JOY

Jess McGovern
  • 5.0 (14)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED FORTNIGHTLY
JOY

Family meal feasts, giggly gatherings with friends, holiday explorations and milestone celebrations throughout our year, are all joyful experiences that we all treasure and we rely upon as planned or well routed pillars in our calendar year, all with a countdown and an anticipation that in itself is as joyous as the actual event. But, in this podcast called JOY, I would like to delve deeper into those sparkles of joy that we experience in our everyday life. The type of joy that can be sparked in the simplest and most unexpected ways, the type of joy that catches us by surprise almost. Sparkles of joy found in finding stillness, through morning routines; laughter; nature; seasonal changes; through compassion; through birdsong, dance, minimalism and wildlife gardening to name just a few of the sparkles I will be exploring and sharing with you. Not knowing know when these sparkles of joy arrive or what the spark be created from is where the magic is. What’s even more magical is that once we become aware of these sparkles of joy, connect with them, then I feel we have the agency to invite them back, and even make them habits in our lives. Either daily habits, monthly or maybe even seasonal habits. Sometimes, not actually making them habits at all and just treasuring that fleeting magical sparkle of joy we experience at that moment in time. In some podcasts I will be chatting to others about their experiences of joy, and some podcasts it will be just me talking to you, using the time to reflect on what I have learnt in the last few years and sharing actual examples of the sparkles of joy that I have made habits. If they have bought joy to me in my life then I share hoping they may perhaps do the same for you. Welcome to JOY.

  1. 24/02/2024

    The JOY of Energy with Jo Ferbrache

    The shining light, Jo Febrache is about to share with you what brings her joy. Jo and I connected on social media and the one thing that drew me to connect with Jo, is the one thing that draws everyone in to Jo, her energy. When reading Jo’s website to prepare for our chat, I took some time to read and absorb the words of her testimonials. One phrase in particular really resonated with me, it said, “You listened”. These are the stories of human impact that Jo has played a role in. We all need a guide to hold our hand when the nudges to our soul prompt us to make changes so that more joy can flood in. Jo holds the hand of many and in energy shifting and freedom fuelled ways. How she does so is what we chat about now …. I encourage you to take a breath before listening in to this chat, to sit somewhere comfortable, to be with yourself tenderly like a best friend. To tune in to any nudges that your soul sends you. Maybe, maybe you resonate to Jo’s story, maybe a pivot is on the way for you so that you can connect to more joy. You may want a helping hand or just someone to Listen to you, most of all, accountability, and that’s ok.

    1 hr

  2. 26/01/2024

    The JOY of Human Connection with Tim Rogers

    You are about to listen to a conversation between myself and a gentlemen called Tim Rogers. Tim and I have worked alongside one another once or twice. Tim’s natural flare of bringing people together in a room is what I have observed on numerous occasions. Tim’s carefully thought out choice of words and calm manner really helps people in his company feel guided and also empowered at the same time and this is a gift to be able to create this environment. This is why I wanted to talk to Tim more and base our chat around what joy means to him. We talk about curiosity and the joy of living a life being curious and the agency and confidence that this brings. One of my favourite quotes from our chat was when Tim talked about making sense of the world in order to navigate the world. I nearly lost our chat due to an editing mishap. For two hours I didn’t know if I would be able to retrieve it. During these two hours I was imagining what Tim would be saying to me, or coaching me with this was a fun thought process. I also spent this time truly reminiscing on our chat and revisiting the nuggets of wisdom Tim shared, this process reminded me of actually what the key take away was of our chat, that to connect with a human is a privilege and a gift we can share.

