Last week we had a great conversation about clinical depression, and (thanks to the power of metaphors!) walked away with a deeper and more nuanced understanding of what this form of mental illness can feel like to those who experience it. This week we’re going to swing the pendulum in the exact opposite direction…which is what, exactly?
One way to think about the “opposite” of experiencing depression is experiencing joy. According to developmental psychologist (and Presbyterian minister) Dr. Pamela King, “[a] helpful way of thinking about joy is understanding what matters most in human life.” In the article Dr. King goes on to identify three areas that inform joy: (1) growing in authenticity and living more into one’s strengths, (2) growing in depth of relationships and contributing to others, and (3) living more aligned with one’s ethical and spiritual ideals.
We’re going to complement this cerebral, albeit brief article on joy with a video that is also short but offers a Biblically-oriented exploration of joy. How do these two understandings overlap, and what does that tell us about the relationship between feeling joy and feeling depressed?
Our warm-up question for this week:
What do you want to do for your next birthday party?
See you soon,
Alex