learning - Lynette M. Burrows

Welcome Joy Into Your LIfe

If you’ve been following the past few posts on the gift of joy, steps to your more joyful life, and creating your joy toolbox you have been practicing at least a few of the steps mentioned in those posts. Congratulations. Your life is more joyful already, isn’t it? Continue to welcome joy into your life with some of these thoughts.

Make Joy a Priority

Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.
Greg Anderson

We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.
Joseph Campbell

Find joy in everything you choose to do. Every job, relationship, home… it’s your responsibility to love it, or change it.
Chuck Palahniuk

Perhaps most important, being in a state of joy is a learned skill,
not an innate ability.
Donald Altman, The Joy Compass

Choose Joy

Photo of two green plants on a trunk, one with large fat leaves the other with tall spiky leaves, welcome joy into your life even small joys are joy

Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.
Henri Nouwen

Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.
Karl Barth

Let your joy be in your journey – not in some distant goal.
Tim Cook

Joy must be developed from the inside. If we cannot find happiness within ourselves we will not be able to find happiness anywhere.
Allan Lokos, Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living

Every single second is an opportunity to change your life, because in any moment you can change the way you feel.
Rhonda Byrne

Go find your joy. Whatever that is, go find your joy. Are you going to have a good day or are you going to have a great day?
Because it’s completely up to you.
Sandra Bullock

Fill Your Pockets with Joy

A joyful life is made up of joyful moments gracefully strung together.
Brene Brown

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
Nhat Hanh

Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be filled with joy.
Anonymous

To have joy in your heart, one must know how to appreciate
the small things in life.
Anonymous

Joy; the kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.
David Steindl-Rast

When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.
Jean Shinoda Bolen

Welcome Joy Into Your Life

There are pockets of frustration and pain and sorrow in every life. Some struggle with depression. There are chemical and physical reasons the struggle toward joy is more difficult for some. If that’s you, please give yourself a chance, seek professional help.

The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.
Russel M. Nelson

The shame of it all is that many of us don’t even know we are missing out on joy. Even if you don’t love yourself at the moment, even if you can’t see the path to joy, look for your joy.

If you can’t find joy in the path you are on and what you are working toward now, how do you expect to find joy once you get there?
Anonymous

Give yourself permission not to be perfect. Your life doesn’t have to be perfect to be joyful. Joy doesn’t have to be big and loud. It’s in the quiet moments too. It’s in a single breath. Take a breath. Welcome joy into your life. You deserve it.

Listen & Learn: Science and History Podcasts

Science and History podcasts are a fun, easy-to-digest way of learning. I’ve mentioned before that I love podcasts. Lately, I’ve listened to fewer because I no longer have a commute. But I try to listen to at least one of the science and history podcasts. They are always fascinating. I always learn some new detail. Often, I find a bit of inspiration for future stories.

Science Friday

This podcast, hosted by Ira Flatow, covers everything science. From the outer reaches of space to the tiniest microbes in our bodies. Every year they host Cephalopod Week (beginning June 21). You’ll learn fun and cool stuff about cephalopods. The Science Friday Initiative, a non-profit organization, dedicated to increasing the public’s access to science and scientific information, produces this podcast. Science Friday videos are available on Youtube. The podcast is available on Apple podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, Sound Cloud, Podbay, Tune in, and the website.

You Are Not So Smart

Host David McRaney says the You Are Not So Smart podcast is “a celebration of self-delusion that explores topics related to cognitive biases, heuristics, and logical fallacies.” It’s always fascinating. McRaney interviews scientists about their research into how the mind works. At the end of every podcast, he eats a cookie. There are transcripts of the podcasts on the website. The podcast is available on Apple podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, SoundCloud, and the website.

Flash Forward

Flash Forward is a podcast about the future. Each episode host Rose Eveleth leads us into a possible (or not so possible) future scenario. From the existence of artificial wombs, to what would happen if space pirates dragged a second moon to Earth, Rose will discuss it. After a brief, imaginative interpretation of what that future might be like, Rose interviews scientists and other experts to find out why that future is or is not possible. Available on Apple podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, Podbean, SoundCloud, player.fm, and the website.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

This podcast features thirty-minute stories about events in American history. From a gold rush in Georgia to a disastrous steamboat fire to the history of doughnuts the information is fascinating. Hosts Tracy V. Wilson and Holly Frey list their sources on the website. Available on Apple podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, Podbay, player.fm, and the website.

I hope you take the time to enjoy one or more of these podcasts. I like to listen to them while doing housework or other tasks where my hands are busy but my brain needs more. Science and history podcasts are only a portion of the scads of subjects covered by podcasts. You can also read about the writing podcasts I recommend in my post, Listen & Learn: Podcasts on Writing and In the Air.