    54 min

  3. 28/03/2023

    The JOY of Positive Thinking

    My next teapot of love I am sharing with you is with a very special person, a dear family friend to many in my family and also my first boss when I worked at Gunsute Café when I was 13 years old. Harriet taught me the true nature of work ethos and commitment and this is why I wanted to sit down with Harriet, as it is this work ethos that I learnt as a 13 year old, that I have continued to develop throughout my life and as well my parents of course, it is also Harrriet I have to thanks for this. Our conversations flows between work ethos and commitment and the joy that can be sparked beyond our work life also. Harriet talks so honestly about her life, true self love, community, and the joy of novelty as well the joy of seeing the island of Jersey from the perspective of a bike. I loved our chat and I think you will too.

    42 min

  4. 23/02/2023

    Chapter 7 - The Present

    You continue the meandering path until you are met by another narrow lane. You walk, you walk and you walk some more, you look around, listen to the sounds and consciously breathe in deeply every so often. A distant hum becomes louder and clearer until a splattered glossy green machine trundles past you and turns left into the field ahead. As you approach the opening to the field you notice a square shaped wooden shelter. It has two shelves and a small box attached to it with a gap in its centre. Presented on the shelf are five white bobbly chunky round objects encased in a thick green stemmed cosy coat. A silver car pulls in and a man gets out. He walks over to the wooden shelter that you are looking at curiously. He picks one of the round objects up and it sits comfortably in the man’s large hand. “These are all happy fellas” he says. “How do you know?” I ask. They were picked today from this field, I know the farmer he says. Their family run a farm that grows vegetables for the local market. If they are fresh and local then they are happy the man says and so am I, a great dose of vitamins in these seasonal fellas and knowing this coin is supporting the farmer, makes them taste even better. Here, try one for yourself, they might taste even better for you too now you know a little bit more about how they got here. I smile at the gentleman’s enthusiasm and generosity and watch him place a few coins in the gap in the centre of the box. He turns to walk away and as he does, he looks up at the striking sky canvas above: dusky blue, fading into a luminous orange then that familiar lilac and deep pink horizon hug. The days are getting longer and the nights shorter, he says, enjoy the rest of your walk. “Thank you” I say sincerely. The white bobbly balls in front of me now look different, they have a purpose sitting there, they are part of a story, one that I want to learn more about. As you use the horizon to help navigate you back home to your boat, you reflect on this particularly colourful and thought-provoking island adventure, with one particular colour shining bright at the forefront of your mind. It seems the last piece of the puzzle is complete. Your curiosity naturally wanders to the question ‘what comes next?’. You patiently allow this engrained thought to enter your mind but for only a few moments. The real moment is not what’s next but what is. For this journey has taught you gracefully one important lesson. You have this present moment, that is all you ever really have and to make the choice to choose to feel this joy, feels like you have discovered the golden treasure beneath the rainbow. The beginning.

    5 min

  5. 22/02/2023

    Chapter 6 - Grit

    You continue along the lane and pass a green field. You nod back to the nodding single white flower standing alone and tall amongst its green stalked fellows. You could continue up the lane but you are enticed by some steps to your right. The first step is slightly raised above a burnt orange bank of compact ground. You walk up ten steep steps that stop to change direction by a quarter of a turn. The zig zag pathway leads you on to a sloped path. You pause to regain a rhythm to your breathing and scan the carpet below: a smooth and spiky textured green surface dotted with auburn shapes. Up you climb until the natural slope of the ground and the influx of light tells you that you have reached an opening at the top of the hill. Ahead you see a domino formation of upright large pink stone boulders. The stones are individual but similar in shape and size, all displaying a graffiti of white and green art with some even clothed in an emerald green coat of fur. Your curiosity is greeted with a large story board nearby. Almost in disbelief you read each word once again, this time at less of a rushed pace. You take a seat within the gathering of stones, you brush their pink surface with your fingertips and for a while, you alternate your gaze between the 6,000 year old monument your fingers are connecting with and the limitless sky above. You feel small but in the most beautiful and fragile way. The smell in the air is suddenly more obvious, earthy and damp. As though moving straight on to the next ride at a fun fair, you realise you are standing at the top of a half pipe: a huge dip in the ground below. You prepare your body for an out of control flight down. You align your posture to balance you out and flow into the descent, faster and faster until the slope flattens out and then quickly an equally steep incline begins. You lose momentum half way up and grip the ground to help you climb. The orange earth you noticed on the bank at the entrance to the woods, is now so close to your face that you can almost taste it. Your grip falls away, as do you, down you slide. Your curiosity has now politely been ushered out the way by your sheer grit. You realise that beginning again with a momentous run up is probably the best approach. You are now on a mission. You get to exactly the same point you were at before. You are not climbing any longer, you are sliding and you are not stopping. You are back at the bottom. In a spontaneous abrupt release of noise, you erupt in laughter. You are amused but also even more determined to not be defeated. Now at the base again, you have a clear vantage point, you pause and study this deceptively challenging hill. You notice that there is a protruding rock near the summit. Rather than run, this time you choose to place one foot steadily and thoughtfully in front of the other ensuring you have grip before choosing your next step and making your move. You see the protruding rock. It is there to help you and you gladly accept. You are now near the opening to the meandering pathway ahead, from the rock you pull yourself up to the top of the hill. You did it. “YES” you shriek as you fist pump the welcomed chilled air.

