Episode: # 15 The Joy Revolution: Creating More Happiness in Your Life

The central theme of this podcast episode revolves around the profound distinction between joy and happiness, a distinction that is particularly salient in the context of contemporary societal challenges. We explore the notion that happiness is often transient, akin to weather patterns, influenced by external circumstances and fleeting achievements, while joy represents a more stable, internal state that can persist even amidst adversity. Throughout our discussion, I share personal anecdotes that underscore this differentiation, particularly from my own experiences during difficult times, such as financial hardship, where I was able to find joy in the smallest of moments. We also delve into practical strategies for cultivating joy in daily life, which can act as a counterbalance to the unpredictability of happiness. Ultimately, we emphasize that by recognizing and nurturing these moments of joy, we can build a resilient foundation for our emotional well-being, thus enabling us to navigate life's inevitable challenges with grace and positivity.

Takeaways:

• The distinction between joy and happiness is crucial for personal development and emotional stability.

• Happiness, akin to weather, is fleeting and often dependent on external circumstances and events.

• Conversely, joy represents an internal climate, offering stability even amidst life's challenges and uncertainties.

• Cultivating joy through small, everyday moments can enhance overall well-being and foster resilience during difficult times.

• Intentional practices such as joy spotting and maintaining a celebration journal can help one recognize and appreciate joyful moments.

• Sharing joy with others creates a ripple effect, encouraging collective positivity and emotional support in challenging situations.

Links referenced in this episode:

• designyourdreamlifetoday.com
  
  

TRANSCRIPT:

Hey there, I'm Kara and welcome to design your dream life podcast, where we dive in and explore how you can use practical personal development to uplevel your life. Whether you are looking to have better or deeper relationships, fix your problems with money, learn to love yourself unconditionally, leave a dead end or high stress career, or just want more happiness in your life.

My friend, you are in the right place. Are you ready?

Hello, my friends, and welcome to another podcast of Design Your Dream Life. My name is Kara I am your host, and I am so grateful and happy that you are here today. And today I wanted to talk about something that I think is going to be an interesting conversation and topic. I know when I. First kind of discovered this.

I was like, wow, there is really a difference. And so today I want to talk about joy versus happiness. And I wanted to talk about that because let's just be honest right now in today's climate. There's a lot of heavy stuff going on. I know for me, as a Canadian, we have president Trump who has come in.

There is this tariff stuff that is potentially happening, not happening on hold for 30 days. Just all of this uncertainty and lingering. And I, you know, talking to a lot of people, Americans and Canadians, because they have very many dear, dear friends on both sides of the border, um, What I get from a lot of people is just the anxiety and the uncertainty and just not having a lot of clear vision about what's happening.

And so that's just creating a little bit of chaos in some people's lives. So today I want to talk about understanding joy versus happiness and how we can kind of bring that in to our lives. So I want to share something with you that really is. That really transformed my perspective, you know, for the longest time, I thought honestly that joy and happiness were the same thing.

But through my own journey of personal development, I realized actually there is a beautiful distinction between the two. And I want to share that with you today. And like always, you guys take it or leave it, take the parts that resonate with you and leave behind the things that don't necessarily fit with you.

For me, the way that I want to describe this is happiness is like the weather, it comes, it goes, it's influenced by our circumstances, and it's, it's that feeling when you get a promotion or you buy your dream home or achieve a goal, it's wonderful, but it's often tied to external events. Now, and some could say, well, you know.

We can challenge that and we can say, well, no, that's not necessarily true. We can do thought work around that and our thoughts create our feelings, which then, you know, create our reality. And yes, that is all true. But today I want you to be open to a difference between happiness and joy, right? Because I think that you can get blurred.

And I think that if you take this different approach, you might find a little bit overall more happiness in your life. But let's see, let's keep, let's keep going. So joy, my friends, is different. So joy is more like your internal climate. It's deeper, more stable, and can exist even during the most difficult times.

So I remember during our bankruptcy, even in those days, darkest moments. I could still find moments of pure joy. Maybe it was watching my kids playing or sharing a laugh with my husband. And that's when I really understood the difference. Because in that moment, in the deepest, darkest moments, I wasn't necessarily happy overall, but I found joy.

I could find joy. And for me, that's where that separation kind of Really settled in of like, okay, it's okay for me to say like, seriously, I'm not happy about my circumstances right now. I'm not, but I am, I am finding joy. I'm finding things that make me like. So I want you to think about it this way. I want you to think about happiness is often those big moments and joy can be found in the smallest things.

