Searching For Joy - 282

Searching for joy is a necessary part of life. There are many day to day things that can bring you down. Sometimes you must actively seek out joy. On this week's episode of Soul Forge Podcast, Shawn and Amanda are doing their best to find the joy in the every day aspects of life. What exactly is joy? According to the dictionary, joy is: the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation. However, in regards to the podcast, joy is simply the act of feeling good. Origin of joy: First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English joy(e), from Old French joie, joye, from Late Latin gaudia, neuter plural (taken as feminine singular) of Latin gaudium “joy,” equivalent to gaud- (base of gaudēre “to be glad”) + -ium-ium   Amanda finds her joy through random acts of kindness. Making others feel good helps her to feel good too. Martin Luther King Jr. once said the “surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.” New research published by a team of psychologists at the University of Missouri-Columbia suggests that King’s words are as true today as they were a half-century ago — that our own happiness is, in large part, influenced by the kindness and generosity we show to others. Amanda just might be onto something here. We also talk about how our words can influence our moods. For instance, Shawn often says he is observing or describing. This is a more positive spin on the act of complaining or whining. Amanda thinks Shawn is actually whining, but he believes he is explaining or observing. What do you think?   This week's podcast promo: Earth Station Trek