1 00:00:05,021 --> 00:00:09,325 Hello, I'm Henry Emmons and welcome back to Joy Lab 2 00:00:09,325 --> 00:00:11,500 And I'm Aimee Prasek. 3 00:00:11,628 --> 00:00:14,978 If you're listening to this when it drops, is January 1st. 4 00:00:14,978 --> 00:00:16,087 Happy New Year. 5 00:00:16,087 --> 00:00:17,823 Happy New Year. 6 00:00:17,988 --> 00:00:20,248 Uh, cheers to 2026. 7 00:00:20,248 --> 00:00:28,088 And I know it's a Thursday, which maybe seems weird because we always drop episodes on Wednesdays. 8 00:00:28,088 --> 00:00:30,248 Uh, and yes, that's true. 9 00:00:30,248 --> 00:00:34,577 That will not change, but we are also adding a new episode every month. 10 00:00:34,574 --> 00:00:37,034 That episode will drop on the first of each month. 11 00:00:37,034 --> 00:00:44,945 It'll be focused more on like anchoring into our element of joy, kind of the element of joy 101. 12 00:00:45,170 --> 00:00:50,722 So there is even more joy in store for you for 2026. 13 00:00:50,854 --> 00:00:52,523 And another really 14 00:00:52,523 --> 00:00:59,631 great way to boost your joy this year is to be sure to follow us or subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening. 15 00:00:59,631 --> 00:01:02,173 Again, we'll have more episodes coming to you. 16 00:01:02,173 --> 00:01:06,826 all fully focused on helping you tap into your joy this year. 17 00:01:06,825 --> 00:01:13,680 And there'll probably be even a few surprise episodes coming, I think we'll surprise ourselves and drop some. 18 00:01:15,001 --> 00:01:15,803 Surprise Henry. 19 00:01:15,803 --> 00:01:17,466 the way around. 20 00:01:18,388 --> 00:01:22,011 No plans set there yet, but we'll see what happens. 21 00:01:22,011 --> 00:01:26,495 All right, so this month we are talking about our Element of Inspiration. 22 00:01:26,915 --> 00:01:42,463 And we define that as this experience of being awakened to new possibilities and connecting with that experience in such a way that we take action and nourishing action. 23 00:01:42,583 --> 00:01:44,800 And we love this Element of Joy 24 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:53,225 for January because there's a lot of pressure around resolutions, I think, for many of us. 25 00:01:53,225 --> 00:02:06,962 And so often we create resolutions from a place maybe opposite of inspiration, like obligation or guilt or shame, which isn't so motivating. 26 00:02:07,121 --> 00:02:08,791 Yeah, you know, you're right. 27 00:02:08,791 --> 00:02:17,886 I think that this turn of the year, which is a great opportunity, but it's challenging sometimes to know how to really work with the energy of that. 28 00:02:17,886 --> 00:02:28,870 I think falling into this sense of being resolute and using your willpower to change for the better is one way that that happens. 29 00:02:28,870 --> 00:02:31,261 And I think another way is that we get 30 00:02:31,877 --> 00:02:38,830 often get kind of hooked into maybe grasping for hope, which in a grasping sort of way. 31 00:02:38,830 --> 00:02:44,002 So I'm thinking of a conversation I just had with a colleague recently, a friend and colleague 32 00:02:44,197 --> 00:02:50,200 was talking about this and said she just didn't really like the word hope that much. 33 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:57,383 I think it didn't feel empowering to her, maybe a little passive, you know, almost like 34 00:02:57,519 --> 00:03:01,599 Oh, if I just wait, you know, hopefully something will change. 35 00:03:01,599 --> 00:03:05,799 anyway, she would she preferred looking for possibility. 36 00:03:05,799 --> 00:03:09,679 And I kind of resonated with that possibility. 37 00:03:09,939 --> 00:03:24,439 So I like the way you just defined inspiration, Aimee, you know, being awakened to new possibilities, but not just seeing possibilities, but also taking nourishing action. 