In this episode, I explore joy - not as a fleeting high or a lucky accident, but as a state. A way of being you in the world. A way of meeting life.
The spark for this reflection was a message from my friend Tom, who said: joy is wealth. That landed deeply. Because after a long winter of grief, withdrawal, heartbreak and recovery, I’m beginning to notice what happens when my focus starts to move outward again - away from my own internal noise, and back into the flow of life.
I reflect on joy as something natural and fundamental in us. Not something to force or manufacture, but something that emerges when the layers of fear, melancholy, trauma and self-protection begin to soften. For me, that state feels like joyful curiosity - open-hearted, available, playful, receptive, and in contact with the world.
I share a story from a hard day in London, when I deliberately led myself towards small, life-giving things - a walk, a coffee, a sauna, a few moments of real connection - and found myself unexpectedly described as having “joyful curiosity.” That phrase stayed with me. It helped me recognise that even when I’ve been deep in grief, joy is still possible. Not instead of sorrow, but alongside it.
I also explore the idea that joy can be an act of rebellion. A quiet resistance to cynicism, shutdown, scarcity, modern disconnection, and other forces that flatten us. Choosing joy doesn’t mean denying pain, pretending everything is OK, or sacrificing sincerity. It means refusing to let pain be the whole story.
Find the ‘Tiny Acts of Aliveness’ challenge I mention in this episode, here: chriskenworthy.co.uk/aliveness
