don’t want to catch. I’ve seen this approach adopted by many people in the helping professions, including health care, social work, and teaching. If you are feeling similarly overwhelmed by how affected you are by the emotions of others, I’d like to offer another possibility for preserving your well-being: Double down on your capacity for empathy. Instead of trying to become immune to other people’s stress, increase your susceptibility to catch other people’s joy. The benefits of positive empathy While modern psychological science has largely focused on empathy for negative states, a new field of research dubbed “positive empathy” shows t... posted on Nov 21 2017 (24,593 reads)

decided that 2020 was a great year for me. It was filled with so many tremendous professional and personal wins. Wait… scratch that. Actually, 2020 was a horrible year. It was filled with tragic losses and enormous amounts of rage and grief. I have to choose one or the other, right? Surely our capacity for joy and pleasure is contingent on how much sorrow and anger is held at any given moment, right?  Actually, no. I don’t think it is. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. It’s always both/and. I’ve been longing to talk about all the ways in which these last couple of years have been so much of a gift for me. And yet I struggle wit... posted on Jun 8 2022 (2,548 reads)

God exist?' The other day I was walking along the river. The wind was blowing. Suddenly I thought, Oh! The air really exists. We know that the air is there, but unless the wind blows against our face, we are not aware of it. Here in the wind I was suddenly aware, yes it’s really there. And the sun too. I was suddenly aware of the sun, shining through the bare trees. Its warmth, its brightness, and all this completely free, completely gratuitous. Simply there for us to enjoy. And without my knowing it, completely spontaneously, my two hands came together, and I realized that I was making gassho. And it occurred to me that this is all that matters: that we can bow, tak... posted on Nov 23 2017 (17,018 reads)

I receive a gift, I am conscious of both the gift and the giver. Gratitude suffuses me. This gratitude often transforms into a wish to give something back to my generous giver. We are conscious of this desire to give back when it comes to people who are givers. Places are givers, too. And we can give back to them. When we do, we become more courageous, more creative—and certainly more grateful! ~ Trebbe Johnson Here in our feature “Grateful Changemakers,” we celebrate programs and projects that serve as beacons of gratefulness. These efforts elevate the values of grateful living and illuminate their potential to transform both individuals and communities. Join u... posted on Apr 26 2021 (4,886 reads)

of it right now, all over the world, in oppositional governments, oppositional ways of thought — you know, one in which women are to be controlled and the body is considered a tempter. Or it’s — you know, it seems like we’re still in that — no matter history and layers of history, and we’re in that — we’re still in that kind of — I don’t want to call it a war, but perhaps it is. Tippett:Yeah. It was very — it was quite joyous and fascinating to read your writing about your early life, your young adulthood — which had hardship in it; as you said, you were a teenager when you first became a mother — to be ... posted on May 24 2021 (5,558 reads)

the mat. And I once went into ballet class at a time when I was doing both ballet and gymnastics and we were doing this exercise. We were supposed to leap gracefully across in a diagonal of the room. And I remember I ran. And my teacher was really horrified. And I remember feeling the air on my skin and feeling so liberated. So that was a really important touchstone, like, oh, liberation is possible in the body! So I really would dance, you know, I'd go to dance classes mostly. And found joy being in movement, in movement in community. And then one time, this was about 10 years ago, a childhood friend was visiting from out of town and he said, "I'm going to be in Berkeley.... posted on Apr 21 2023 (3,568 reads)

Laura Lavigne, life holds the magic of a treasure hunt. A keeper of small moments, a spreader of joy, a mother, a dreamer, a doer, not to mention a French baker, Laura is a bright splash of color on any canvas. And she’s walked down quite a multifaceted road along the way. In this Awakin Call conversation with Afreen, she shares stories and lessons from her experiences working as a make-up artist to turning down corporate sponsorship, tossing out her well-rehearsed TEDx speech for spontaneity’s sake, and, time and time again, meeting strangers from the heart. Afreen: What drives you? Laura: I think it started when I was really little. I remember telling my parent... posted on Jan 11 2014 (28,316 reads)

writer Michael McCarthy, a modern-day Carson, explores in The Moth Snowstorm: Nature and Joy (public library) — part memoir and part manifesto, a work of philosophy rooted in environmental science and buoyed by a soaring poetic imagination. McCarthy writes: On Being Studios · Nature, Joy, and Human Becoming The natural world can offer us more than the means to survive, on the one hand, or mortal risks to be avoided, on the other: it can offer us joy. […] There can be occasions when we suddenly and involuntarily find ourselves loving the natural world with a startling intensity, in a burst of emotion which we may not fully underst... posted on May 4 2021 (4,874 reads)

joy be cultivated? And, if so, can we teach our kids how to be more joyful in their lives? In our experience, the answer to both of these questions is yes. But it takes knowing what kinds of practices bring true happiness—and not just momentary pleasure—to your life. Once you’ve mastered that, it’s not too hard to introduce those practices to kids in a way that they can understand and appreciate. This essay is dapted from Awakening Joy for Kids by James Baraz and Michele Lilyanna ©2016. Reprinted with permission of Parallax Press. Our new book, Awakening Joy for Kids, is a resource for parents, teachers, and caregivers who want to give... posted on Oct 22 2016 (20,908 reads)

and Michael McCarthy: KRISTA TIPPETT, HOST: I have rarely discovered a book that so delighted and galvanized me at once. The Moth Snowstorm: Nature and Joy is written by the English naturalist and journalist, Michael McCarthy. “The sudden passionate happiness which the natural world can occasionally trigger in us,” he writes, “may well be the most serious business of all.” We could stop relying on the immobilizing language of statistic and take up joy as a civilizational defense of nature. With a perspective equally infused by science, reportage, and poetry, he reminds us that the natural world is where we evolved, where we found our metaphors,... posted on May 28 2018 (6,524 reads)

