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JOY Unfiltered: Joy is the strategy
Joy Unfiltered is the podcast where joy gets real, grounded, and useful.
Hosted by Rachel Bents, author of Joy Is the Strategy, this show explores joy not as a reward you earn, but as a practical strategy for living, leading, and feeling better in real life.
Each week, you’ll hear honest conversations, solo reflections, and guest episodes that unpack how joy impacts leadership, wellbeing, resilience, mindset, and connection without bypassing hard things or pretending life is perfect.
This podcast is also the heartbeat of two growing movements:
📘 Joy Is the Strategy (the book)
A deeper exploration of how joy works, why it matters, and how choosing it can change your life and leadership.
✨ The Joy Project
A global, joy-first community built on connection, conversation, and collective momentum.
If you’re tired of hustle culture, burned out on forced positivity, or curious what changes when joy becomes the way forward, you’re in the right place.
Joy isn’t the reward.
It’s the strategy.
JOY Unfiltered: Joy is the strategy
The Art of Noticing: How Small Moments Create a Joyful Life
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What if joy isn’t something you wait for… but something you learn to see?
In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, Rachel sits down with fellow author Peg Gilfoyle to explore the art of noticing joy in everyday life.
From small, surprising moments (like finding “a million dollars” in a grocery aisle) to deeper reflections on curiosity, connection, and attention, Peg shares how cultivating awareness can transform how we experience the world.
This conversation is a gentle invitation to slow down, look closer, and rediscover the beauty that’s been there all along.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Why joy is something you train yourself to notice
- How curiosity opens the door to everyday wonder
- The role of small moments in creating a joyful life
- Why “running with the enthusiasts” can elevate your energy
- How connection amplifies joy (even with strangers)
- The science behind noticing more of what you focus on
- Why joy becomes even more important during difficult times
- How storytelling helps us see the world differently
💡 Memorable Quotes
- “The more you look for joy, the more you find joy.”
- “We are ignitable.”
- “Enthusiasm is transmissible—and life-giving.”
- “Joy exists in the world. You just have to look.”
- “These small connections are what knit the world together.”
📚 About Peg Gilfoyle
Peg Gilfoyle is the author of An Eye for Joy: Noticing the Good World Everywhere, a collection of essays inspired by curiosity, connection, and the beauty of everyday life.
She is also the creator of the Motley Pegg essay series, where she shares short, reflective pieces every couple of weeks.
🔗 Resources & Links
- 🌐 Website + Motley Pegg essays: https://peggilfoyle.com
- 📖 Get the book: Available on Amazon, Bookshop.org, and independent bookstores
💛 Call to Action
If this episode brought you a moment of joy:
- Share it with someone who could use a little light today
- Subscribe to Joy Unfiltered
- Leave a review to help others discover the show
And today, try this:
✨ Notice one small, beautiful thing you might normally miss.
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