Episode 213

Joy Is a Risk Worth Taking with Kelly McGonigal

Published on: 2nd November, 2026

What if joy isn't something you wait for until life gets easier, but the very thing that helps you get through it? Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal joins me to talk about her new book, Joy Is a Risk Worth Taking, and how small moments of joy remind us that life is worth living, that we belong, and that good things are still possible. We talk about how joy and grief live side by side, why joy is contagious (you can actually smell it), and simple experiments you can try today, even when you're not feeling it.

Listen and Learn

  • Small moments of joy signal that life is worth living
  • Sharing your joy builds trust, connection and belonging
  • Keep doing what you love, even when joy feels muted

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    Diana Hill

    Dr. Diana Hill, PhD is a clinical psychologist, executive consultant, and international trainer who helps leaders and teams navigate complexity without precedent. Her Wise Effort Method addresses a problem most high performers recognize immediately: the drive that got them here is now working against them. A leading voice in the evolution of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, she co-leads ACT BootCamp with ACT founder Dr. Steven Hayes, trains the trainers, and serves as an instructor for the University of California's Climate Resilience Initiative. She has led executive retreats and intensives for leadership teams including Deckers Brands, Lightfully Behavioral Health, and YPO. Diana is the author of Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most and three other books, hosts the Wise Effort podcast, and has been featured on NPR, CNN, and The Wall Street Journal. With over 20 years of yoga and meditation practice, she teaches from embodied experience rather than theory alone — her sessions are experiential and transformational.