TIPPETT: ...of “gratefulness” at getting at kind of the gratitude as you understand it. BR. STEINDL-RAST: The reason why I use the words “gratitude” and “gratefulness” and “thanksgiving” in the way in which I use them is that we really need different terms for our experience. And we all know from experience that moments in which this gratitude wells up in our hearts are experienced first as if something were filling up within us, filling with joy, really. But not yet articulate. And then it comes to a point where the heart overflows and we sing, and we thank somebody, and for that I like a different term. And then I call that “thanks... posted on Feb 9 2016 (20,411 reads)

healing we need both individually and in a global sense. In 1997 she founded Vision Arrow, a program that combines wilderness exploration and the search for meaning. A few years later, she founded a second program, Radical Joy for Hard Times, which evolved naturally from the first. The two programs complement each other. In her notes for Vision Quest she writes, “I don’t know anyone whose life hasn’t been an incredible journey of ups and downs, sorrow in the midst of great joy and, even more amazing, joy in the midst of the deepest chasms of sorrow.” How to make sense of it all? At some point, it’s necessary to realize that one’s own health is intricat... posted on Jul 22 2013 (18,197 reads)

yet endangered response is what British naturalist and environmental writer Michael McCarthy, a modern-day Carson, explores in The Moth Snowstorm: Nature and Joy (public library) — part memoir and part manifesto, a work of philosophy rooted in environmental science and buoyed by a soaring poetic imagination. McCarthy writes: The natural world can offer us more than the means to survive, on the one hand, or mortal risks to be avoided, on the other: it can offer us joy. […] There can be occasions when we suddenly and involuntarily find ourselves loving the natural world with a startling intensity, in a burst of emotion which we may not fully underst... posted on Aug 22 2018 (9,682 reads)

and fear, inspiring videos are emerging from the countries most affected by coronavirus—Iranian doctors and nurses dancing in hospitals and Italian residents singing from their balconies. This footage not only uplifts the spirit of those in close proximity, it also brightens the mood of people watching from around the world.  One thing I’ve learned from spending much of my own childhood in times of war and political upheaval is the importance of cultivating joy during crises. While it is critical to be informed about the trajectory of the new coronavirus via reliable sources, to practice physical distancing, and to care for our most vulnerable population... posted on Apr 18 2023 (25,656 reads)

for the magazine, and tell us how that all came about, about the teaching the songwriting in the jail" So that was what followed on from looking after dying people. So I wrote the article, handwritten, with just a pen and a piece of chai . . . a cup of chai beside me, and as I finished the article, I thought, "Why aren't I writing more?" I love writing, and at the time, I was trying to break through into the singer-songwriter world, and loving songwriting, but really not enjoying performing, and the pub scene, and that sort of world at all. So I thought, "OK, I'll start a blog." I created the blog, called Inspiration and Chai, and then I thought, &... posted on Aug 12 2019 (13,089 reads)

and leisure time to our media use and spending habits? Begin with gratitude, suggests Eric Barker of Time Magazine. Not only is gratitude linked to lower levels of depression, anxiety, and loneliness, research shows it’s also correlated with higher levels of life satisfaction and social integration. By reflecting on what you already have, you’re less likely to expend valuable mental energy on worrying about what you don’t. Another alternative? Embrace JOMO, or the joy of missing out. Unlike FOMO, JOMO encourages individuals to turn their attention to the present moment and tune in to their unique desires. JOMO allows us to shift our focus to what we really want... posted on Aug 30 2018 (32,564 reads)

contemporary lifestyle. It likewise speaks volumes about us and about the nature of the choices we make daily. Gone perhaps are the days of poetic musings over the merits of walking versus riding. Yet one can’t help but wonder if we have lost something essential along the way—a connection with the world that only a leisurely walk can provide. So, while technology continues to shape our lives, perhaps it is worth revisiting the inner struggle once posed by Davies by embracing the joy of walking seen through the eyes of the renowned author C.S. Lewis. He firmly aligned himself with an unwavering affirmative response toward “joy,” and it was with this same purpose in... posted on Nov 22 2023 (2,334 reads)

just pushing against, basically, a force of history, a stage of life. And that's what is so troubling to me, is that we're exhausting ourselves and we're going to go down in despair here. Many people already have. I just wanted to find ... I wanted to fully recognize, using history and present day awareness, what is going on here and what is right work? What is a place where I can still make a difference? Where I can still feel a sense of deep commitment and experience moments of joy in the work? And that's been my quest and it's the basis now of really facing reality to find work that is meaningful. TS: Now I want to ask you a question about this myth of progr... posted on Mar 29 2018 (26,828 reads)

just pushing against, basically, a force of history, a stage of life. And that's what is so troubling to me, is that we're exhausting ourselves and we're going to go down in despair here. Many people already have. I just wanted to find ... I wanted to fully recognize, using history and present day awareness, what is going on here and what is right work? What is a place where I can still make a difference? Where I can still feel a sense of deep commitment and experience moments of joy in the work? And that's been my quest and it's the basis now of really facing reality to find work that is meaningful. TS: Now I want to ask you a question about this myth of progr... posted on May 17 2018 (15,839 reads)

now have more and more recognition of that. There is this micro-trend towards truly embodied therapy where we’re actually being helped to come back into our senses and feelings, and we have many examples now of reconnection as the healing paradigm. For me that’s also fundamentally what localisation is about—deep reconnection to others, and to life itself. And that experience of oneness is for me what lies behind virtually every spiritual tradition and religion. And the deep joy and ecstasy from being able to be a part of that enormous family of life. Yeah. You know I often have the opportunity to work with college students and sometimes even high school students. [Lau... posted on Jul 27 2021 (3,868 reads)