Maybe it's the, I don't drink coffee, but some people say it's that sip of the first, Uh, morning coffee. For me, I remember growing up, this smell of coffee was just like, wow. I remember that smell and I remember it smelling so amazing and tasting horribly. Um, but that smell when my dad would put that pot of coffee on and I could smell it coming down the stairs like that, that it was a moment of joy.

And maybe, maybe a moment of joy would be a text from a, A friend just checking in or your dog's excitement when you come through the door, when they come up and run, or maybe you still have little ones that do that. Isn't that the best moment, like the best feeling? Or maybe it's that perfect song coming, coming on the radio at just the right moment.

You're like, wow, this was amazing. So why does understanding this difference matter? Because when you grasp that joy isn't dependent on everything being perfect, it becomes your superpower. You can actively cultivate joy, even when happiness feels out of reach. And this is what I love. It's like when people are trying to say, like, I'm trying to find happiness in the dark.

And it's like, what if you allowed yourself to be like, you know what, I'm not happy but I'm gonna find joy. What about that? And it's just, it's so fascinating. Those small moments of joy, they actually compound over time. They're like little deposits in your emotional bank account. And each tiny moment might seem insignificant on its own, but together they create this foundation of wellbeing that helps you weather life storms.

And let's just be real. We're all. Always going to have storms, just like, you know, in certain areas, there's always hurricane season. There's always going to be storms that happen in your life, right? And what I've noticed in my own life, when I intentionally look for these joy moments, I just find more of them.

It's like training your brain to spot the good stuff. And the more you practice, the more natural it becomes. So, you know, it's so powerful. is that joy is contagious. It really is. Joy is definitely contagious. When you're operating from a place of joy, it affects everyone around you. I've seen this in my business relationships, with my family, and even in brief interactions with strangers.

Those small moments of joy that you create don't just lift you up, but they also have an amazing ripple effect. So I want to share with you a quick exercise. Exercise. And I want you to think about three tiny moments from yesterday that brought you a spark of joy. And they don't have to be big things.

Maybe it was the sun on your face, a child's laugh, or completing a simple task. Just identify those moments. So, see how they're different from that bigger thing that makes you happy. This is the beauty of joy. It's always available to us. We just need to train ourselves to look for it. Now, let's talk about something super practical, which is building your own personal joy toolkit.

So I want you to think of this like your emergency happiness kit, but one that you can use every single day. So it's not just. during the tough times. So I want to share a personal story with you on how I discovered the power of creating joy rituals. So when I was rebuilding after bankruptcy, I realized I needed some daily anchors.

things that would bring me joy no matter what I was feeling. Because let me tell you, there's ups and downs and all around. So in my external world, like I needed something that I could look forward to and just have find that joy in every day. So it started with my morning sunrise ritual. So instead of just like jumping straight into work, I would Oh shit.

Hold on, I'm gonna stop this for a second.

 Hello, my friends, and welcome to another podcast of Design Your Dream Life. My name is Kara I am your host, and I am so grateful and happy that you are here today. And today I wanted to talk about something that I think is going to be an interesting conversation and topic. I know when I. First kind of discovered this.

I was like, wow, there is really a difference. And so today I want to talk about joy versus happiness. And I wanted to talk about that because let's just be honest right now in today's climate. There's a lot of heavy stuff going on. I know for me, as a Canadian, we have president Trump who has come in.

There is this tariff stuff that is potentially happening, not happening on hold for 30 days. Just all of this uncertainty and lingering. And I, you know, talking to a lot of people, Americans and Canadians, because they have very many dear, dear friends on both sides of the border, um, What I get from a lot of people is just the anxiety and the uncertainty and just not having a lot of clear vision about what's happening.

And so that's just creating a little bit of chaos in some people's lives. So today I want to talk about understanding joy versus happiness and how we can kind of bring that in to our lives. So I want to share something with you that really is. That really transformed my perspective, you know, for the longest time, I thought honestly that joy and happiness were the same thing.

But through my own journey of personal development, I realized actually there is a beautiful distinction between the two. And I want to share that with you today. And like always, you guys take it or leave it, take the parts that resonate with you and leave behind the things that don't necessarily fit with you.

For me, the way that I want to describe this is happiness is like the weather, it comes, it goes, it's influenced by our circumstances, and it's, it's that feeling when you get a promotion or you buy your dream home or achieve a goal, it's wonderful, but it's often tied to external events. Now, and some could say, well, you know.

