33 - How to Find Joy Even in Life's Hardest Moments with Rachel Bents

What if joy isn't something we have to wait for until life gets easier, but something we can experience even in life's hardest moments? On this deeply personal episode of JOY² – Live With Joy, Greg De Koker welcomes Rachel Bents, founder of The Joy Collective, host of Joy Unfiltered and author of Joy Is the Strategy and Be With: 39 Habits for a Joy-Filled Life. Rachel explores why joy runs deeper than happiness and how we can cultivate it through small, intentional practices, even when life doesn't go as planned. In one of the episode's most moving moments, Greg opens up about losing his dad and the laughter, love, gratitude and connection his family found amid their grief. Together, Greg and Rachel explore a powerful truth: joy and grief can coexist. Choosing joy doesn't mean denying pain. It means making room for every emotion while remaining open to moments of meaning and beauty. In this episode, discover: • Why joy and happiness are different • How joy and grief can coexist • How to retrain your brain to notice everyday joy • Rachel's Three Joy Macros: Notice, Allow and Share • Why small daily practices matter more than perfection • How joy can transform the way we live, work and lead You don't need perfect circumstances to experience joy. Sometimes it begins with noticing a moment, allowing yourself to feel it and sharing it with someone else. Joy isn't the absence of life's challenges. It's something we can create, cultivate and share, even in the midst of them. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to JOY² – Live With Joy 02:05 Introducing Rachel Bents 05:19 What Does Joy Really Mean? 09:18 Understanding How Joy and Grief Can Coexist 20:00 Creating Meaningful Moments with Family 38:14 Introducing Rachel's Joy Macros 43:17 Why We Keep Postponing Joy 45:12 Retraining Your Brain to Choose Joy 49:42 Using Breath to Create Space Before Reacting 52:12 Finding Joy in the Pause 54:28 Rachel's Message: Joy Is Available to Everyone 55:30 Choosing Joy Even When Life Is Difficult 57:34 Putting Joy Into Practice Connect with Greg De Koker Website: ⁠www.joy2.ca⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/gregdekoker/ ⁠ Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/greg_de_koker/⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/greg.koker.5/⁠ Connect with Rachel Bents: Website: www.joycollectivehq.com Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... LinkedIn:   / rachelbents   Instagram:   / rachel_bents   FaceBook:   / rachel.bents.7   Substack: https://substack.com/@thejoycollectivehq The Joy Project: https://www.skool.com/thejoyproject-6... “Joy is The Strategy” book: https://a.co/d/0ajkKNhV “Be With: 39 Habits of a Joy-Filled Life” book: https://enjoymyeveryday.com/products/... Listen and Subscribe to JOY²: Apple Podcast:⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... ⁠ Spotify: ⁠creators.spotify.com/pod/show/joy-squared-podcast⁠ YouTube: ⁠   / @joy2livewithjoypodcast⁠   Stay Connected to JOY²: Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/joysquaredofficial/⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/joysquaredofficial/⁠ Take Action: The 7-Day Joy Practice For seven days, practice Rachel's Three Joy Macros: Notice one small moment of joy. Allow yourself to experience it fully. Share it through gratitude, kindness or connection. Don't aim for perfection. Practice being present, appreciating what matters and sharing the good you discover. A more joyful life begins with one intentional moment.