroring social conventions. When pressed (“are you truly happy?”), deeper, sometimes painful truths emerge.
• Example: first documentary subject claimed happiness, but after a gentle follow-up, revealed distress and a visible bruise.

Universal Themes: What Makes and Breaks Happiness?

[04:22–05:19]

• Core roots of happiness, across cultures and continents, are support systems:

  “From India to Albania to Mexico and beyond, most people's reason for joy is their support system around them.”
  — Ozd Trepka [04:27–05:05]

• Family often broadly defined—friends, colleagues, partners.

• Gratitude as Central to Happiness:

  • Even the happiest people faced great challenges; it was their practice of gratitude—finding silver linings—that shaped their happiness.

    “The happiest people... didn’t necessarily have the happiest lives but they chose to be grateful for the silver lining. And... it’s almost like a muscle that you work on and you get better and better at over time.”
    — Ozd Trepka [05:19–05:58]

Building Personal Resilience and the Gratitude ‘Muscle’

[06:05–07:00]

• Ozd reflects on his own journey toward happiness, not originally his intent, but an outcome of the project.
• Focus shifted from the negatives to developing automatic positivity—a learned cognitive skill:

  “Everything that happens in your life has both a good consequence and a bad consequence... I guess take over my emotions.”
  — Ozd Trepka [06:05–06:54]

Are They Happy?

Ozd’s Honest Answer

[09:31–10:22]

• Ozd describes his life as “extremely happy” despite stress, busy days, and parenting two young children.

  “It’s literally my, my dream life... There’s never enough time in the day, but it’s exactly what I want out of my life.”
  — Ozd Trepka [09:31–10:22]

Erica’s Reflection

[10:29–11:25]

• Erica self-identifies as happy, but reframes the pursuit:

  “The goal shouldn’t be happiness per se...perhaps the goal should be resilience, find contentment, trust, that we can do hard things because no one is happy 100% of the time.”
  — Erica Mandy [10:32–11:25]

• They discuss the unrealistic expectation of sustained happiness versus developing resilience and gratitude.

On the Value (and Limits) of Happiness

[11:25–12:25]

• Ozd agrees: Instilling resilience, gratitude, and trust will take you further than a single-minded focus on happiness.
• He pushes back against the notion that life “pretty much sucks,” reinforcing that sustained happiness is more attainable than commonly believed.

If You Struggle with Happiness…

[12:27–13:29]

• Ozd resists universal solutions—stresses the value of listening over advice.
• One practical insight for difficult moments:

  “Anytime something happens... Try to stop your mind from going into that autopilot ‘oh my God, this sucks’... Instead... focus on the positive, or if there is no positive, then just sort of... try laughing it off.”
  — Ozd Trepka [12:39–13:29]

Documentary Pay-What-You-Want Model

[13:29–14:15]

• Reasoning: He wants the documentary to be accessible, but also believes people should support what they value.
• No outside funding or studio backing; model is a compromise between charging and offering it free.

Final Thoughts: The Paradox of Letting Go

[14:17–15:38]

• Ozd advises aspiring creators and seekers to “relax” their grip on outcomes—sometimes what you want arrives only after you let go:

  “The more pressure you put on something to succeed... the less likely it’ll happen... The best things actually happen in moments of relief and release... let the world meet you halfway.”
  — Ozd Trepka [14:17–15:38]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "What I have learned is that it actually doesn't have to be that way. I hope… people can start to work on that muscle of gratitude."
  — Ozd Trepka [11:25–12:06]

• "All emotions are okay. And you can have a big picture happiness about your life even when every moment isn't perfectly happy."
  — Erica Mandy [12:06–12:25]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Genesis and Motivation – [01:10–02:02]
• Why It Resonates / Authenticity of Answers – [02:05–04:22]
• Universal Happiness Themes – [04:22–05:19]
• Gratitude and Building Happiness – [05:19–06:54]
• Are You Happy? (Ozd & Erica’s Personal Reflections) – [09:31–12:25]
• Advice for the Unhappy & Documentary Access – [12:27–14:15]
• Letting Go for Joy – [14:17–15:38]

Conclusion

This episode of The NewsWorthy takes a refreshing break from its usual news roundups to probe a deep, universal question: What does it really mean to be happy? Through Ozd Trepka’s street interviews, documentary reflections, and honest conversation, listeners are invited to consider happiness not as a destination, but as a practice—one rooted in gratitude, supported by meaningful relationships, and made more attainable by embracing resilience and occasionally letting go. Whether you’re currently joyful or in a rough patch, this episode emphasizes that it’s okay to not feel happy all the time—and that even just asking the question can open doors.

For more, check out Ozd’s documentary via the link in episode notes.