We can challenge that and we can say, well, no, that's not necessarily true. We can do thought work around that and our thoughts create our feelings, which then, you know, create our reality. And yes, that is all true. But today I want you to be open to a difference between happiness and joy, right? Because I think that you can get blurred.

And I think that if you take this different approach, you might find a little bit overall more happiness in your life. But let's see, let's keep, let's keep going. So joy, my friends, is different. So joy is more like your internal climate. It's deeper, more stable, and can exist even during the most difficult times.

So I remember during our bankruptcy, even in those days, darkest moments. I could still find moments of pure joy. Maybe it was watching my kids playing or sharing a laugh with my husband. And that's when I really understood the difference. Because in that moment, in the deepest, darkest moments, I wasn't necessarily happy overall, but I found joy.

I could find joy. And for me, that's where that separation kind of Really settled in of like, okay, it's okay for me to say like, seriously, I'm not happy about my circumstances right now. I'm not, but I am, I am finding joy. I'm finding things that make me like. So I want you to think about it this way. I want you to think about happiness is often those big moments and joy can be found in the smallest things.

Maybe it's the, I don't drink coffee, but some people say it's that sip of the first, Uh, morning coffee. For me, I remember growing up, this smell of coffee was just like, wow. I remember that smell and I remember it smelling so amazing and tasting horribly. Um, but that smell when my dad would put that pot of coffee on and I could smell it coming down the stairs like that, that it was a moment of joy.

And maybe, maybe a moment of joy would be a text from a, A friend just checking in or your dog's excitement when you come through the door, when they come up and run, or maybe you still have little ones that do that. Isn't that the best moment, like the best feeling? Or maybe it's that perfect song coming, coming on the radio at just the right moment.

You're like, wow, this was amazing. So why does understanding this difference matter? Because when you grasp that joy isn't dependent on everything being perfect, it becomes your superpower. You can actively cultivate joy, even when happiness feels out of reach. And this is what I love. It's like when people are trying to say, like, I'm trying to find happiness in the dark.

And it's like, what if you allowed yourself to be like, you know what, I'm not happy but I'm gonna find joy. What about that? And it's just, it's so fascinating. Those small moments of joy, they actually compound over time. They're like little deposits in your emotional bank account. And each tiny moment might seem insignificant on its own, but together they create this foundation of wellbeing that helps you weather life storms.

And let's just be real. We're all. Always going to have storms, just like, you know, in certain areas, there's always hurricane season. There's always going to be storms that happen in your life, right? And what I've noticed in my own life, when I intentionally look for these joy moments, I just find more of them.

It's like training your brain to spot the good stuff. And the more you practice, the more natural it becomes. So, you know, it's so powerful. is that joy is contagious. It really is. Joy is definitely contagious. When you're operating from a place of joy, it affects everyone around you. I've seen this in my business relationships, with my family, and even in brief interactions with strangers.

Those small moments of joy that you create don't just lift you up, but they also have an amazing ripple effect. So I want to share with you a quick exercise. Exercise. And I want you to think about three tiny moments from yesterday that brought you a spark of joy. And they don't have to be big things.

Maybe it was the sun on your face, a child's laugh, or completing a simple task. Just identify those moments. So, see how they're different from that bigger thing that makes you happy. This is the beauty of joy. It's always available to us. We just need to train ourselves to look for it. Now, let's talk about something super practical, which is building your own personal joy toolkit.

So I want you to think of this like your emergency happiness kit, but one that you can use every single day. So it's not just. during the tough times. So I want to share a personal story with you on how I discovered the power of creating joy rituals. So when I was rebuilding after bankruptcy, I realized I needed some daily anchors.

things that would bring me joy no matter what I was feeling. Because let me tell you, there's ups and downs and all around. So in my external world, like I needed something that I could look forward to and just have find that joy in every day. So it started with my morning sunrise ritual. So instead of just like jumping straight into work, I would Oh shit.

Hold on, I'm gonna stop this for a second.

 Hello, my friends, and welcome to another podcast of Design Your Dream Life. My name is Kara. I am your host, and I am so grateful and happy that you are here today. And today I wanted to talk about something that I think is going to be an interesting conversation and topic. I know when I. First kind of discovered this.

I was like, wow, there is really a difference. And so today I want to talk about joy versus happiness. And I wanted to talk about that because let's just be honest right now in today's climate. There's a lot of heavy stuff going on. I know for me, as a Canadian, we have president Trump who has come in.

