The Spreading Joy Approach Rather Than The Scared Of Judgement Approach

There are many ways to live life. Some people choose to follow the spreading joy approach rather than the scared of judgement approach. They aim to encourage people during their time on the planet.

Some people want to follow the joy but hold themselves back. Some do pursue it in their later years, however, and this can lead to feelings of fulfilment. Let’s explore these approaches.

The Spreading Joy Approach

Different people follow this approach for different reasons. Some learn it early in their lives. They may grow up in a family or have teachers who encourage them to spread joy.

Different people may learn to do this in different ways. They may do it by encouraging people, making food, creating beauty or doing other activities that help to spread joy.

Some people go on to follow this approach in their careers. They may do work as gardeners, nurses, craft workers, artists, musicians or in other roles that help to spread joy in a society.

Some people help individuals to develop satisfying careers. They encourage them to build on their strengths, do stimulating work and achieve success.

Some even take this approach in business. Let’s look at one well-known example. Richard Sheridan leads Menlo Innovations, a software company in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company aims to build an intentionally joyful culture.

Richard has published several books about the work they do. Below are excerpts from the organisation’s website.

The Scared Of Judgement Approach

Different people hold themselves back for different reasons. They may be scared of being true to themselves, scared of being criticised or scared of not succeeding. They may be scared of other people’s judgements.

Some people move on from this approach. Some do this as they get older and become more aware of their mortality. Some become grandparents and want to spread joy to their grandchildren.

Some choose to spend the rest of their days being true to themselves and enjoying life. This is because they find it too exhausting to live a lie or try to satisfy other people who will never be satisfied.

Let’s return to your own life and work. Looking ahead, can you think of a situation where you may want to follow elements of the spreading joy approach? How can you do this in your own way?

If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.