    6 min

  6. 21/02/2023

    Chapter 5 - Self Expression

    The lane you are walking on is bordered with trees that you instinctively let guide you onwards. You stop and look at a chosen tree faraway. Its repetitive fractal pattern appears so eloquent and its presence so wise. Its transparency reveals a rawness, suggesting that stripping itself back is both beautiful and essential for its continued growth. The distant melody of jumbled bird song is not distant anymore, you are now standing front row to the musical. You admire their spontaneity in expressing their unique tune whenever and wherever they choose. You notice their stillness whilst doing so. Some seem to have stopped and become still to sing, others seem to sing because they have stopped and are still. You pick one of nature’s cheerleaders from the stage above and tune in. You are now completely absorbed by the crystalline clarity of this bird song as though it is singing to you through a pair of headphones. You listen and imitate its tune as best you can. The orange breasted bird sings their tune once again, as though encouraging you enthusiastically to perform this jubilant act more often. The bird returns to the triumphant community of cheerleading as you practice your tune once more. You refocus your attention to the tree and begin a closer analysis. From its bark protected deep rooted trunk to its delicate patient budded stems, each part of the tree, its head and its body have different roles but are clearly connected as one. The trees canopy entices you to fall into the vast expanse of the sky above, on and on it goes. Its layered cloud canvas enhancing its limitless. You feel like a microscopic yet significant particle. You thank the trees wisdom for guiding you towards this familiar and necessary sense of perspective. You walk on contemplatively for a while. A bushy tailed adventurer glides across the road and pauses on its journey, causing you to pause once again on this lane. The animal has a cosy crimson coat, pointed tufts of fur over its ears and a rather endearing face. The meeting is fleeting as the animal scurries effortlessly up its climbing frame. Its chosen tree and route cause you to chuckle for it is the faraway tree you were admiring, which is now closer and even more majestic. Past the first branch and on to the seemingly popular second branch it glides. Along the corridor and on to the neighbouring tree it goes, its determination is clear, this animal is on a mission.

