Tell me I’m not alone… I don’t watch basketball all year. Like… not even a little. And then March Madness hits and suddenly I’m ALL IN. Brackets. Buzzer beaters. Full emotional investment in teams I learned about 6 minutes ago. I just turned on a game and KY hit a 3 at the buzzer to send it to OT and I was pacing my living room like I’ve been a lifelong fan 😆 There’s something about these moments… The unpredictability. The energy. The collective excitement. It’s joy. Instant, shared, electric joy. 👇 Be honest: Are you a year-round fan… or a March-only superfan like me? 🏀✨

Here’s something fascinating. In research described by Shawn Achor, participants who watched a short joyful video before completing a task performed better on tests and problem-solving challenges than those who didn’t. Just a few minutes of positive emotion improved their thinking. Psychologists call this the Broaden-and-Build effect. When we feel joy: • our thinking expands • creativity increases • solutions become easier to see Joy literally improves brain performance. So - let’s try a quick experiment today. Before your next task, meeting, or work block: Do one small thing that sparks joy. Music. A walk. A quick laugh. Gratitude. Then notice how your brain feels. Report back.

Many of us were taught that leadership means pushing harder. More urgency. More pressure. More endurance. But something interesting happens when joy enters the picture. Your thinking opens. Your energy stabilizes. Your creativity wakes up. You stop reacting to everything and start responding with intention. This week, try a small experiment. Before your first big decision, meeting, or task… pause. Take one breath. Check your energy. Then move forward from clarity instead of pressure. You might be surprised how differently the week unfolds. We’ll be exploring this idea much more at the Joy-Led Leadership Forum in May, which will be held right here inside this Skool community. And our very own @Brennan Thompson is going to be one of the featured speakers. 👇 Monday prompt: What helps you start the week with a clear mind and steady energy? Share below. Someone else might borrow your strategy. ✨

Notice what happens when joy is shared. A laugh spreads across a table. An idea sparks in a conversation. Someone’s courage makes another person braver. Joy has a multiplying effect. Competition asks Who is ahead? Community asks Who can we lift? Today, look for one moment to choose connection. • Celebrate someone out loud • Offer encouragement • Share something that helped you Joy isn’t a limited resource. It expands when we pass it around. 👇 Tell us in the comments: What’s one thing bringing you joy today? And if someone comes to mind while reading this, tag them or share this with them. Let’s pass a little joy around today. ✨

Here’s something fascinating: Your nervous system doesn’t register connection through notifications. It registers connection through presence. Eye contact. Laughter in the same room. A hand on your shoulder. A shared walk. A voice you hear instead of read. Research continues to show that real, in-person connection lowers stress, increases feelings of safety, and improves overall well-being. Social media can keep us informed. It can keep us entertained. But it rarely makes us feel deeply connected. That’s because humans weren’t wired for reaction icons. We were wired for each other. Nurturing connection isn’t about expanding your network. It’s about deepening your relationships. Fewer likes. More laughter. Fewer notifications. More presence. That’s where joy lives. Today’s Joy Prompt (N - Nurture Connection): Who could you connect with in real life this week - even briefly? Coffee. A walk. A call. A hug. Your brain will thank you. Your heart will too.