The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

1KHO 632: Joy is a Skill | Max Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts

Nov 26, 2025
Max Lucado, bestselling pastor and author known for his inspirational works, joins Ginny Yurich to tackle the concept of 'stinking thinking.' They discuss how the average person thinks 70,000 thoughts a day, with a significant number being negative. Max introduces practical tools for mental renewal, emphasizing that joy can be learned. He shares techniques to help both parents and children navigate anxiety, like 'picky thinking' and replacing negative thoughts with Scripture. Through heartfelt stories, he illustrates resilience and the transformative power of joy.
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INSIGHT

Thought Ruts Are Changeable

  • Our brains form ruts of habitual thought that bias toward negativity.
  • Neuroscience and scripture both show we can retrain those ruts through practice and renewal.
ADVICE

Use Three Practical Thought Tools

  • Use three tools: picky thinking, UFO, and uproot-and-replant to manage thoughts.
  • Practice these tools throughout the day to increase joy and optimism.
ADVICE

Teach Kids To Yank Out Bad Thoughts

  • Teach children to physically 'pull out' negative thoughts and discard them immediately.
  • Replace those pulled thoughts with a chosen truth or scripture to stop rumination.
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