[00:00:03] From the natural state. This is Public Facing the Podcast.
[00:00:18] Hello and welcome to you, my favorite listener. Now this is Public Facing the podcast, where culture and community meet and where we share everyday voices and extraordinary stories.
[00:00:31] I'm your host, Joe Holman.
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[00:00:56] Today's episode is about joy and the anticipation and the readiness for it.
[00:01:04] Maybe in a different vein, though nonetheless is a an important place to be because so much so that I've titled today's episode as worth the wait.
[00:01:16] So let's get comfortable.
[00:01:19] Maybe get your favorite beverage, hot or cold, adult or not.
[00:01:26] Get nice and cozy. After all, it's cold outside.
[00:01:31] Now think back, if you will, when was the last time that you were able or did give out a gift to someone?
[00:01:44] Now, if this happened recently, since we are in the holidays, curious how they reacted? Or better yet, how did you react?
[00:01:58] All right then, gift giver, what were you feeling as this exchange took place?
[00:02:07] Now I'm going to push the envelope a little bit more.
[00:02:11] If there was a mutual exchange of gifts, before opening said gift, what did you think it could be?
[00:02:20] What were you hoping for it to be?
[00:02:24] And if it was what you hoped for, well, how did that make you feel?
[00:02:30] If it wasn't what you'd hoped for, then how did it measure up and how are you feeling? Remember each aspect, okay? And just see how you felt and what you thought at the time. And I want you to hang on to that for just a bit because I want to give you congratulations as they're in order.
[00:02:57] You've now graduated Anticipation 101, the accelerated version.
[00:03:04] You see, you found yourself in a place where you could serve someone.
[00:03:09] That's great.
[00:03:11] Yes. For nothing. In return, you were able to experience an emotion as the receiver was gifted and open said gift.
[00:03:20] The look on their face, their emotions, hopefully paired with, you know, gratitude and joy.
[00:03:27] If their face lit up upon opening the gift, well, how did your expression and your demeanor react to that?
[00:03:36] And how does this pertain to joy or anticipation? Well, let's see now, there is a cascade of physical and brain related changes that benefit both of these.
[00:03:51] For example, the brain's reward system becomes activated and as a result, there is a release of dopamine, serotonin and endorphins, and those enhance mood, motivation and pain relief.
[00:04:09] Now, there are other areas affected as well, such as the nervous system promoting relaxation, boosting the immune system, and even assisting the heart and the gut.
[00:04:24] So it's important to see here where joy increases the heart rate and the breathing, and it prepares the body for engagement, plus releasing adrenaline to enhance mental readiness.
[00:04:44] Oh, my Lord. There we go. There's that readiness word again.
[00:04:50] Now, this is a really raw overview, right? Because there's way more to it than this.
[00:04:57] I merely shared this to convey a basic understanding.
[00:05:04] So joy brings on all of this and more.
[00:05:08] And if it's true, just think of what happens when we experience other emotions, how those affect the body.
[00:05:17] Now, joy is one emotion that I could have chosen, and I did.
[00:05:23] So what do we know about joy?
[00:05:27] Well, joy is the emotion that's more than just happiness. It's more than just excitement.
[00:05:34] It often presents as warmth, calm, alertness, even a sense of safety inside you.
[00:05:43] Now, joy isn't always loud.
[00:05:47] It can be steady, grounded, and deeply present.
[00:05:52] And the joy that you hope for can be as meaningful as the joy that you experience.
[00:05:59] Think about that one for a minute.
[00:06:02] Readiness to experience joy.
[00:06:06] It brings emotional availability.
[00:06:10] Now, without readiness, even good moments can feel muted or overwhelming.
[00:06:16] Now, for some, joy feels risky due to past disappointment, grief, even trauma.
[00:06:24] Now, this can be a tell as to why joy often feels complicated sometimes anyway.
[00:06:32] Now, joy can build resilience.
[00:06:39] However, not all positive feelings are the same.
