This week, the Instigator and the Yogi are unpacking joy. As usual, we're taking a slightly different approach, Tim calls it a perspective slap. We're digging deep and distinguishing manufactured or performative happiness from true, authentic joy. In our increasingly online, social media world, we're all constantly being sold products, experiences, interactions that we're told will make us happy/bring us joy. We challenge this by saying that joy, as a key element of mental health, is an inside job. It's up to each of us to create the joy that resonates for us. But how?
Joy isn't black or white. Especially for those of us for whom joy hasn't always felt accessible, we have to intentionally create and feed our own personal joy. Karen says, "In order to truly feel joy, I need to first feel safe," which we're sure is true for many others. Living your authentic life will lead you to more long-term sustainable joy. Start by thinking back to activities you liked as a child, and carving out time in your adult life for some whimsy, playfulness. Whether it's listening to music, blowing bubbles, swinging on a swingset, reading a book, being near water, or riding a bike (some of the many personal joys we shared), find what resonates for you and do that thing, feed YOUR joy.
Joy wears many different faces, and it's important not to hide behind a mask of performing happiness. It's worth it to dig into what makes you feel joyful as part of your healing. Alan Watts said, "Man suffers only because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun." Do something fun today, prioritize joy in your life, and reap the rewards. Here are a few links to things we referenced in the episode that we encourage you to explore surrounding joy:
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Desmond Tutu, Dalai Lama XIV, Douglas Carlton Abrams
Mission: Joy - Finding Happiness in Troubled Times
Feeding Joy (one of our early episodes!)
Is there something you're struggling with? Or something you'd like to hear us discuss?
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