Feeling burnt out, joyless, or stuck in the productivity loop? In this bite-sized episode, discover how to reclaim your joy—without quitting your job, escaping to Bali, or fixing everything in your life.
Welcome to Joy Thievery: the second instalment of the Summer Superfood Series, where we expose the four hidden thieves stealing your happiness—and teach you how to steal it back.
Meet the joy thieves: your productivity-obsessed brain, The Comparison Cartel operating through social media, The Guilt Gang convincing you happiness is selfish, and The Perfectionist Mob that confiscates joy unless everything's flawless.
They've convinced you that joy must be earned through perfect circumstances. But here's the truth: Joy isn't the reward for getting your life perfect—it's what makes an imperfect life worth living.
This week's superfood? Joy Reclamation—the art of stealing back what was always yours.
Learn how to reclaim joy—even when you're overwhelmed, stressed, or stuck in comparison.
🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode (About Joy, Comparison & the Perfection Trap)
✨ The 4 joy thieves sabotaging your happiness (and how to identify them)
✨ Why joy and stress can coexist—you don't need to fix everything to feel good
✨ The micro-joy heist technique—finding goldmines in ordinary moments
✨ Memory bank robbery—actively stealing joy from your past experiences
✨ Future joy heists—small things to anticipate that bring happiness today
✨ The gratitude heist—feeling goodness instead of just thinking it
✨ Joy vs. happiness—understanding the crucial difference
💎 Quotes That Hit Different
"Joy isn't denial—it's defiance. It's your soul saying 'Despite everything that's hard, I still choose to find beauty here.'"
"Joy is like a muscle—use it or lose it."
"Your joy isn't missing—it's just buried under should-dos, have-tos, and the exhausting belief that joy must be earned."
⏰ Chapters
00:00 — What is Joy Thievery? Why You Might Be Missing Joy (and Not Know It)
02:30 — Meet the Joy Thieves: Productivity, Comparison, Guilt & Perfectionism
06:55 — Redefining Joy: It’s Not What You Think
08:22 — The Joy Heist Toolkit: 4 Tiny Techniques to Steal It Back
12:13 — The Joy Thief Manifesto + Your One Assignment This Week
✨Your Joy Thief Assignment Become a serial joy thief this week. Steal one moment of delight daily—not for social media, just for your heart.
Share this episode with someone who needs to feel joy again. And if it landed with you—consider rating or reviewing the podcast. It helps others find these episodes too.
#MentalFitness #JoyReclamation #TinyTools #SelfLeadership #SummerSuperfoodSeries #PodcastForWomen #PersonalGrowth
Next week's superfood? Your Body's Secret Superpowers—time to start listening.
This is an inside job. Share this episode with those you love. 💛
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Let's Connect:
https://www.luluessey.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@luluessey
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucille-marie-essey/
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Free Guide: Break Free from the Success Trap – https://www.luluessey.com/freetool
Thank you for being here. You are enough. ✨
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