A More Beautiful Question Podcast

Last week we started our first in a series about COMMUNITY.

We talked about the kinds of people you want on your side when you are moving through the world, especially when you have big plans. If you’d like to review that episode, you can head over to beautifulquestionshow.com. 

This week, we’re going to talk about one of the biggest challenges when it comes to community and friends — namely, how to create that support system. 

The key here is to stop expecting community to arise overnight. It takes cultivation, time, attention, and even some trial and error.

In Ep. 24, we’ll talk about some best practices for creating a meaningful circle of support.

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When you are a joy rebel, a warrior for God, it can feel really lonely. We can feel like we’re on our own, especially in times when we’re more isolated and separate. And, according to the mainstream media, no one thinks like we do! We are the outliers, the weird ones. And when we feel isolated, we can start questioning our beliefs. It’s a tactic used by the enemy to make us doubt and to keep us ineffective. Which is why God tells us over and over again to find community to support us. 

So I’m going to spend some time over our next couple of episodes, talking about our support system and community, starting with Ep. 23. Today, we’ll hit part one of this discussion and talk specifically about who you need in your circle of support. Find out more and listen to the whole show here: 

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When we are joy rebels, we begin to see the areas of the world that aren’t in line with Jesus’ teachings. We start to see the stark contrast between the darkness of the world around us, and the joy we feel. And we can be moved to do something about it. We want to be joy warriors, fighting against negativity, sin, and hopelessness. 

But that battle can be overwhelming at times. When we wake up everyday and see the hurt and trouble in the world — much of it man-made — we can get overwhelmed. We can start wondering how our efforts will even begin to make a dent in the despair that others are feeling and the blackness that seems to be creeping over the world. 

I wonder, “how do I change the world?” But how can we do that if we are overwhelmed or ineffective, or just plain exhausted? That’s what we’re going to talk about in Ep. 22. Find out more and listen to the whole show here: 

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One area that can be really tough for Joy Rebels is staying joyful when someone you love is hurting. What do you do when a spouse, a friend, a child, a parent, is suffering? How do you maintain an attitude of joy in those times? In other words, how do you keep someone else from hurting? 

That’s what I want to dive into today. And, as you know by now, the question we start with is not necessarily the question we need to be asking. 

Find out more in Ep. 21, and then make sure to sign up for resources at http://beautifulquestionshow.com. 

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For the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about how joyful people leave clues. We’ve discussed how Joy Rebels — women who are intentional about living joyfully, despite external circumstances — intentionally create joy in our lives. And we covered 11 habits of highly joyful people. 

But 11 things — that’s a lot to remember! I want to make it easy for you, so in this week’s episode I’m going to cover three specific actions or practices you can take every day when you think you just can’t go on. If you just work on these three things, it can help you get that air into your lungs and let you keep going. 

Find out more in Ep. 20, and then make sure to sign up for resources at http://beautifulquestionshow.com. 

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Last week we talked about the question, "How do I find more joy in my life?" We talked about how we don’t necessarily FIND joy, like  a four-leaf clover… Instead we can be joy creators. That’s what joy rebels are — those who become joy-making machines. We talked through the first set of habits of highly joyful people.

This week, we’re going to continue that list. Stay tuned for five additional habits of highly joyful people! Find out more at http://beautifulquestionshow.com. 

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One of the big questions that comes up when I start talking about joy, is… how do I find more of it in my life? 

Well, there’s good news and bad news. 

The bad news is… you can’t FIND more joy. Joy isn’t something  that if you just are diligent enough or spend enough time, you can eventually discover, like a four-leaf clover. 

But here’s the good news: You don’t have to FIND it because you can MAKE it. 

Yes, you, my sweet friend, are a joy-manufacturing machine! While it’s not something as formulaic as, say, baking a pineapple upside-down cake, joy does leave clues. And by digging into my own experiences with joy and by looking at what other joyful people have done, we can back into how you can create your own joy-generating process.

In today’s episode, we’ll cover the first six things that highly joyful people do.

Get more information, sign up for show reminders, and join the community at beautifulquestionshow.com.

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When I talk about joy these days, at first people don’t get it. They say, “What do you mean, live joyfully? The economy is awful. I’ve been out of work for months. COVID is running rampant. My kids are struggling with distance learning. My parents are scared to travel. I know so many people who are hurting… and you want me to be HAPPY despite it all?”

Well, no. 

The question we need to talk about isn’t happiness. It’s joy. 

Happiness and joy are two distinct things. One is outside our control, and one is a decision we can make on a daily basis. And that decision can quite literally change our lives. 

Find out more in this powerful episode!

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Some surprising statistics on anger: 

Pretty crazy, right? 

With that many people dealing with anger on a regular basis, you may wonder what’s so bad about it? Well, in addition to causing stress and inflammation in our bodies, anger can also cause us to do stupid stuff — like break our computers, cut people off in traffic, say insulting or hurtful things, or do things we later regret. 

This week, I dive into how we can distinguish between positive anger and anger that limits us and leads us astray. 

Get more information, sign up for show reminders, and join the community at beautifulquestionshow.com.

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When my family is all around, I’ve noticed I often run around the house like an anxious bed and breakfast owner… trying to make sure everyone is taken care of. But instead of just worrying about if there’s enough hot water or if everyone has enough pillows, I’m constantly taking everyone’s emotional temperature. Are you ok? Are you really ok? I mean, are you really, really ok, like truly? 

I’m wondering, 24/7, this question: “How can I make my family happy?”

This isn’t just at the holidays, either! I often find myself trying to be the emotional caretaker for my family. 

This is not just ridiculous, it’s not healthy for me or my family. That’s why this week we’ll change that question up a bit and make it more effective as we discuss how we can be examples of joy for our friends and families. Being women of joy lies squarely in our sphere of influence, and I’ll show you how in this week’s episode of “A More Beautiful Question.”

Get more information, sign up for show reminders, and join the community at beautifulquestionshow.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.