6 Best Values for 2026: No. 5 - Joy (Isla Múcura, Colombia)

You likely want joy in your life… but do you value it?

We chase promotions, plan trips, buy stuff, and optimize our lives — all in pursuit of happiness. But what if true joy isn’t something you find? What if it’s something you choose? And even more radical — what if it’s a core value you could live by every day?

In this episode, Justin Wenck, PhD, continues his Six Best Values for 2026 series with a transformative and often-overlooked truth:

🎯 Joy isn’t just a mood — it’s a state of being that you choose. And it’s one of the most powerful values you can live by.

Recording from a Caribbean island off the coast of Colombia, Justin shares how joy doesn’t depend on circumstances — it shapes them.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Joy ≠ happiness. Happiness is momentary; joy is a state of being.
• Joy is a choice. It’s how you meet life — not what life hands you.
• Your values show up in how you behave. You can't just say you value joy — you must live it, especially in hard or annoying moments.
• Being joyful impacts others. You set the tone. You show what's possible.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

📺 Watch the full video episode on YouTube to see Justin's on-location shoot in Colombia → Justin Wenck, PhD on YouTube

🧠 Reflect: What would shift if you lived like joy was a non-negotiable value?

✅ Don’t miss the rest of the 6 Best Values for 2026 series — subscribe now!

Ready to stop just understanding this work… and actually experience it?

Join Justin for a live, in-person 60-minute experience designed to recharge your system across your body, mind, emotions, and energy.

📍 Ocean Yoga, Pacifica, CA USA

 🗓 May 2nd | 1:00–2:00 PM

👉 Register here:

https://clients.mindbodyonlin

Watch the full video episode at Justin Wenck, Ph.D. YouTube Channel!

Check out my best-selling book "Engineered to Love: Going Beyond Success to Fulfillment" also available on Audiobook on all streaming platforms! Go to https://www.engineeredtolove.com/ to learn more!