There is this tariff stuff that is potentially happening, not happening on hold for 30 days. Just all of this uncertainty and lingering. And I, you know, talking to a lot of people, Americans and Canadians, because they have very many dear, dear friends on both sides of the border, um, What I get from a lot of people is just the anxiety and the uncertainty and just not having a lot of clear vision about what's happening.

And so that's just creating a little bit of chaos in some people's lives. So today I want to talk about understanding joy versus happiness and how we can kind of bring that in to our lives. So I want to share something with you that really is. That really transformed my perspective, you know, for the longest time, I thought honestly that joy and happiness were the same thing.

But through my own journey of personal development, I realized actually there is a beautiful distinction between the two. And I want to share that with you today. And like always, you guys take it or leave it, take the parts that resonate with you and leave behind the things that don't necessarily fit with you.

For me, the way that I want to describe this is happiness is like the weather, it comes, it goes, it's influenced by our circumstances, and it's, it's that feeling when you get a promotion or you buy your dream home or achieve a goal, it's wonderful, but it's often tied to external events. Now, and some could say, well, you know.

We can challenge that and we can say, well, no, that's not necessarily true. We can do thought work around that and our thoughts create our feelings, which then, you know, create our reality. And yes, that is all true. But today I want you to be open to a difference between happiness and joy, right? Because I think that you can get blurred.

And I think that if you take this different approach, you might find a little bit overall more happiness in your life. But let's see, let's keep, let's keep going. So joy, my friends, is different. So joy is more like your internal climate. It's deeper, more stable, and can exist even during the most difficult times.

So I remember during our bankruptcy, even in those days, darkest moments. I could still find moments of pure joy. Maybe it was watching my kids playing or sharing a laugh with my husband. And that's when I really understood the difference. Because in that moment, in the deepest, darkest moments, I wasn't necessarily happy overall, but I found joy.

I could find joy. And for me, that's where that separation kind of Really settled in of like, okay, it's okay for me to say like, seriously, I'm not happy about my circumstances right now. I'm not, but I am, I am finding joy. I'm finding things that make me like. So I want you to think about it this way. I want you to think about happiness is often those big moments and joy can be found in the smallest things.

Maybe it's the, I don't drink coffee, but some people say it's that sip of the first, Uh, morning coffee. For me, I remember growing up, this smell of coffee was just like, wow. I remember that smell and I remember it smelling so amazing and tasting horribly. Um, but that smell when my dad would put that pot of coffee on and I could smell it coming down the stairs like that, that it was a moment of joy.

And maybe, maybe a moment of joy would be a text from a, A friend just checking in or your dog's excitement when you come through the door, when they come up and run, or maybe you still have little ones that do that. Isn't that the best moment, like the best feeling? Or maybe it's that perfect song coming, coming on the radio at just the right moment.

You're like, wow, this was amazing. So why does understanding this difference matter? Because when you grasp that joy isn't dependent on everything being perfect, it becomes your superpower. You can actively cultivate joy, even when happiness feels out of reach. And this is what I love. It's like when people are trying to say, like, I'm trying to find happiness in the dark.

And it's like, what if you allowed yourself to be like, you know what, I'm not happy but I'm gonna find joy. What about that? And it's just, it's so fascinating. Those small moments of joy, they actually compound over time. They're like little deposits in your emotional bank account. And each tiny moment might seem insignificant on its own, but together they create this foundation of wellbeing that helps you weather life storms.

And let's just be real. We're all. Always going to have storms, just like, you know, in certain areas, there's always hurricane season. There's always going to be storms that happen in your life, right? And what I've noticed in my own life, when I intentionally look for these joy moments, I just find more of them.

It's like training your brain to spot the good stuff. And the more you practice, the more natural it becomes. So, you know, it's so powerful. is that joy is contagious. It really is. Joy is definitely contagious. When you're operating from a place of joy, it affects everyone around you. I've seen this in my business relationships, with my family, and even in brief interactions with strangers.

Those small moments of joy that you create don't just lift you up, but they also have an amazing ripple effect. So I want to share with you a quick exercise. Exercise. And I want you to think about three tiny moments from yesterday that brought you a spark of joy. And they don't have to be big things.