38 00:03:24,439 --> 00:03:26,339 Wise, wise action. 39 00:03:27,383 --> 00:03:38,849 Most of the people that I work with, in fact, most of the people I know have found the year 2025 to be really hard. 40 00:03:39,043 --> 00:03:42,194 I think it knocked the wind out of a lot of folks 41 00:03:42,193 --> 00:03:47,263 in various ways and maybe not just a little, but a lot. 42 00:03:47,711 --> 00:03:54,779 And I do think one of the things that many of us love about the new year is that we do get to turn the page. 43 00:03:55,019 --> 00:03:59,915 You know, it's just that metaphorical thing, but it's something we can utilize. 44 00:03:59,915 --> 00:04:09,114 And so no matter what the previous year has brought to us, and I will say that for me, this was a really hard year. 45 00:04:09,839 --> 00:04:18,850 But I think we get the sense of a fresh start, a blank canvas, a chance to see new possibilities, new possibilities. 46 00:04:19,031 --> 00:04:24,377 And maybe we can even grab hold of some of them this time around. 47 00:04:24,838 --> 00:04:27,652 I think that's the real beauty of inspiration. 48 00:04:27,652 --> 00:04:28,040 It's like 49 00:04:28,113 --> 00:04:40,455 Ah, taking a fresh breath every time at the new year, every moment in fact is quite literally a new beginning. 50 00:04:40,455 --> 00:04:46,451 And I think if we stay open to possibility, then it just never ends. 51 00:04:46,451 --> 00:04:53,156 It is always there for us to look at, to see, to maybe take action with. 52 00:04:53,682 --> 00:04:56,173 Hmm. 53 00:04:56,173 --> 00:04:59,444 First, Henry, yes, I love that definition. 54 00:04:59,444 --> 00:05:01,045 And it sounds like you do as well. 55 00:05:01,045 --> 00:05:03,766 It's your definition of inspiration. 56 00:05:11,289 --> 00:05:13,503 yeah, that's why you resonate with it. 57 00:05:13,503 --> 00:05:23,125 I love that definition as well and also agree there is something enlivening about kind of this fresh start of the new year. 58 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:34,445 I think it can help us remember that inspiration is not just nice to have, it really is an important part of our lives, of living, and we can cultivate it. 59 00:05:34,445 --> 00:05:45,097 We don't have to just sit around and wait for inspiration to strike us, which makes me think of your friend's uh critique of hope, 60 00:05:45,448 --> 00:05:51,234 But just like inspiration, at least the way we do Hope in joy lab, it is really empowering. 61 00:05:51,234 --> 00:05:52,950 And it's focused on that action 62 00:05:53,128 --> 00:05:55,408 that arises from within us. 63 00:05:55,508 --> 00:05:58,789 So we'll get into that more here throughout the month. 64 00:05:59,519 --> 00:06:06,783 But first, I want to get into the power of inspiration, share some research why this is worth our time. 65 00:06:06,783 --> 00:06:10,015 So I just want to popcorn some findings here. 66 00:06:10,195 --> 00:06:23,011 Individuals who score higher on something called the inspiration scale, report more absorption in tasks and higher completion rates of those tasks versus folks who score 67 00:06:23,011 --> 00:06:24,822 lower on the inspiration scale. 68 00:06:24,822 --> 00:06:28,744 Folks who score higher also have a stronger drive 69 00:06:28,744 --> 00:06:33,945 to complete their work and at the same time are less competitive, which I love. 70 00:06:33,945 --> 00:06:36,586 I know I love that combo, right? 71 00:06:36,826 --> 00:06:45,638 Additionally, folks who score higher on this scale are more intrinsically motivated, meaning that they do things because it matters to them. 72 00:06:45,638 --> 00:06:48,429 We do a lot on intrinsic motivation here at Joy Lab. 73 00:06:48,429 --> 00:06:54,990 I'll find some episodes as well where we really hit on that and the power of that makes a difference for goal completion. 