Common Happiness with Sonya Kenkare

Adria defines her joy as the balance of peace, hope and happiness. She opens up about how her happiness has swung like a pendulum from a year ago, when she was very unhappy to present day, when she might be the happiest she’s ever been. Adria admits the vulnerability associated with peaks of joy and wondering if the other shoe is going to drop. Challenge has given her perspective on her own perseverance. Take control of your happiness is her personally trademarked motto. :) Adria acknowledges being flappable and has soft spots for the Statue of Liberty and Taylor Swift karaoke.

**TRIGGER WARNING** Today's episode has extensive discussion related to suicidal ideation/suicide attempt, long term depression and the challenges of managing anxiety and depression. If you, or anyone you know could benefit from it, the number for the suicide hotline in the USA is 988. Suzanne went from working in corporate America to learning European hand tie at the Jane Packer school of floral design in London and never looked back. Suzanne opens up about her long term struggle with depression and her consideration of suicide, and ultimately realized that death is a very permanent solution to often temporary problems. She talks about the various people, dogs and activities in her life that bring her joy. She also discusses the many avenues people can pursue to tackle their mental health if it's standing in the way of their happy.

Jenn shares her association with happiness and the feeling of lightness or buoyancy. The weirdest thing that ever brought her joy was the sound of a spinning ratchet. She urges caution when we are tempted to correlate our worth to our productivity and to be wary of the proverbial hamster wheel of life. In one of her difficult eras of life she kept an empty glass jar near her door and each day added a folded piece of paper with one thing she was grateful for written on it. It created a visual representation of the joy that was in her life even when it may not have felt like an easy time.

Originally from southeast Louisiana, Jerry talks about Cajun culture, and the emphasis that is placed on community and socializing. He believes that surrounding ourselves with positive people will bring more positivity into our lives. He discusses the challenges of growing up gay in a conservative, Catholic community and how that shaped his relationship with happiness. He also discusses his appreciation for sophisticated design and awkward public interactions.

Cherise discusses the joys of motherhood, the value of peace, the impact of loss and the joy her family brings her. Cherise maintains her peace by embracing her simple pleasures, time with her family, cooking and meditation. She also shares a good laugh from watching her son try to wear his jacket on his legs and getting stuck!

When he’s not researching the influence of the environment on surgical outcomes or working in the OR, Johnny is watching birds, reading and admiring the starscape as an amateur astronomer. He loves the Japanese concept of ikigai, balancing your passion and skill and turning it into something you can actually get paid for. He likes centering himself with physical activity and hiking. We discuss science, maintaining a sense of purpose and the book, the Great Animal Orchestra. Johnny recommends checking out Zazie in the Metro by Raymond Queneau for a fun, absurdist adventure in Paris.

Inspired by the impact of mental illness and lack of access to adequate care growing up in Cabrini Green in Chicago, Kamilah pursued a career as a child psychiatrist and focuses on working in underserved communities. Motherhood and love amplify her joy. Meditation and positive affirmations bring her out of a bad mood if one befalls her. This is a fun conversation, check it out.

As a master of many trades, Will finds fulfillment in productivity. Other people getting joy from his work is a nice bonus. We talk about the value of not holding on to a grudge. The humor in farts from cute creatures may also come up.

Generally opting to see the positive, Suzy believes in breaking down daunting tasks into the next step we can take. It has helped her to separate that which she can control from that which she can't. As an agented and traditionally published author, Suzy recently took the plunge and independently published a fantastic middle grade novel, Sierra Blue. It's a story about a girl who grows stronger the more she learns to accept herself.

Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) is a Danish concept of living. The hygge concept cannot be translated to one single word but it encompasses a feeling of cozy contentment and well-being through enjoying the simple things in life. After getting admitted to medical school, Walter felt withdrawn because he was concerned about whether or not he would enjoy the experience of being a physician and if he would be able to tolerate the challenges of seeing patients die. We agreed that taking leaps of faith and getting out of our comfort zone has been essential to our growth as physicians and people.