    5 min

  7. 20/02/2023

    Chapter 4 - Imagination

    You return to your seated position. The determined rays of sunshine are bursting through the golden rimmed insistent cloud, illuminating a chosen place on the horizon. The brilliant foil glare is almost too bright to continue to look at and you have to look away. Once your kaleidoscope vision dissipates, you peer across at the sheltered bay in front of you, the water looks almost still, like it is covered with a sheet of clear ice, reflecting the palette of blue and lilac sky above. The only obvious movement is at the meeting point of the sea and land. Tiny waves each take their turn to emerge at different points along the shoreline. Each wave succumbs quickly to the slight slope of the land, to deposit their graceful energy at their marathon finish line. You breathe in the crisp cold air and notice the pinching sensation in your nose. You exhale refreshingly. You repeat this mindful breathing for as long as you feel like and then turn and begin walking upon the seaweed littered spongy frosted grass towards the road. The seaweed suddenly becomes your stepping stones as you immerse yourself into a spontaneous imaginary quest, at once you must use these brown tangled knots to get you across your perilous passageway to the silver bricked road ahead. You eye up your first seaweed-stone, you leap into the air and land, the heap of frozen brown icicles crackle beneath the ball of your foot, you jump instinctively to the next seaweed-stone before it dissolves entirely. Your mission is interrupted by the awareness of a small puddle of water that appears to have succumbed to the frost. You tap the iced surface ever so gently with your foot. It shatters and exposes its fluidity beneath. This grassy bank has completely entertained you. Energised by the awareness of your beating heart, you begin to walk inland.

    5 min

  8. 19/02/2023

    Chapter 3 - Elevate

    Recollecting the start of your journey is interrupted by the temptation to open your eyes. A piece of land instantly catches your eye prompting you to venture towards its shore. The glass like ocean makes your shoreline entrance effortless making you feel instantly welcomed and embraced by this piece of land. You pull your boat up the pebble beach safely away from the ever-changing tide. You do not know whether the ocean will continue its daily journey up the beach or whether its time has come to retreat. You sit on the pink granite base of a stone watch tower and look up towards the spirited structure. Perched up high on one of the open grassy ledges of the tower stands an unassuming bird murmuring like a contented baby. Its head is moving in a sharp yet contemplative motion, yet its feet grounded and still. The bird must notice you are looking directly at it because the next sharp motion it makes, is directly at you. Its striking amber pupils that surround its black iris centre, instantly mesmerise you. You stand up slowly whilst still holding your gaze. The birds upper body inflates and deflates exaggeratedly, with every breathe it takes, as though encouraging you to do the same: so, you do. The bird returns to its head motions once again whilst you continue to admire the beauty of this bird. The purpose of its seemingly aimless head motions, suddenly becomes clear. Its dark silky shawl of feathers reveals a calming everchanging turquoise shine with each movement it makes. You smile at the intuitive bird as a sign of thanks for inviting you to witness this calming iridescence spectacle. The bird bobs its head once more, as though in a humble acceptance of your honour. It gracefully ascends into the air but only for a short circular flight before returning to the watch tower. Rather than return to its original spot, this time it chooses to settle at the watch towers highest viewpoint and as it lands, it looks at you one last time, as though checking you had noticed its choice to elevate.

    5 min
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About

Family meal feasts, giggly gatherings with friends, holiday explorations and milestone celebrations throughout our year, are all joyful experiences that we all treasure and we rely upon as planned or well routed pillars in our calendar year, all with a countdown and an anticipation that in itself is as joyous as the actual event. But, in this podcast called JOY, I would like to delve deeper into those sparkles of joy that we experience in our everyday life. The type of joy that can be sparked in the simplest and most unexpected ways, the type of joy that catches us by surprise almost. Sparkles of joy found in finding stillness, through morning routines; laughter; nature; seasonal changes; through compassion; through birdsong, dance, minimalism and wildlife gardening to name just a few of the sparkles I will be exploring and sharing with you. Not knowing know when these sparkles of joy arrive or what the spark be created from is where the magic is. What’s even more magical is that once we become aware of these sparkles of joy, connect with them, then I feel we have the agency to invite them back, and even make them habits in our lives. Either daily habits, monthly or maybe even seasonal habits. Sometimes, not actually making them habits at all and just treasuring that fleeting magical sparkle of joy we experience at that moment in time. In some podcasts I will be chatting to others about their experiences of joy, and some podcasts it will be just me talking to you, using the time to reflect on what I have learnt in the last few years and sharing actual examples of the sparkles of joy that I have made habits. If they have bought joy to me in my life then I share hoping they may perhaps do the same for you. Welcome to JOY.

Information

  • Creator
    Jess McGovern
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    22

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