74 00:06:55,316 --> 00:07:02,133 Folks who score higher on the inspiration scale also report more self-esteem and optimism. 75 00:07:02,174 --> 00:07:09,088 So inspiration can act as this powerful fuel for us to actually take action, 76 00:07:09,086 --> 00:07:15,932 not to impress others, but action that is meaningful to us and that we engage in because it fills us. 77 00:07:16,104 --> 00:07:16,925 Hmm. 78 00:07:16,925 --> 00:07:28,595 You know, that makes me wonder, that research you just referenced, whether the folks who score higher on the inspiration scale are just born that way, you know, kind of like, like 79 00:07:28,595 --> 00:07:32,104 some of us are naturally more optimistic than others. 80 00:07:32,630 --> 00:07:39,295 Or is this something that they practice that they intentionally work to get better at? 81 00:07:39,295 --> 00:07:43,201 And maybe the research doesn't address that necessarily, but 82 00:07:43,201 --> 00:07:51,437 I know what we believe here at Joy Lab, and that is that inspiration is a skill. 83 00:07:52,499 --> 00:08:07,732 And no matter where we fall on that scale that you just referred to, we can move ourselves upward a little at a time to take real advantage of this incredible engine for wise action 84 00:08:07,732 --> 00:08:10,435 that we call inspiration. 85 00:08:10,435 --> 00:08:12,135 So that's what I believe. 86 00:08:12,504 --> 00:08:16,207 And I'm curious what the science says on this. 87 00:08:16,207 --> 00:08:30,959 So maybe we'll get into that this month, as well as some really practical ideas for how to tap into this beautiful resource of power that lies dormant, I think, so much of the time 88 00:08:30,959 --> 00:08:32,149 inside of us. 89 00:08:32,283 --> 00:08:34,744 Yeah, that's a really good question. 90 00:08:34,744 --> 00:08:35,925 Sort of chicken or the egg. 91 00:08:35,925 --> 00:08:37,166 We'll get into that this month. 92 00:08:37,166 --> 00:08:38,887 Maybe sneak peek here though. 93 00:08:38,887 --> 00:08:41,768 The science of this is really empowering. 94 00:08:42,008 --> 00:08:46,970 And if it only worked for optimists, then I would not be here talking about it. 95 00:08:47,411 --> 00:08:48,041 Clearly. 96 00:08:48,041 --> 00:08:55,175 I'll also say quickly actually that doctors Todd Thrash and Andrew Elliott. 97 00:08:55,175 --> 00:08:57,756 those are the folks who created the inspiration scale. 98 00:08:57,756 --> 00:08:59,937 They're key researchers in this. 99 00:08:59,977 --> 00:09:05,841 area, they identify inspiration as both a state and a trait. 100 00:09:06,342 --> 00:09:08,333 And I don't want to get in the weeds here too much with that. 101 00:09:08,333 --> 00:09:10,204 But I think it's helpful to note. 102 00:09:10,204 --> 00:09:11,498 So a trait is 103 00:09:11,496 --> 00:09:17,113 sort of in the psychological research and such is more about personality traits and temperaments. 104 00:09:17,113 --> 00:09:18,828 Talk about temperament here, right? 105 00:09:18,828 --> 00:09:19,860 long standing. 106 00:09:19,860 --> 00:09:20,955 It's enduring. 107 00:09:20,955 --> 00:09:30,559 Yes, stable, enduring more enduring characteristics of ourselves, and how we think and, and feel and kind of move in the world. 108 00:09:30,620 --> 00:09:33,635 Though I think there's a lot that can move in there. 109 00:09:33,635 --> 00:09:35,482 And that can happen there. 110 00:09:35,482 --> 00:09:40,536 And then state is the experience of it being in the state of inspiration. 111 00:09:40,535 --> 00:09:43,986 mindfulness has been through this state versus trait debate. 