Ross Gay, an acclaimed poet and professor, shares his profound insights on finding joy in everyday life. He discusses practical ways to revitalize our 'delight muscle' and emphasizes the healing power of community connections. Ross encourages listeners to 'unknow' loved ones to rediscover delight in them, advocating for spontaneous acts of kindness. He explores the interplay between joy and shared sorrow, illustrating how these experiences strengthen our bonds and enhance our collective happiness.
Ross Gay emphasizes the importance of cultivating a 'delight muscle' to recognize and amplify everyday joyful moments.
The podcast explores how embracing vulnerability allows for authentic connections and deeper relationships within our communities.
Gay highlights that joy serves as evidence of our interconnectedness, enhancing our understanding of both individual needs and collective experiences.
Deep dives
The Pursuit of Mentorship and Growth
Finding a great mentor can significantly impact personal development, as highlighted by the speaker's admiration for Amy Poehler and her MasterClass. The platform offers access to over 200 experts, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to elevate their skills and knowledge for just $10 a month with a 30-day money-back guarantee. One standout course comes from James Clear, who provides actionable strategies for building sustainable daily habits. The speaker's newfound consistency illustrates the effectiveness of implementing these teachings into everyday life.
Rediscovering Joy in Everyday Life
The discussion focuses on the concept of delight and how to reconnect with joy in our lives, particularly through insights shared by poet and essayist Ross Gay. He introduces the idea of cultivating a 'delight muscle'—a practice aimed at recognizing and amplifying the joyful moments that often go unnoticed. The notion of unknowing our relationships, rather than solely understanding them, reveals a deeper connection and appreciation for those around us. Essentially, the more we focus on joy, the more it emerges in our daily experiences.
Joy as a Practice of Connection
Joy is framed as a practice closely tied to connection, with Gay emphasizing that recognizing our interconnectedness can bring profound satisfaction. He argues that joy acts as evidence of our relationships with one another and the world, allowing us to understand both our needs and the collective human experience. The conversation challenges the misconception that joy must come at the expense of serious matters, asserting instead that it holds the power to drive healing and connection. In moments of joy, individuals can identify how deeply entwined their lives are with others, fostering a sense of community.
Cultivating Community Through Gardening
The establishment of a community orchard serves as an example of creating joy through collective effort and gardening. The project began when a local farmer envisioned transforming an urban space into a garden for free food access, which drew over a hundred enthusiastic participants. The inclusive nature of the project allowed individuals to come together, learn, and share their resources while embracing the beauty of collaboration. An important decision about keeping the garden open without a fence illustrated the team's commitment to openness and access over the fear of loss.
The Healing Power of Vulnerability
A poignant exploration of vulnerability underscores its importance in both individual and communal settings, particularly in the context of personal growth. The speaker reflects on the societal pressure to maintain a hardened exterior and how that can obstruct true connections with others. Instances from personal experiences, such as discussing changing hobbies with friends, reveal the potential disintegration that can occur when one evolves. By embracing such changes and the need for authentic connections, individuals can cultivate a deeper understanding of themselves and those around them.
Ross Gay teaches us how to notice delight and joy in our everyday lives. We discuss: concrete ways to rediscover and capture joy every day; how to rebuild your “delight muscle”; how to dissolve the myth of disconnection between us; and how to “unknow” our people so we can delight in them.
About Ross:
Ross Gay is an American poet, essayist, and professor committed to healing the world through observing and articulating joy, delight and gratitude. He won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award for his 2014 book, Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, which was also a finalist for the National Book Award for Poetry. A devoted community gardener, Ross is a founding board member of the Bloomington Community Orchard, a non-profit, free-fruit-for-all food justice and joy project. A college football player, he is a founding editor of the online sports magazine Some Call it Ballin'.
