In this special Christmas Eve episode of Happiness Through Creating, we reflect on the timeless song “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” and the story behind it. Inspired by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s personal grief and the turmoil of the Civil War, the song reminds us how hope, joy, and meaning can be created even in the midst of hardship.

We explore how acknowledging reality, acting intentionally, celebrating small miracles, and believing in the power of goodness can transform despair into creativity, resilience, and lasting happiness. This episode is a heartfelt guide for turning Christmas Eve into a moment of reflection, hope, and intentional creation.

Here is a link to the song: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0Vi0BxAbpg

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In this Christmas-week episode of Happiness Through Creating, we reflect on the transformative power of hope, belief, and small acts of courage through the lens of the song “When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt.

Explore how belief and intention can create strength, momentum, and miracles in your life, even in the face of fear, uncertainty, or pain. We break down the song’s key messages and show how Christmas is not just a day on the calendar, but an experience we actively create through hope, courage, and action.

Whether you’re seeking inspiration, peace, or the courage to take the next step in your life, this episode is a heartfelt reminder that even fragile faith can grow into overflowing belief.

Here is a link to the song: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKaXY4IdZ40&list=RDLKaXY4IdZ40&start_radio=1

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In this episode of Happiness Through Creating, we explore the extraordinary life of Helen Keller and what her experiences teach us about happiness, purpose, and inner growth. Despite losing her sight and hearing early in life, Keller cultivated joy through attitude, curiosity, service, and optimism.

We'll highlight five key lessons from her life: inner happiness, resilience in the face of adversity, purposeful service, intellectual curiosity, and the power of hope and faith, and demonstrate how modern science confirms her insights. Discover practical strategies to cultivate your own joy, develop your character, and turn challenges into opportunities.

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In this episode of Happiness Through Creating, we explore hope not as wishful thinking, but as an active, creative force. Drawing on psychology, philosophy, and personal insight, we show how hope fuels our actions, strengthens our character, and allows us to create joy, purpose, and lasting impact, even in the face of adversity.

Discover how hope resides in the heart, faith inspires the mind, and their union awakens your agency to shape your life and the world around you. If you want to generate happiness, resilience, and meaningful creation, this episode is your guide.

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In this episode of Happiness Through Creating, we delve into the holiday classic "Believe" and its lessons for living with wonder, hope, and intention. Through the song’s lyrics, we are reminded that magic isn’t lost as we grow up; it’s something we can notice, nurture, and act upon.

From reconnecting with our inner dreamers to listening to our hearts and giving our dreams wings, this episode shows how belief is an act of creation. Join us to discover how choosing to believe in yourself, your dreams, and the possibilities around you can spark joy, purpose, and lasting happiness.

Here is a link to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Avycrez66o&list=RD3Avycrez66o&start_radio=1

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In this episode of Happiness Through Creating, we explore the story of St. Lucia, a 4th-century saint whose courage, faith, and commitment to service transformed opposition into a lasting legacy of hope. Her story reminds us that true creation often meets opposition, and that small, brave acts can have a profound impact.

From St. Lucia’s defiance in the face of danger to Nordic traditions celebrating her light in the darkest time of year, we highlight how principles, courage, and intentional action can produce lasting joy, connection, and meaning. I also share a personal story of how a simple, courageous act led to a life-changing relationship, showing how creation begins in small steps.

This episode is an invitation to embrace challenges, take intentional action, and create light, hope, and goodness in your own life and the lives of others.

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In this episode of Happiness Through Creating, we explore one of the most inspiring modern stories of resilience and self-creation: Liz Murray's journey from homelessness to Harvard, achieved through sheer determination, hope, and daily acts of creation.

Her life reveals a profound truth: opposition isn’t something to avoid; it’s the place where creators are forged. Through her struggles with poverty, loss, and instability, Liz learned to assess, adjust, and act her way forward, transforming pain into purpose and momentum into opportunity.

Join me as I unpack how Liz’s story illustrates the creator cycle, how movement becomes momentum, and how character, not circumstance, shapes our future. This episode is an invitation to create your way through difficulty, reclaim your direction, and build the kind of joy that grows from becoming who you were meant to be.

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Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.creatorsopposition.com/⁠⁠

In this special episode, we revisit the beloved song “My Grown-Up Christmas List” and discover how its lyrics reveal the emotional evolution of the human heart. As children, we wished for presents. As adults, we long for healing, peace, connection, and a kinder world. Through a reflective walk-through of the song, we explore what it means for our desires to mature, and how those longings invite us to become creators of goodness, compassion, and transformation.

Join us as we unpack themes of emotional growth, inner peace, friendship, healing, and the courage to believe in a better world before we see it. This episode is an invitation to uncover your own grown-up Christmas list, and to step into the role of a creator who can help bring those hopes to life.

A gentle, soulful reminder for the season: happiness isn’t found under the tree. It’s something we build, one act of love at a time.

Here is a link to the song: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch4U0ImE-F0

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Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.creatorsopposition.com/⁠⁠

In this episode, we explore a simple but profound truth: humans aren’t just consumers, we’re creators. Drawing on large-scale studies of arts engagement, cross-cultural research on creativity, and evidence from students, older adults, and populations with chronic illnesses, we uncover how creative activity reliably boosts happiness, meaning, and well-being. We break down key mechanisms, including agency, flow, purpose, emotional processing, and connection, to show why intentional creation can transform us from the inside out. Finally, we offer practical ways to embrace your identity as a creator, persist through resistance, and infuse your life with purposeful making. Join us as we trace the arc from creation to joy, and learn how even small creative acts can anchor resilience, meaning, and transformation.

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In this energizing episode of Happiness Through Creating, we take an unexpected turn into the world of sports to uncover a deeper truth about happiness, creativity, and meaning. From legendary rivalries like Michigan vs. Ohio State and Barcelona vs. Real Madrid to the rivalries we face in our personal and creative lives, we explore how opposition can become a catalyst for joy and growth—if we engage with it creatively.

You’ll discover how:

• Rivalry is a form of co-creation — true competition means “to strive together,” not against.

• Opposition adds meaning — it transforms effort into story, tension into growth.

• Your intention shapes your happiness — are you creating excellence or chasing dominance?

• Avoiding zero-sum thinking can turn life’s challenges into shared progress.

• Creative tension fuels fulfillment when we focus on building, not beating.

Through the lens of sports, psychology, and creativity, this episode invites you to rethink rivalry as a training ground for purpose and joy. Because whether on the field, in the studio, or in daily life, the presence of opposition doesn’t block happiness—it builds it.

🎧 Listen now and learn how to turn rivalry, challenge, and resistance into creative energy—and lasting happiness.

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