Joy Killers: How and Why We Sabotage Joy

Why does joy feel so hard to hold onto? In this episode of Gay Men Going Deeper, we’re revealing the joy killers: those sneaky ways we sabotage happiness even when life is going well.

We explore:

• The difference between chasing pleasure and cultivating joy
• Foreboding joy (a.k.a. waiting for the other shoe to drop) and how it robs us of the present.
• How trauma and disappointment condition us to expect loss 
• The role of protector parts and self-sabotage in keeping joy at arm’s length.
• What we’re really trying to protect ourselves from when we don’t let joy all the way in.

By the end, you’ll see how internalized shame, fear, and control kill our joy- and how practicing gratitude, presence, and vulnerability can help us reclaim it.

Today's Hosts:

• Michael DiIorio
• Matt Landsiedel

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