In the Air: livestreaming, podcasts, and YouTube

Livestreaming, podcasts, and videos on YouTube are an endless source of information, inspiration, and a huge research rabbit hole. Listening or watching while involved in completing mindless household chores, makes my chores more pleasant. Here’s a tiny sample of what I found in the air this month.

SFWA-#SpecWomenChat—

Episode 2—available on YouTube

A fascinating panel discussion of space opera featuring five women who work in the field of or read Speculative Fiction. Ann Leckie, Bonnie Milani, Khaalidah Muhammed-Ali, Chandra Trulove Fry, and Diane Morrison discuss space opera they’ve written, read, and watched. In their discussion, the scope of space opera ranges from hard science to fantasy. The setting involves anywhere other than Earth. And they felt that space opera is at least a journey away from Earth. Listen to their wide-ranging discussion on writing and reading space opera.

The Mom Writes Podcast—

Episode #35—on Itunes or the author accelerator website

In this episode mom writers, Abby Mathews and Melanie Parrish, interview Author and Medium Roland Comtois. Comtois’s experiences as a nurse and personal experiences inform his views on grief and pain. His book, 16 Minutes…When One Breath Ends, Another Begins, chronicles his last moments with his mother before she died. This podcast typically is about the story coaching both Abby and Melanie’s receive from Jennie Nash of Author Accelerator as they each learn to write their own books. In today’s episode, they discuss writing, expressing the pain and grief that the author needs to work through, and Comtois’ work as a Medium.

LeVar Burton Reads—

Episode 20—on Stitcher or iTunes

“The Great Wide World Over There” by Ray Bradbury. LeVar Burton reads is a podcast I listen to for the sheer pleasure of listening. This isn’t my favorite Bradbury story, but to listen to LeVar read is heavenly.

If you want to learn about more podcasts and haven’t seen my previous posts, take a moment to read Listen and Learn: Podcasts and Listen and Learn: Podcasts On Writing.

Did you find anything in the air this month? Did you listen or watch one of these? What did you think?

Listen & Learn: Podcasts

We’re all busy, right? We have lives, children (two-legged or/and four-legged), spouses, and chores to do. Some of us have more than one career we juggle, too. So how does one make time for everything? Listen & learn.

NO TIME TO READ?

In my busy lifestyle, I find it difficult to find time to read. But I have a lot of tasks that I do that keep my hands busy like dishes, yard work, and data collection. During those times I sometimes listen to audio books but more and more lately, I’ve been listening to podcasts.

DISCOVER PODCASTS

According to Wikipedia, “A podcast is an episodic series of audio files which a user can subscribe to so that new episodes are automatically downloaded via web syndication to the user’s local computer, mobile application, or media player. The term podcast was invented by BBC journalist Ben Hammersly in 2004.

Podcasts are usually free of charge. Some charge a small fee, others use sponsors and ads, still others use Patron to cover the cost of production.

The user can listen to current podcast episodes or archived ones. Podcasts are produced by a wide range of people from professionals working for well-known corporations to a beginner working out of her own home. This means that quality can be all over the place. But don’t avoid a podcast done by a beginner. Sometimes their enthusiasm for their subject more than makes up for the poorer sound quality and production values.

WHERE, OH, WHERE?

Where do you find podcasts? Primarily on Apple iTunes or Stitcher, which was initially designed for android phones. Some podcasters have links to the podcasts on their websites.

A word of caution: I’ve never used Stitcher but have seen reviews that suggest it may not be working well.

WHERE TO START?

There are thousands of podcasts, maybe millions, covering nearly every topic in existence. It’s hard to sort through the titles to find the ones that speak to you. Here are a few that I enjoy.

You Are Not So Smart (YANSS)—hosted by David McRaney this podcast takes a look at flawed perception and reasoning. McRaney interviews experts that are always fascinating. He also taste-tests cookies on air, that are made from recipes sent to him by listeners. The YANSS website with more information and a link to the podcast is here.

Science Friday (SciFri)—hosted and produced by Ira Flatow, SciFri is a podcast that started as a public radio show in 1991. It “is the source for entertaining and educational stories about science, technology, and other cool stuff.” One of the topics in a recent episode was about advances in the field of prosthetics for amputees that sound like something out of the Bionic Man. The Science Friday website with a link to the radio show and the podcast is here.

Flash Forward—hosted and produced by Rose Eveleth. This podcast explores the future with a ‘what if’ sensibility. Eveleth begins each podcast with a short audio play that reflects a future where this month’s ‘what if’ is a reality. The bulk of the podcast is interviews with experts about the advantages, disadvantages, and probabilities of the ’what if’ becoming reality. The Flash Forward website with a link to the podcast is here.

Entertaining and informative, these three podcasts are my current top picks for the sciences. In the future, I’ll share the writing podcasts that I enjoy.

Do you listen to podcasts? If you don’t, will you try one now?

If you are a podcast listener, which ones do you enjoy?