This episode is a fun narration of the positive narrative I created, believed, and embraced during the hardest years of my life that prevented me from sinking and enabled me to power through 1000s of days of Physical Therapy (the fix for my atrophy from Ankylosing Spondylitis + Chronic Fatigue). The keys were finding joy in the smallest things, building up some sort of “joy credit” during the day allowing me room to fall when the worst of my chronic pain and recovery came at night, feeling gratitude and appreciating that I was better than a few years ago (the worst years of my life). This encouraged me to indulge in the little things that spark joy, enjoy the simple pleasures while I can, celebrate small wins, not indulge in the negative making things worse, and building up some sort of “life happiness credit” during a really bad time, that allowed me room to fall when things got worse (Attack by post-viral syndrome, uveitis, costochondritis, insomnia, neuritis while already battling an autoimmune disease)

I realized the way I was seeking joy was highly inspired by my Gen X childhood, teenage years and upbringing, and I was recreating joyful sequences that had worked for me many years ago to survive now. I used music and tv shows (even food treats) to give me company and spark joy like they did back when I was in middle school or a MTV Generation teenager. To pay tribute and thank these little gifts I gush about the way I found music back when I moved from England to India and the relation Gen Xers have with our common joy TV shows. This is a very Gen X story that my Indian peers may find nostalgia in the timelines and rituals, while Americans may find Gen X nostalgia in the specific content and some joyful delight in the overlap between experiences in different countries.

In this episode, you can learn:

* How to truly look at your circumstances in a positive, especially not-negative, light: one of the best mental health strategies

* How to create, believe and embrace a positive narrative for years; a key to long term healthy neurochemistry and mental health

* How to find joy in the small things and build “joy credit” all day (even at the worst of times)

* How to live in the moment, show gratitude for the things you do have, and indulge in them while you can (carpe diem)

* How living a joyful positive day can lift your mood and help you enjoy “doing the work” and power through your process to improve your life

* How living joyful days can build up “life happiness credit” allowing room to fall in case of disaster and setbacks

* How Gen X and MTV Generation kids and teenagers found music, and our joyful relationship, rituals, and bonds with music and tv shows.

* How you can use the things you found joyful decades ago to recreate and respark joy especially in a world where they are disappearing (for Millennials and Gen Xers)

* How to hack or engineer the way other generations experienced joy into your own life in a different world where those natural analog experiences are scarce (for Gen Z and Gen Alpha)

I hope this episode gives you some company and you learn a little something and feel a little something, and smile here and there too. I hope this show is a good friend to you in a world where joy is in short supply and where we all need all the help we can get in getting better, being better, and making and chasing our dreams.

Have fun, have joy!

Amrit Bandy

00:00 Trailer

00:35 Intro

01:59 Fun ramblings on Generations: Gen X, MTV Generation, Millennials.

03:47 Finding and chasing joy in the little things: Adv. Physical Therapy years (‘22-’25)

12:16 My positive joyful life narrative at the worst time

13:36 Contrasting with a (truer) negative narrative 15:50 Holding on to the +ve narrative saved my life

18:56 Switching to Gen X music and our tv shows 21:10 My Generation served me well: Moving from England to India

23:34 Being an MTV Generation teenager finding new music

27:31 In a relationship with Music, the bonds, the stories, the rituals, the joy

30:04 My friend: The Idiot Box; looking fwd to TV shows, shared joy & common joy

37:32 Tech sucks the joy out of life, funny but true

39:14 Outro

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