112 00:09:43,986 --> 00:09:48,368 And researchers like here in the case of inspiration, say, yeah, it's both. 113 00:09:48,368 --> 00:09:50,201 You don't have to have 114 00:09:50,201 --> 00:09:54,331 this personality trait of mindfulness to experience 115 00:09:54,330 --> 00:09:56,715 the state of mindfulness but it probably helps 116 00:09:57,034 --> 00:10:02,368 maybe one more thing here because I just can't I can't help myself when we start talking about this stuff 117 00:10:02,881 --> 00:10:16,227 So in mindfulness literature, and there's way more of that than the inspiration literature, it seems to be the case that as we increase the amount of state mindfulness 118 00:10:16,227 --> 00:10:22,870 that we experience, trait mindfulness changes in the same direction, positive relationship. 119 00:10:22,870 --> 00:10:27,973 So we can practice the state and we can shift the trait. 120 00:10:27,973 --> 00:10:31,034 And I think the same thing goes for inspiration. 121 00:10:31,034 --> 00:10:33,015 All of our elements of joy actually 122 00:10:33,116 --> 00:10:34,939 Henry, you've worked with thousands of folks 123 00:10:34,939 --> 00:10:37,560 have you seen sort of that movement from state to trait? 124 00:10:37,560 --> 00:10:38,899 Does that make sense? 125 00:10:38,899 --> 00:10:50,546 it's I think of it as as just kind of sliding along that continuum, you know that we often refer to and and you know, we all want to be moving in the direction of greater health, 126 00:10:50,546 --> 00:10:52,597 greater well being, greater joy. 127 00:10:52,597 --> 00:10:59,851 And I think with each of our elements of joy, that's a realistic possibility. 128 00:10:59,851 --> 00:11:05,491 It's kind of what we want to be seeing as moving along that continuum towards. 129 00:11:05,491 --> 00:11:08,449 you know, towards a greater sense of well-being. 130 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:17,479 Yeah, yeah, these are the learned nature of these skills, learned optimism, these learned inner states, 131 00:11:17,838 --> 00:11:19,458 learned inner traits. 132 00:11:19,798 --> 00:11:22,638 So, okay, so I'll put that aside for a moment. 133 00:11:22,892 --> 00:11:26,514 but let's set that actually as the foundation and talk about cultivating it. 134 00:11:26,514 --> 00:11:28,155 How do we boost inspiration? 135 00:11:28,155 --> 00:11:31,416 How do we experience more of that state more often? 136 00:11:31,416 --> 00:11:33,617 And we can look at the research here as well. 137 00:11:33,617 --> 00:11:43,052 There are three common factors that can increase the likelihood of us experiencing inspiration or here are here are a few to consider. 138 00:11:43,052 --> 00:11:51,165 The first is openness to experience makes sense when we're rigid and closed off, inspiration can't break through. 139 00:11:51,166 --> 00:11:52,746 Second is positive 140 00:11:53,918 --> 00:12:00,317 which really is our openness to and experience of positive emotions and inner states. 141 00:12:00,317 --> 00:12:02,198 We do that work here. 142 00:12:02,198 --> 00:12:05,338 And the third one is pretty boring. 143 00:12:05,398 --> 00:12:06,978 It's preparation. 144 00:12:08,577 --> 00:12:09,738 I know. 145 00:12:09,738 --> 00:12:16,198 So when you're thinking about inspiration, it's like 99 % preparation. 146 00:12:16,698 --> 00:12:17,638 Yeah. 147 00:12:17,758 --> 00:12:18,672 So 148 00:12:18,672 --> 00:12:30,479 And this is not unique for inspiration behind so many positive emotions and inner states that are out there for us to experience it's preparation. 149 00:12:30,479 --> 00:12:35,559 preparing the ground for this stuff, keeping our eyes and minds open to this stuff. 150 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:37,538 There's a lot of tending to the fields. 151 00:12:38,049 --> 00:12:48,687 So we're gonna open up, we'll tap into some positive inner states and we'll prepare, we'll practice some things that will make inspiration more part of our lives this month. 152 00:12:48,808 --> 00:12:57,685 And we're gonna do that through a series on self connection, which I'm really excited about. 153 00:12:57,685 --> 00:12:59,496 So what's self-connection? 