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Transcript

Justin Wenck: 0:00

So today we're continuing on with the six best values to have for 2026 and today is number five. And this one can change everything. It's likely one of the things that you've wanted, and you do so much of your life to get this. Yet you probably haven't ever thought that this is a value that you should have. So if you're ready for the number five value to have for 2026 stick around. Are you ready to live a life with enough time, money and energy have relationships and connections that delight you? Are you ready for the extraordinary life you know you've been missing? If so, then this is the place for you. I'm a best selling author, coach, consultant and speaker who's worked in technology for over two decades. I'm a leader at transforming people and organizations from operating in fear, obligation and guilt to running off joy, ease and love. It's time for engineering emotions and energy with me. Justin Wenck, PhD, what is number five out of the six best values to have for 2026 it's something we all want yet, so few of us actually state that this is something that I value. And again, this is number five. We've already number number six, which was integrity. And this is something that, once you say that this is something I value, it starts to put a whole lot of things in perspective. And so I'm coming to you today, filming on location in Colombia. Actually, I'm 50 miles on an island outside of Cartagena, Colombia, which is on the sort of the Northern, I think mostly Northern, on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. And so I'm on an island out in the Caribbean, and just so important to get this to you that I am recording it in this beautiful, luscious paradise, where, this morning, during breakfast, there was something that looked like a tiny eagle was just fluttering its wings and trying to get some food, and it's just magical and beautiful. And once you decide to value this value, there's some bells being rung right now. I think that means that a boat's probably coming in, or somebody's just having fun with the bells. So the number five value to have is joy. And so some of you might be going like, oh yeah, Joy to the world, peace and joy. But what exactly is joy? And it's different than happiness. Happiness is also very important. And if you really haven't experienced much happiness, it kind of is an important pre rep to work on your happiness before you're able to get into joy. So how I like to think of happiness versus joy is happiness is more of when something happens, you feel happy, like you get a promotion, you eat some delicious food. You know somebody that you like likes you back. You know some you're on an amazing trip. You feel happy. And so happiness is great. It's also somewhat fleeting. You know, thing that induces happiness happens feel happy. Thing that induces happiness goes away. No more happy. Whereas Joy, Joy is more of a state of being. Joy can be something that you experience, regardless of the circumstances, and I'll have a very good example of this coming up. So it's important, though, to allow yourself to experience happiness, because it's very there's some similarities with with the experience of joy. So if you don't experience allow yourself happiness, that is the first thing to start working on. How many times does something really incredible happen to you yet you diminish it? Or go, oh, well, you know, it's missing this, or it's missing that, or, Oh, I mean, I got the promotion, but what about the next promotion where you don't even allow yourself to experience happiness when there's something to feel happy about. And so when this comes to Joy. Joy is a state of being like you can feel joy even when awful things are happening, happening. It really is. It's the joy of having this human experience. And so really good example was flying into Colombia. So left San Francisco at 10pm at night, had a red eye into Atlanta airport, so arrived like at 5am had a four hour layover, was able to get a little bit of a nap, and then on a 10pm flight into Cartagena, Colombia, get in around 215 off the plane, down the stairs, across the tarmac, wow, it's hot. It's beautiful. It's sunny. This is great. And then into a line for for immigration. It's like, okay, cool. Moving along, moving along. And then come into this room, and it is just one giant line, like, bigger than anything I've ever seen at Disneyland or any other theme park. Yeah, it was actually ended up. Being much longer than any theme park line I've ever waited in. So it ultimately ended up being a two and a half hour wait to get through the Immigrations Customs, and many people are just so frustrated, so annoyed. Yet I'm like, I'm I value Joy. Joy is one of my values. So I'm going to feel joy. I'm going to enjoy this experience, which is objectively not that nothing to be that happy about, nothing to be excited. It wasn't like, oh, I can't wait to be in a two and a half hour line. Yet I don't have to be upset or frustrated or mad or sad or grumpy. I can be enjoying the experience. Like, for one thing, there was a bathroom that you could use a lot of places I've been, they really don't let it make it easy for you to go to the bathroom during these immigration line experiences. And then the other thing was, was with a group of people, and it started to be interesting just to see, like, well, you know, who's from where, what's going on. And one of the really coolest things that ended up coming out of it was, the next day, signed up to do a street food tour. So just gonna go around and have food at various street vendors. But when we get there, these two women go, you were in the line yesterday, weren't you? And it's like, yeah. And where are you from? San Francisco? How about you? Oh, we're from San Francisco area too, and it was just that reminder of how much we can impact, how much we are seen and probably by me enjoying that as much as I could, being in a state of joy, instead of being a state of annoyance or frustration when, when these people saw me again, they're like happy to see me. So valuing your joy is not only good for you, it's good for those around you. I know a lot of you that listen to this, watch this, are leaders or wanting to be leaders, and how many of you that have other leaders that you know lead you in your organizations, your politics, your whatever? How many of them would you say you believe they actually value joy, actually value joy. Many, many of you might have like a spiritual person that maybe you look to like, I'll use the Dalai Lama or someone like that that you you pop in on it every now and then a little bit. But somebody that's a leader, that's influential in your life every day, whether you want them to be or not. Would you say this is a person who values joy, and how's, how do you