Can Joy Fuel The Revolution? Ask Marc Cordon.

In school growing up, Marc Cardon had been repeatedly bullied and mocked In school because teachers and students thought he looked “Native American.” So, it’s hardly surprising that when he first became engaged with social justice activism, he developed tactics rooted in anger and fear.

When Marc was first exposed to positive psychology, he was skeptical. He knew that fear and anger had been effective strategies for him and for social movements in general to accomplish their goals. But where could positive emotions like joy fit into the picture? And could these positive emotions help fuel a social movement and the individuals who make it up? He enrolled in the Certificate in Positive Psychology Program offered by the Whole Being Institute to investigate where positive psychology can overlap with social justice.

In this episode, Marc talks about:
 - The challenge in finding the right balance between positive and negative emotions in social justice work.
 - The value of positive emotions and rituals to building a sense of community, enabling individuals and movements to sustain themselves, especially when the work gets difficult.
 - How The Joy Revolution, the organization he co-founded, “teaches change-agents, luminaries, and other do-gooders how to create positive social impact and lasting change through an expanded experience of joy.”

Resources:

Videos:
A Revolution of Joy / Marc Cordon / Speakers Who Dare NYC 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbmdJjfJFMI

How to Have Extraordinary Growth on Ordinary Days | Marc Cordon | TEDxFarmingdale. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkn31_553L8&t=369s

Organizations:
The Joy Revolution. https://joyrevolution.com/

Books:
Beyond Resilient: The Coach's Guide to Ecstatic Growth. https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Resilient-Coachs-Ecstatic-Growth-ebook/dp/B076JK4SBJ

Authors/theories mentioned in the episode:
Victor Frankl - Man’s Search for Meaning
Charles Snyder, Hope Theory
Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success