Maybe it was the sun on your face, a child's laugh, or completing a simple task. Just identify those moments. So, see how they're different from that bigger thing that makes you happy. This is the beauty of joy. It's always available to us. We just need to train ourselves to look for it. Now, let's talk about something super practical, which is building your own personal joy toolkit. So I want you to think of this like your emergency happiness kit, but one that you use every single day, not just during the tough times. So let me share a personal story with you of how I even came across creating joy rituals All of the things so when I was rebuilding after bankruptcy I realized that I needed some daily anchors and so for me I needed something that would bring me joy no matter what was happening in my external world because overall I was not feeling happy I was feeling like a failure I was feeling all of these things that were not very comfortable but when I realized that I could separate joy from happiness.

I knew that I needed to have more joy in my life. So I would get up really early before my kiddos and I would catch that peaceful sunrise moment. It was just me and looking at the beautiful sky in that moment. It just, it became a pocket of serenity that just centered me before my day began. But in a minute, I'm going to tell you what actually next leveled it for me.

But before I do that, I just want to give you some practical tools that you can start using right away to find more daily joy. So number one, let's talk about joy spotting. So I want you to set three random alarms on your phone throughout the day. When they go off, pause and find one moment. That is bringing you joy or that brought you joy.

It could be as simple as the color of the sky changed or the comfy of your chair or the softness of that fuzzy blanket. If you're a blanket lover like me, this trains your brain to actively look for the joy instead of waiting. for you to find it. So number two is the celebration journal. So you can keep a tiny notebook or you can use your phone and write down one small win every single day.

And I don't care how small it is. It could be even just that you made your bed and you walked in, you're like, Oh, this is a lovely, or you answered an email that you've been avoiding, but you finally stood up or a text or whatever, or you returned a phone call that you've really been avoiding anything.

Just write that down. Celebrating these micro wins is a habit of finding joy in progress, not just the results. And I think that that is part of this amazingness of this is just finding joy in life, no matter what, just for you. feels so good. And then the third thing is just joy anchors. So these are reliable activities that consistently bring you joy.

And I'm going to talk about more about those in a minute. But here's just some, um, example. Like I used to have dance parties in the kitchen with my kiddos. Sometimes I still dance in the kitchen while I'm cooking dinner. Uh, taking a walk and noticing something new in my neighborhood or sending a voice message to a friend or playing with my puppy for five minutes in between meetings or in the morning.

But remember how I told you earlier that my morning ritual was getting up early before the kids and having that moment. And I said I would get back to what transformed next. So what really, really helped my days. was after I had that moment of just stillness and quietness and gratitude, then I would get my kids up and I would get them ready for school.

And we decided to have a no electronics morning. So that meant even for me, so I was a hundred percent present with them. So there were no phones, there was no distractions, just pure connection time. And so making breakfast together, helping with backpacks, having morning conversations and play times. It just, it set the tone, not just for my day, but for theirs too.

And it's amazing how much joy you can find in these simple moments when you're truly Present. And even now, my kids are in university and our joy rituals look different, but they're just as meaningful. As they were back then. I honestly do believe that. Every evening we come together as a family for dinner.

And so this is a beautiful time of connection where we share about our days, we laugh together, we stay present. We still have a no phones policy to this day. No phones at the dinner table. It is just a family dinner that we have. every day with our family. And to be honest, it extends to even my mom and dad.

We have Sunday dinners with my parents. Same thing. It's a weekly time where we can still come together and have that connection and find just being together. So it really is fascinating how our joy rituals evolve with different seasons of life. But what matters isn't the specific timing or activity.

It's just creating those intentional moments of connection and presence. So let's talk about those reliable activities that consistently bring joy. So what I call joy anchors. So for me, joy anchors Obviously that includes our family dinners where we all unplug and we really connect. Like I said earlier, dancing in my kitchen while cooking, also having deep conversations with my kids about their university experiences, their life, what's going on for me also taking time to play with our puppy.

That's just. Absolute joy, who doesn't love puppies and even finding a joy in those moments. It's so funny I'll go on a little sidetrack here. So our puppy is four months old and he is so Adorable and he is so clever, but potty training has been a nightmare you guys it has been such a nightmare And we have a trainer and she's like, yeah some dogs pick it up fast and others don't it's also Canadian winter so Dogs don't necessarily, some don't really like the cold.

It's snowy. It's cold and all of that. And it's so funny because we just love him and but he, he's getting better definitely at the potty training, but oh my gosh it's just taking a long time. And my, my husband said to me the other day, you got to love him through it all. You got to, you know, you got to find the love and the good and the bad, right?

And I think it's also the same thing. And like, when we're, when we're trying to find joy, like joy is everywhere. It's always available to us and we can always, you know, we can always train ourselves to look for it. So it's just like even me, like, Going through this experience with the puppy, there's the good and the bad, and I could focus on the bad, but I really, the joy, the joyful moments give me an overall sense of happiness.