154 00:12:59,676 --> 00:13:03,678 It's a sense of connection with ourselves, feeling connected. 155 00:13:03,678 --> 00:13:13,102 If you've ever experienced depression and anxiety, probably know what the opposite feels like, sort of feeling disconnected. 156 00:13:13,122 --> 00:13:15,504 It is uncomfortable to say the least. 157 00:13:15,504 --> 00:13:26,409 And it might feel kind of insurmountable, like getting from disconnection to connection is impossible, but I really think it's easier than we might imagine. 158 00:13:26,689 --> 00:13:27,970 when we break it down. 159 00:13:27,970 --> 00:13:30,071 So we're going to be doing that. 160 00:13:30,472 --> 00:13:38,007 And to do that, I like to lean on the concept work from researchers, Klusman, Curtin, Langer and Nichols. 161 00:13:38,007 --> 00:13:50,797 So they define self connection as a sense of connection to the perceived self that includes the relationship of three components, self awareness, self acceptance and self 162 00:13:50,797 --> 00:13:51,888 alignment. 163 00:13:52,268 --> 00:13:56,351 And we're going to get into each of those components this month. 164 00:13:56,501 --> 00:14:04,016 And then we'll also end the month by looking at a really powerful kind of goal setting strategy called self-concordant goals. 165 00:14:04,016 --> 00:14:09,558 And all of this will work to set some kindling for inspiration. 166 00:14:09,671 --> 00:14:10,952 I love this, Aimee. 167 00:14:10,952 --> 00:14:13,433 I can't wait to dig into it. 168 00:14:14,414 --> 00:14:20,498 I look forward to learning more about the research, which I'm not that familiar with actually. 169 00:14:20,578 --> 00:14:21,456 And you know, 170 00:14:21,605 --> 00:14:25,267 love to start with the science here at Joy Lab. 171 00:14:25,267 --> 00:14:30,158 And I so appreciate how steeped you are in it, Aimee. 172 00:14:30,293 --> 00:14:42,218 And then, starting there, we're gonna get into how to use it and move beyond the science, in a sense, to learn how to live our lives in richer and more meaningful ways. 173 00:14:42,645 --> 00:14:55,808 And in that, I think what we call applied mindfulness can add so much to those three concepts you mentioned, the self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-alignment. 174 00:14:55,808 --> 00:14:58,200 I love those three ideas. 175 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:01,153 And even now, I'm starting to see the possibilities. 176 00:15:01,153 --> 00:15:03,235 I'm starting to get inspired. 177 00:15:03,896 --> 00:15:06,910 This is gonna be a great start to the year, Aimee. 178 00:15:06,959 --> 00:15:09,000 Yeah, yeah. 179 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:10,211 Yeah, this is gonna be great. 180 00:15:10,211 --> 00:15:21,286 So folks, do be sure, subscribe, follow the podcast so that you know when these episodes are dropping because as much as absolutely you could listen to each one independently, and 181 00:15:21,286 --> 00:15:26,728 they will make sense, They're really going to kind of build on each other in a lot of really great ways this month. 182 00:15:26,728 --> 00:15:35,024 So it would be awesome to kind of stick through and we're going to have some practices um that you can engage in that will kind of build through the month as well. 183 00:15:35,101 --> 00:15:36,634 you're in the Joy Lab program, you'll 184 00:15:36,634 --> 00:15:40,767 see how this work on self connection will make sense as well with your experiments. 185 00:15:40,767 --> 00:15:42,835 I think even deepen them a little bit more. 186 00:15:42,974 --> 00:15:49,558 to close our time today, I want to share some wisdom from Carl Jung, some motivation for self connection. 187 00:15:49,959 --> 00:15:50,959 Here it is. 188 00:15:51,328 --> 00:15:55,991 Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. 189 00:15:55,991 --> 00:16:00,633 Who looks outside dreams, who looks inside awakes.