[00:06:43] Overstimulation relies on adrenaline. Now, joy, however, relies on safety. And this is the difference between seeking nourishment or chasing our lives into burnout.
[00:07:00] Readiness doesn't require pretending.
[00:07:03] We don't have to put on a mask or anything.
[00:07:07] Forcing positivity does, though. That's when we put on the mask, when we have to force positivity. And it's a huge joy sucker.
[00:07:17] You see, pretending positivity, see, that equates to a person whose joy tank is empty, and so they're fighting like crazy to show up as positive.
[00:07:29] But you know, their. Their engine is about to seize up when they're burned out and they've been running on fumes for so long now, they have absolutely nothing left.
[00:07:40] That's not good.
[00:07:42] Now, pretending positivity is hard.
[00:07:45] It's tiring and really not at all sustainable and certainly not effectively so.
[00:07:55] My advice, if I can give it here, slow down, take rest and evaluate.
[00:08:06] Slow it down before you no longer have a choice and are forced to stop.
[00:08:15] Look at it as this way. Like, joy is a signal, not a performance.
[00:08:23] Joy doesn't need to be proven nor displayed.
[00:08:26] It doesn't.
[00:08:29] I guess what I'm like, okay. It can also be private, subtle and quiet.
[00:08:38] If you just let Joy be what joy is, it's going to stay longer.
[00:08:47] Now I want to take us.
[00:08:50] Join me if you will. I want to take us through a exercise. Okay?
[00:08:59] The.
[00:09:06] I promise there's not going to be any push ups or jumping jacks or burpees or whatever other physically strenuous workout is out there. Okay.
[00:09:19] For right now, right where you are, I invite you to participate.
[00:09:25] You can close your eyes if you prefer, but if you're driving, well, I don't recommend that.
[00:09:32] So eyes can be open or closed, though it's optional.
[00:09:37] Okay. I hope that you are comfortable by this point.
[00:09:43] Let's begin.
[00:09:45] Okay.
[00:09:48] Take one slow breath in through the nose and a longer breath out through the mouth.
[00:09:58] We're going to repeat that.
[00:10:00] Take one slow breath in through the nose and a longer breath out through the mouth.
[00:10:11] And once more, take one slow breath in through the nose and a longer breath out through the mouth.
[00:10:23] Now ask yourself quietly, if Joy to show up right now, today, what would my body need to feel ready for it?
[00:10:39] You see, I want you to notice one small signal of readiness.
[00:10:48] Ease, a curiosity, warmth or even a willingness.
[00:10:59] There's no fixing, there's no forcing, just noticing.
[00:11:08] And we're going to rinse and repeat here.
[00:11:12] Ask yourself, if Joy were to show up right now, right here, today, what would my body need to feel ready for it?
[00:11:27] We were noticing even one small signal of readiness and that would be ease, curiosity, warmth or even willingness.
[00:11:43] There'll be no fixing, there'll be no forcing, just noticing.
[00:11:51] Remember, joy doesn't need to arrive all at once.
[00:11:59] Have you heard someone say that they're like they had, they had more joy than what they had previous, if that makes sense.
[00:12:12] Or we've probably heard of people who aren't so joyous like they were at one point. So we can see that this can there's a it's not just a one size fits all and that there is a fluctuation as it pertains to each of us as individuals.
[00:12:29] And sometimes readiness is simply just leaving the door unlocked.
[00:12:36] So how is this for you?
[00:12:39] Have I brought valued you our time together?
[00:12:44] Now I want to give a shout out to our one of our newest listeners. I want to say hello to Beth, Beth from the greater Memphis area.
[00:12:55] I'm glad that you joined us.
[00:12:58] Now I'm going to give a want to share a story that has made the rounds for many years on various online platforms and media such as in podcasts and a lot of digitized content online.
[00:13:18] It's just for every single time that I come across a topic such as this of joy, readiness and anticipation, I feel compelled to pass it on.