feel the world is because of that. So what if, what if more leaders value joy? What would you be putting out there? What would that be like? What kind of world are those leaders creating? And you can be that leader. You are that leader even if you don't talk to anybody, even if you never see them ever again. By you being in a state of joy, you show them that that is something that matters, is possible and is worthwhile, and so by being in a state of joy, you are changing the world. No joke, no lie, that's really what you're doing. You're changing the world when you value your joy. And no matter what the circumstances are, it's really easy to be at a really incredible meal and be like, Oh, what a joyful experience. Got the people I love, amazing food, great ambiance. Yet when you're in a situation that sucks, right? It just sucks, and you can still find something to feel joyful about that shifts your mood and the mood of those around you for the better, and maybe the circumstances start to shift, because being alive, being human, is not all fluff and roses and greatness and this and that. Like there's loss, there's anger, there's frustration, there's disappointment, there's pain. Yet, as the Buddha often said, pain is inevitable, suffering that's optional. And really what that's pointing to is that you can always have the option of being in a state of joy and valuing joy. And when you value joy, it starts to put a lot of things into perspective. Like, if somebody does something that you don't like, am I going to be in a state of can I be in a state of joy if I'm going to yell at them, or if I'm going to think badly about them? Doesn't mean that you're going to put up with it or stay in the situation, but how you deal with it, how you go about it will be completely different, and you can honor and respect that person, allow them to be while taking care of yourself, having boundaries, finding a joyful way to communicate it or shift your circumstances. And so that's why number five for 2026 is the value of joy. And we've done podcasts about where you know loss, how you can find the gifts. And so even you know, when you lose something or someone, you can find joy in that, because it's like, Ah, I I enjoyed this I had such good experiences with this person, this place, this thing, whatever it was, and recognizing that it's allowing a shift to happen that can bring something new, something fresh. Something different and to and you can be in a state of joy now again, you're not going to be happy, right? You're going to be sad, you're going to be frustrated, you're going to be angry, right? But there can be this sense of, I'm enjoying having the experience that I'm having, not letting it knock you off course, and to succumb, to be at the mercy of the situation, but to really be a master of your own internal state. And when the master of your internal state, it starts to reflect in your outer state. It's not the other way around, where, oh, when I'm in when I'm in paradise, then I can feel like I'm at peace and I'm in paradise, because, trust me, I'm here in Paradise, and there's still things that I could get annoyed at. I'll share a couple, you know, that that in the past I would have gotten annoyed with, like, you know, there's, there's somebody hammering, fixing something that could be annoying the the meal times. It's kind of like being at a summer camp here, where there's three set meal times. Breakfast, 730 to 10. Fine lunch. Gotta wait till 131 30 to three is lunch and then dinner. Not till 737. 30 to nine. And to me, that's later than I usually like to eat. Yet. Hey, do I want to get upset, frustrated, annoyed? No, I want to be in a state of joy, curiosity, and be like, well, maybe there's something, something for me to learn about myself and this, this place, this island, by having meal times at different times than I'm used to. So I'm curious, what are your thoughts? How could you value joy? Because these values, again, it's not about just saying you value joy. It's about making choices every day, every hour, every moment that align with your values. Because you might say, Oh, I value joy. I value integrity. Yet, if I was to look at your life and watch you and see what you do, I will know within an hour, one day tops, maybe even within five minutes. For many of you, do you actually value what you say you value, because it shows up in how you live your life, how you feel, how you look, how you treat people, and what your circumstances end up being. Because for the most part, I find everywhere I go, people are incredibly reasonable. Are there differences, sure, but people are very reasonable. Very rarely do I come across somebody who's just very, very obstinate, you know, that's an asshole. Happens occasionally, and usually look at, well, what was my part in that? What, how was I playing into that and creating that? And so with that in mind, it can be a lot easier to find the joy in interactions with people. And if you're not finding that. Then again, it's you look inside and see what are you valuing? Because if you're valuing being right, being in control, then you're often probably behaving like an asshole. Let's just be honest, and the world is going to reflect that back and be harsh and mean back at you. So the world is neither for you or against you, it's just reflecting what you're putting out. And if you're putting out joy, it's going to return more opportunities to experience joy over and over and over again. But if you're choosing to avoid joy, it's also going to bring plenty of opportunities for you to have harsh, painful, challenging experiences, and I want you to feel joy, experience joy, and also, of course, experience lots of happiness. May there be lots of happy, fun adventures. So with that, let me know what you think. Could you value joy? How would you do that? And I'm curious, what are you enjoying about this on location shoots? If you're not watching this on YouTube, definitely go check it out. Justin Wenck, PhD, on YouTube so you can see the video of this beautiful background. Make sure you are subscribed, because we're going to be continuing. Got four more values that are the best values to have for 2026 so we just finished up Joy previously did integrity. So make sure you subscribe so you don't miss because if you value these six values, it's going to completely change your life. So with that, thank you so much and good day. Thanks for tuning in to engineering emotions and energy with Justin Wenck PhD, today's episode resonated with you. Please subscribe and leave a five star review. Your feedback not only supports the show, but also helps others find us and start their journey of emotional and energetic mastery. You can also help by sharing this podcast with someone you think will love it just as much as you do. Together, we're engineering more amazing lives. You