The Perception of Joy | Lexi Lapore-Paternostro | TEDxYouth@AHSDelray
Lexie suggests happiness comes from appreciating the little things, finding joy in the world, and actively sharing that joy with others. She grounds this in expert advice, citing Dr. Michael Horn on the benefits of smiling, and encourages the audience to intentionally create and share personal moments of happiness. ## Speakers & Context - Lexie, who is speaking to an audience. - Acknowledges the photos in the slideshow are personal and bring her joy. - Delivered the talk after a Q&A session that began with the question, *"what makes you happy?"* ## Theses & Positions - Joy can be improved by changing one's perception of it, focusing on three areas: appreciating the world, finding joy in the world, and sharing that joy. - Enjoying the little things is important because one day, one will look back and realize those small moments were significant. - Smiling is beneficial because it physically and mentally rewards the individual and helps others experience joy. - The core strategy for happiness involves consciously focusing on appreciation, finding joy, and sharing that joy. ## Concepts & Definitions - **Appreciation of the world:** Learning to find beauty and significance in everyday experiences, even small ones. - **Finding joy in the world:** The ability to notice and cultivate moments of happiness throughout the day. - **Sharing joy:** The active practice of giving compliments and acknowledging others' positive qualities. - **Synchroneity:** A concept to tune into creativity and enjoy each moment. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **The mechanism of sharing joy:** Complimenting someone three times a day, telling a best friend a compliment during lunch, telling a teacher their hard work is appreciated, and complimenting oneself. - **Mechanism of mood improvement:** Smiling, which according to Dr. Michael Horn, rewards the brain and improves mood both physically and mentally. ## Numbers & Data - **63%** of Americans cited "family" as what makes them happy. - **32%** of Americans cited "faith" as what makes them happy. - **3** core areas for changing perspective on joy (Appreciation, Finding, Sharing). - Complimenting someone **three times a day**. ## Examples & Cases - **Survey Results:** The majority of Americans listed "family" (63%) over other answers like "friends," "work," or "faith." - **Travel Example (Italy):** Seeing a "broad expanse of mountains" in Boone, where maternal ancestors are from, causing a physical, audible gasp. - **Small Joys:** Pictures shared include siblings and the speaker in the car on the first day of school, and siblings in Venice. - **Social/Interpersonal Joys:** Meeting a favorite actress, receiving "dad jokes," or favorite books. - **Self-Compliments:** On the morning routine, complimenting oneself on hair that is "doing something rather than looking like a frizzy mess for once." ## Tools, Tech & Products - Slideshow: Contains personal photos used to illustrate the concept of joy. ## References Cited - **Kurt Vonnegut:** American author who said, *"we should enjoy the little things in life because one day we'll look back and realize they were big things."* - **Dr. Michael Horn:** PhD and author of *Softwired*, who stated smiling "actually rewards your brain and improves your mood." ## Counterarguments & Caveats - Acknowledges that the concept of smiling *"is cliche"* but reinforces its scientific basis. - Jokes that she enjoys finding joy *"can happen multiple times throughout the day."* ## Conclusions & Recommendations - The three actionable steps to change perspective on joy are: 1) Appreciation of the world, 2) How we find joy in the world, and 3) How we share that joy. - A final self-assessment exercise: closing eyes and envisioning a "perfect moment of happiness." - The ultimate directive: *“Remember pre shade the world find joy in it and share that joy.”* ## Implications & Consequences - Applying intentional happiness practices (like smiling and complimenting) has positive, measurable physical and mental outcomes. - Shifting focus to appreciation changes one's relationship with memory and perceived value. ## Verbatim Moments - *"what makes you happy what's something that brings you joy where does your happiness come from"* - *"The majority of Americans agree with three of these statements 63% responded with family 32% with faith represent with work"* - *"we should enjoy the little things in life because one day we'll look back and realize they were big things"* - *"I audibly gasp gasps when I saw this southern view it may not seem like much here but when you're there in real life it's amazing"* - *"Compliment someone three times a day"* - *"it actually rewards your brain and improves your mood"* - *"If you started to slow down and simplify your life if you're spending time in nature and I've surrounded yourself with beauty if you've latched on to synchrony synchronicity and tune into your creativity and if you've learned to enjoy each moment you're probably already smiled on in fact you may find yourself absolutely grinning from time to time remember pre shade the world find joy in it and share that joy"*