#24 - Intentionality, Part 9: Life is a Joke – Either You Get It or You Don’t

Life is a joke … and a precious gift. Kelly and Nyssa explore how both can be true through two of Uncle Murray’s most powerful intentionality slogans: “When in doubt, choose the belief that is most useful to you” and “Life is a joke, either you get it or you don’t.”They unpack how consciously choosing your beliefs shapes your emotions, relationships, spirituality, and even how you cope with grief, loss, construction chaos, and dying pets—without bypassing pain or pretending everything is “fine.”Drawing on Tibetan Lojong teachings, existential philosophy, family stories, and Murray’s irreverent humor, they explore doubt, faith, openness, and what it really means to “get” life before it’s over.If you’ve ever wrestled with what to believe, struggled to lighten up, or wondered how to honor both the absurdity and sacredness of being alive, this conversation on intentionality, mindset, and meaning‑making is for you.Main Topics Covered:How choosing the belief that’s most useful (not “most true”) can transform your daily emotional lifeThe hidden link between beliefs, resentment, and why we get so grumpy doing dishes or standing in lineWhat it really means to “get” the joke of life—and what happens if you don’tThe double meaning inside the slogan “Life is a joke, either you get it or you don’t”How Tibetan Lojong teachings and Uncle Murray’s sayings overlap in surprising waysUsing intentionality to navigate grief, dying pets, and house‑under‑construction chaos without bypassing painWhy people with strong traditions may not feel “in doubt”—and how openness changes your relationship to beliefThe idea of a “precious human life” and how it can deepen love, gratitude, and presenceFinding meaning in synchronicities (like the AC breaking during hospice) and the absurd timing of lifeHow humor, irreverence, and not taking yourself so seriously can actually make you more compassionateLinks:Episode #16 - Intentionality, Part 1: Everything You’ve Done Prepared You For This MomentEpisode #17 - Intentionality, Part 2: Feeling Good Needs No ExcuseEpisode #18 - Intentionality, Part 3: If You Think You Can Change the World, You Have a Better ChanceEpisode #19 - Intentionality, Part 4: Your Reality is as Good as Anyone Else’sEpisode #20 - Intentionality, Part 5: It’s Useful to View the Past in a Friendly WayEpisode #21 - Intentionality, Part 6: There’s More Than Two Ways to Skin a CatEpisode #22 - Intentionality, Part 7: Take the Hard Things EasyEpisode #23 - Intentionality, Part 8: You’re Already ReadySONG: Everybody Cook by Sofi TuckerBOOK: The Artist’s Way by Julia CameronBOOK: Writing Down the Bones by Natalie GoldbergNewsletter Sign Up:Going Upward Newsletter – Get Nyssa’s email newsletter hereStay in Touch:Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahangerKelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady