Joy Over Happiness

In this episode of JOY over Happiness, Dr. Jon Eckert talks with Todd Langford, Deputy Head of College at Mueller College in Brisbane, and his daughter Liliana, an aspiring educator, about building a school where students, staff, and families belong. Drawing on Todd’s 26 years at Mueller and Liliana’s student perspective, they explore how relationships, context, and community help schools thrive.

From creating opportunities for students to lead to giving teachers more space to focus on students, this conversation explores how trust, connection, and meaningful contributions help people feel valued and build a stronger school community.

Mentioned:

• Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment by Daniel Coyle
• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink
• 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People by David Yeager
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
• Your Story Has a Villain: Identify Spiritual Warfare and Learn How to Defeat the Enemy by Jonathan Pokluda

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In this episode of JOY over Happiness, Dr. Jon Eckert talks with Kathryn Haines, host of Everyday Eden, about living in the tension between the world as it is and the world we were created for. Drawing from her experiences with parenting, postpartum anxiety, ADHD, and struggle, Kathryn explores why our longing for something better matters.

They talk about bringing “heaven homeward” through the way we live, parent, teach, and care for others. Kathryn shares why letting kids struggle can help them grow, why every child wants to feel that you not only see them but like what you see, and how parents and educators can create spaces marked by community and hope. Listen until the end for a powerful family story of resilience.

Mentioned:

• Everyday Eden podcast
• The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
• A Christian's Guide to Overcoming Evil With Good by Kathryn Haines
• Reclaiming Quiet: Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention by Sarah Clarkson
• The Opt-Out Family: How to Give Your Kids What Technology Can't by Erin Loechner

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In this episode of JOY over Happiness, Dr. Jon Eckert talks with Lisa Arrington, Director of Advancement at the Fay School, about grief, community, and finding joy through difficult seasons. Lisa shares the story of Mary Kate, an eight-year-old Fay student who lost her life in the Camp Mystic floods, and how the school came together to support her family, friends, and classmates.

Lisa and Jon talk about what it means to lean into the difficult path rather than trying to avoid hard things. From grieving well to showing up for one another, they explore how struggle can change our perspective, deepen our relationships, and ultimately shape our capacity for joy. As Lisa puts it, you never know where the difficult path will take you.

Mentioned:

• The Happiness Crisis by Jon Eckert

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In this episode of JOY over Happiness, Dr. Jon Eckert talks with Jake Baskin, Senior Philanthropic Advisor at Baylor University, about raising curious, resilient children in a culture competing for their attention. Jake and his wife, Meredith, share their intentional approach to parenting in The Happiness Crisis, and this conversation takes a deeper look at what that looks like in everyday family life.

From limiting passive screen time to making room for reading, nature, sports, creativity, and even boredom, Jake explores how parents can help children slow down, pay attention, and become captivated by what is true.

Mentioned:

• The Happiness Crisis by Jon Eckert
• The End of Reading is Here The Atlantic
• Why it pays to be bored article by Arthur Brooks
• Bible Reading with your Kids by Jon Nielson
• The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

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In this episode of JOY over Happiness, Dr. Jon Eckert talks with his daughter, Grace Eckert, an incoming Baylor freshman, about launching into adulthood and what she has learned along the way. On move-in day, Grace reflects on her own struggles with belonging, her time in Central Asia, and the experiences that have shaped how she sees herself and the world around her.

Grace and Jon talk about the importance of getting outside of yourself, whether that's through serving others, traveling, suffering, or simply being willing to see life from a perspective beyond your own. They also discuss parenting, boundaries, faith, and what it takes to build meaningful community as you step into a new season of life.

Mentioned:

• The Happiness Crisis by Jon Eckert
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

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In this episode of JOY over Happiness, Dr. Jon Eckert talks with Dr. Matt Burchett, who leads philanthropy and social impact at Thrive Restaurant Group, about his work to invest in people and strengthen communities. Matt also reflects on his 15 years at Baylor leading student life and the relationships that have shaped his own journey.

Matt talks about saying yes to friendships without knowing where they will lead, trusting that something good can come from the people God puts in our path. From a friendship that led Jon and Matt to Mississippi to the philosophy that “you bet on people, not on programs,” this conversation explores how relationships can shape who we become and can lead to meaningful work along the way.

Mentioned:

• The Happiness Crisis by Jon Eckert
• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
• Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
• Comment Magazine: Public Theology for the Common Good

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In this episode of JOY over Happiness, Dr. Jon Eckert talks with Regan Davis, middle school teacher at Langley Christian School, Baylor M.A. in School Leadership student, and one of the educators featured in The Happiness Crisis, about why belonging and healthy status are so important during the middle school years. Through Langley's four-day sailing trip, Regan shares how experiences outside the classroom can help students build confidence, strengthen friendships, and see themselves in new ways.

This conversation explores practical ways schools can foster belonging without lowering expectations. Regan explains why students need more than comfort and convenience. They need opportunities to take risks, contribute to their community, and discover what they're capable of.

Mentioned:

The Happiness Crisis by Jon Eckert

10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People by David Yeager

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

How to Know a Person by David Brooks

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In this episode of JOY over Happiness, Dr. Jon Eckert talks with Tracey Beal, founder of School Connect, about what happens when schools stop trying to do everything alone and communities step in to help. Drawing on more than two decades of connecting schools with churches, businesses, nonprofits, and volunteers, Tracey shares how building a "village" around students can strengthen not only schools, but entire communities.

From supporting teacher retention and literacy to creating meaningful partnerships that meet the unique needs of each school, this conversation explores how educators don't just need more resources. They need more people. Tracey reminds us that while education continues to evolve, one thing won't change: every student needs caring adults who show up, believe in them, and walk alongside them.

Mentioned:

Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork by Dan Sullivan

School Connect: https://schoolconnectaz.org/

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In this episode of JOY over Happiness, Dr. Jon Eckert talks with Jen Pollock Michel, author of the upcoming A Rule for the Rest of Us, about how small, intentional practices can help us find joy in the ordinary rhythms of life. Jen shares why a "rule of life" isn't about perfection or productivity, but about creating habits that keep us rooted in what matters most.

From navigating grief and embracing life's limits to resisting the constant pull of novelty and self-optimization, this conversation explores how joy is often found in faithfulness rather than excitement.

Mentioned:

• A Rule for the Rest of Us by Jen Pollock Michel
• The Rule of St. Benedict
• Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer
• Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara
• The Good Life by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz
• The Upswing by Robert Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett
• Unfettered Hope: A Call to Faithful Living in an Affluent Society by Marva J. Dawn
• Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard
• The Happiness Crisis by Jon Eckert

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In this episode of JOY over Happiness, Dr. Jon Eckert talks with Dr. Lindsay Whorton, President of the Holdsworth Center and author of A New School Leadership Architecture, about why the future of school leadership depends less on superheroes and more on sustainable systems. Drawing on her work with districts across Texas, Lindsay shares how schools can rethink leadership roles to better support teachers, develop future leaders, and create conditions where both educators and students can flourish.

From building cultures of ownership instead of buy-in to creating leadership structures that distribute responsibility rather than concentrate it, this conversation explores how schools can meet growing challenges without burning out the people doing the work.

Mentioned:

A New School Leadership Architecture: A Four-Level Framework for Reimagining Roles by Lindsay Whorton

Middlemarch by George Eliot

Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better by David Epstein

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