The moments when he like pees on the floor. I'm like, oh my goodness what have we done? But going into, but look at this little guy and how much love and happiness he brings into our home. Anyways, that was just a little sign tangent. I don't even know how I got off on that. Um, but also I wanted to say like the moments when my husband and I just look at each other and we laugh about something that only we understand, like these are things that are joy anchors.

And so the key is, is that we have to find what works for your life right now. When my kids were young, the joy anchors were completely different, right? And now that we're in this university phase. I've discovered new ways to find and create joy, just not only for myself, but for my family. And that is the beauty of it, that joy evolves with us.

So here are some things that I've learned through my own journey. So sometimes the simplest moments bring the most profound joy. Like when my daughter comes home from university, she shares about her day and we're just sitting there talking. Or my son comes up and we have one of those unexpected, really deep conversations.

I mean, they're not grand planned moments, but they are beautiful organic connections that happen when they happen. when we just stay open to them. You know what I mean? And so I think, and it's funny because we can, we can use these terms so interchangeably. Grateful, joy, happiness. But I think for you, and I know for me, It is being able to find something that works for you.

So if, if you're just saying, Oh, I just want to keep finding happy moments instead of joyful moments, that that's totally fine. Or I want to find more gratitude, but they all kind of play together. But what I really want you to focus on is that you can have gratitude, right? And you can find moments of joy.

And often, sometimes when we're in gratitude, We find it's easier to find moments of joy, and overall those things together make you a happier person. I just wanted to kind of piece that together. For some of you that might be like, what is Kara all over the place? But I wanna do an exercise with you called joy mapping.

I want you to grab a piece of PE blah, grab a piece of paper. Or, open your Notes app. And we're going to do this exercise. And so here, and I'm just going to say, I just, you know, I just made a mistake on the audio. I believe in just being real. I'm not going to edit that out. I'm going to leave that in.

Earlier in this, you might have heard some crinkling. That was the puppy chewing a toy. And I just want you to know, like, if you did hear any of that, like, That's part of the experience of having life, right? And I don't want to edit or filter it in any way. So if I mess up during the podcast, I'll generally keep going.

If you hear sounds in the background, I apologize. I have a puppy and, uh, we're going to keep going. So the joy mapping exercise. So I want you to draw four columns labeled People, places, activities, and tiny pleasures. And then under each column, list five things that reliably bring you joy. So for example, people.

Well, my family dinner conversations, or your spouse's laugh, places, your favorite spot in your house, or a local park that you love, or a local coffee shop that you love, activities, cooking while listening to music, having to heart, having heart to hearts with your kids, or tiny pleasure, maybe the quiet of the evening, a good time.

Good book and puppy cuddles. Now I want you to circle the ones that you can access daily or weekly. Star the ones that cost little or no money. Because I want to tell you that finding joy during difficult times is so important. You know, even during our bankruptcy, Even when we moved from our mansion into the house with a red velvet carpet and a pink toilet, we still found ways to create joy.

And sometimes it was sitting together as a family or going for family walks. That was definitely a regular and going to the park. Or maybe it was just even laughing about how ridiculous our green kitchen was. Those moments of connection and choosing to find the light even in the dark, that's what got us through.

And you know what's beautiful? Those challenging times taught me something profound about joy. It's also contagious and contagious in the best possible way. So when we were living in bankruptcy and we were living in the house with the green kitchen that looked like lime exploded all over it, we started making jokes about it.

Soon our visitors would even join in on the laughter. Instead of being embarrassed about our circumstances, we chose to find humor in it. That simple shift, choosing joy instead of shame, didn't just help us, but it gave others permission to find light in their own different difficult moments too. And also for them not to Like not to have, I'm not going to say like shame for us, but like, you know what I mean?

Not to feel bad for us, not to, you know what I mean? Like they could be around us and it's like, Hey guys, we're good. Like look, you know, and be able to be light around people and not have this heaviness. And so that's what I mean when I say joy multiplies when we share it. It's like this ripple effect when you can laugh about, you know, your pink toilet instead of crying about it.

Or when you can be real about your struggles while still finding moments of brightness. It shows that. Others can do the same too, and that's not to say that there aren't moments when you don't cry, right? I want to acknowledge that. I'm not saying that this is not about like kind of gaslighting yourself out of the emotion.

Sure, when you need a moment and you want to ball over your pink toilet and where you are, absolutely. But then also being able to come back and find joy and process and move on and be the light in it. You know what I mean? So I want to share something powerful about spreading joy to others. You know, through all of my experiences from losing everything to rebuilding, from raising young kids to now having university students, I've discovered that joy multiplies when we share it.

So for example, my husband found such joy in his new role Driving buses. It's completely different from his engineering career, but he loves connecting with people and making their day better. Watching him find happiness in something so unexpected reminds me that, that joy honestly shows up in surprisingly ways when we're open to it.

So speaking of unexpected joy, let me tell you about our new puppy. So after losing, I know I've talked about him so much, um, but after losing our dog of 19 years, I honestly wasn't sure about getting another one. In fact, I thought that we weren't going to get one, but seeing how this little guy has brought new energy and happiness to our family, like it is a reminder that sometimes the best joy comes from taking chances on new beginnings.

So here are some simple ways I found to spread joy. Really listening when I'm talking to people, my kids or anyone in my life, really, really listening to them and giving them my full a hundred percent attention, supporting my husband and his new passion. Even if it's different from what I might choose or something I like, I would say like, that is like my worst nightmare, what he is doing.

But you know what? Just being able to support him and being like, babe, I'm so proud of you. I love that you love this and I'm going to be here, you know, and the next thing would be being fully present during our family dinners. Like I said, that is just a way that we can all spread joy in our family. Just being present and there for one another.

.The science of joy is so fascinating to research shows that authentic connections like our daily family dinners actually contribute to more lasting happiness than material success. And for me, that is what it is about. And now. I love things and I love money, but happiness is definitely above all.

And so I've experienced that firsthand. Even after losing our mansion and success in real estate, those genuine family moments honestly kept us going. So let's just talk about creating your daily practices. Here's what's working for me now. Okay. I'm going to share this with you. And I know we're going a little long today, everybody, but I am almost, I'm almost done.

Um, so my daily joy practices, what it looks like now, morning. Uh, taking time to connect with our puppy. Oh my goodness, we had the best time playing with his ball this morning. It was so fun, uh, setting intentions for the day, checking in with my kids and even if it would be by text, but normally I'm up before them so that I get to have like a little connection with them before the day, especially my husband gets up early.

So he, uh, he gives me a kiss goodbye and then I see him mid morning. But those are part of my morning rituals that help. Make my day just joyful during the day, just finding moments to take a break and maybe dance in the kitchen or go for a walk or stretch and really connecting with either any of my clients or friends, just with a place of genuine care.

And then in the evening is our sacred dinner time. I'm unplugging and being fully present, and I'm creating space for real conversations. So your joy commitment exercise. I want you to write this down. One way you'll create connection today. One simple pleasure you'll make time for this week and one relationship you'll nurture this month.

Remember, my friends, joy doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it's just as simple as sitting around the dinner table with your family, laughing about old memories while making new ones. It's about being present in these moments that might seem ordinary, But are actually extraordinary next week.

We're going to dive into dreaming bigger and unlocking your true potential, which I'm super excited about. But until then, I encourage you to start with one small joy practice. Maybe it's creating your own version of family dinner time or finding a way to be more present with the people you love. As always, you can find more resources and connect with our community at at designyourdreamlifetoday.

com and don't forget when you sign up for anything, you'll want to sign up for anything so that you can get our Monday Motivation Newsletter where we share more inspirational and practical tips for creating your dream life. Until next time, remember that joy isn't about the big moments.

It's about recognizing and celebrating the beautiful, ordinary moments that make life extraordinary. Have an amazing week, my friends. I'll see you on the next one.

 Hello, my friends, and welcome to another podcast of Design Your Dream Life. My name is Kara I am your host, and I am so grateful and happy that you are here today. And today I wanted to talk about something that I think is going to be an interesting conversation and topic. I know when I. First kind of discovered this.

I was like, wow, there is really a difference. And so today I want to talk about joy versus happiness. And I wanted to talk about that because let's just be honest right now in today's climate. There's a lot of heavy stuff going on. I know for me, as a Canadian, we have president Trump who has come in.

There is this tariff stuff that is potentially happening, not happening on hold for 30 days. Just all of this uncertainty and lingering. And I, you know, talking to a lot of people, Americans and Canadians, because they have very many dear, dear friends on both sides of the border, um, What I get from a lot of people is just the anxiety and the uncertainty and just not having a lot of clear vision about what's happening.

And so that's just creating a little bit of chaos in some people's lives. So today I want to talk about understanding joy versus happiness and how we can kind of bring that in to our lives. So I want to share something with you that really is. That really transformed my perspective, you know, for the longest time, I thought honestly that joy and happiness were the same thing.

But through my own journey of personal development, I realized actually there is a beautiful distinction between the two. And I want to share that with you today. And like always, you guys take it or leave it, take the parts that resonate with you and leave behind the things that don't necessarily fit with you.

For me, the way that I want to describe this is happiness is like the weather, it comes, it goes, it's influenced by our circumstances, and it's, it's that feeling when you get a promotion or you buy your dream home or achieve a goal, it's wonderful, but it's often tied to external events. Now, and some could say, well, you know.

We can challenge that and we can say, well, no, that's not necessarily true. We can do thought work around that and our thoughts create our feelings, which then, you know, create our reality. And yes, that is all true. But today I want you to be open to a difference between happiness and joy, right? Because I think that you can get blurred.

And I think that if you take this different approach, you might find a little bit overall more happiness in your life. But let's see, let's keep, let's keep going. So joy, my friends, is different. So joy is more like your internal climate. It's deeper, more stable, and can exist even during the most difficult times.

So I remember during our bankruptcy, even in those days, darkest moments. I could still find moments of pure joy. Maybe it was watching my kids playing or sharing a laugh with my husband. And that's when I really understood the difference. Because in that moment, in the deepest, darkest moments, I wasn't necessarily happy overall, but I found joy.

I could find joy. And for me, that's where that separation kind of Really settled in of like, okay, it's okay for me to say like, seriously, I'm not happy about my circumstances right now. I'm not, but I am, I am finding joy. I'm finding things that make me like. So I want you to think about it this way. I want you to think about happiness is often those big moments and joy can be found in the smallest things.

Maybe it's the, I don't drink coffee, but some people say it's that sip of the first, Uh, morning coffee. For me, I remember growing up, this smell of coffee was just like, wow. I remember that smell and I remember it smelling so amazing and tasting horribly. Um, but that smell when my dad would put that pot of coffee on and I could smell it coming down the stairs like that, that it was a moment of joy.

And maybe, maybe a moment of joy would be a text from a, A friend just checking in or your dog's excitement when you come through the door, when they come up and run, or maybe you still have little ones that do that. Isn't that the best moment, like the best feeling? Or maybe it's that perfect song coming, coming on the radio at just the right moment.

You're like, wow, this was amazing. So why does understanding this difference matter? Because when you grasp that joy isn't dependent on everything being perfect, it becomes your superpower. You can actively cultivate joy, even when happiness feels out of reach. And this is what I love. It's like when people are trying to say, like, I'm trying to find happiness in the dark.

And it's like, what if you allowed yourself to be like, you know what, I'm not happy but I'm gonna find joy. What about that? And it's just, it's so fascinating. Those small moments of joy, they actually compound over time. They're like little deposits in your emotional bank account. And each tiny moment might seem insignificant on its own, but together they create this foundation of wellbeing that helps you weather life storms.

And let's just be real. We're all. Always going to have storms, just like, you know, in certain areas, there's always hurricane season. There's always going to be storms that happen in your life, right? And what I've noticed in my own life, when I intentionally look for these joy moments, I just find more of them.

It's like training your brain to spot the good stuff. And the more you practice, the more natural it becomes. So, you know, it's so powerful. is that joy is contagious. It really is. Joy is definitely contagious. When you're operating from a place of joy, it affects everyone around you. I've seen this in my business relationships, with my family, and even in brief interactions with strangers.

Those small moments of joy that you create don't just lift you up, but they also have an amazing ripple effect. So I want to share with you a quick exercise. Exercise. And I want you to think about three tiny moments from yesterday that brought you a spark of joy. And they don't have to be big things.

Maybe it was the sun on your face, a child's laugh, or completing a simple task. Just identify those moments. So, see how they're different from that bigger thing that makes you happy. This is the beauty of joy. It's always available to us. We just need to train ourselves to look for it. Now, let's talk about something super practical, which is building your own personal joy toolkit.

So I want you to think of this like your emergency happiness kit, but one that you can use every single day. So it's not just. during the tough times. So I want to share a personal story with you on how I discovered the power of creating joy rituals. So when I was rebuilding after bankruptcy, I realized I needed some daily anchors.

things that would bring me joy no matter what I was feeling. Because let me tell you, there's ups and downs and all around. So in my external world, like I needed something that I could look forward to and just have find that joy in every day.