[00:13:34] And so for now, this story that we've been waiting for, it gives me pleasure to bring you. The title of this story is keep your fork.
[00:13:49] We often get asked, why do people say keep your fork?
[00:13:54] Well, this story will uplift your spirit and fill you with such hope that you'll want to pass it along There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
[00:14:09] She'd been given three months to live.
[00:14:13] So as she was getting her things in order, she contacted her pastor and had him come to the house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.
[00:14:26] She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service and which scriptures she would like read, and which outfit she wanted to be buried in.
[00:14:34] Everything was in order, and the pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.
[00:14:46] There's one more thing, she said excitedly.
[00:14:49] What's that?
[00:14:51] Came the pastor's reply.
[00:14:53] This is very important, the young woman continued.
[00:14:57] I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.
[00:15:02] Now the pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.
[00:15:10] That that surprises you, doesn't it? The young woman asked. Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request, said the pastor.
[00:15:20] The young woman explained, my grandmother once told me the story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those that I love and those who are in need of encouragement.
[00:15:36] In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, keep your fork.
[00:15:52] It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming.
[00:15:57] Like velvety chocolate cake or deep dish apple pie.
[00:16:03] Something wonderful and with substance.
[00:16:07] So I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand, and I want them to wonder, what's with the fork?
[00:16:17] Then I want you to tell them, keep your fork.
[00:16:21] The best is yet to come.
[00:16:24] The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman goodbye.
[00:16:30] He knew that this would be one of the last times that he would see her before her death.
[00:16:37] But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did.
[00:16:45] She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many other people twice her age with twice as much experience and knowledge.
[00:16:54] She knew that something better was coming at the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand.
[00:17:09] Over and over, the pastor heard the question, what's with the fork? And over and over he smiled.
[00:17:18] During his message, the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died.
[00:17:27] He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her.
[00:17:33] He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.
[00:17:43] And he was right.
[00:17:45] So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.
[00:17:57] Now, I'm going to share a link to this story on our X account. That will
[email protected] PublicFacingPod now. Hey, serious question. Tell me, where does your joy come from?
[00:18:14] When it comes to examples such as keeping your fork, what are you anticipating?
[00:18:21] And if you're readied already, that's great.
[00:18:24] But what does that look like for you?
[00:18:29] Now?
[00:18:32] Personal Readiness.
[00:18:34] That refers to an individual state of preparedness to perform effectively in demanding environments, particularly within the context of the military service.
[00:18:47] It encompasses physical, emotional, social, spiritual and family dimensions collectively known as the five Pillars of Personal Readiness.
[00:19:01] When it comes to physical readiness, it includes things like maintaining strength, fitness, good sleep, good food, and that adds to mental sharpness for emotional readiness, keeping check on emotions and understanding that experiencing anxiety or anger or even sadness can be constructive even and even necessary for growth and for making positive connections.
[00:19:38] So now social readiness underscores the importance of strong supportive relationships, including the ability to ask for help.
[00:19:55] Spiritual readiness is rooted in a sense of purpose.
[00:20:00] It has core values. It has self worth and optimism and that is what helps us draw strength during times of adversity.
[00:20:14] And finally, our family readiness. Right?
[00:20:19] So our family readiness, which addresses the unique challenges of life really, from frequent moves to extended periods away from family.
[00:20:35] I think we find this to a certain degree when even we send our kids off to college or send them overseas to study or to, you know, backpack it through Europe or whatever, right?
[00:20:50] And it involves strengthening relationships and utilizing the available resources to really support your overall family well being.
[00:21:04] Now this is obviously not an exhaustive list, okay? It only conveys the basics.
[00:21:12] For a more intensive look into the information and its real world use cases, I might suggest that you do a bit of research in books Internet searches, but caution you to beware of going down rabbit holes and needing rescuing yourself from precious cat videos.
[00:21:35] Now I know of a place to obtain even more detailed information and get to be guided into using this knowledge and obtain and maintain skills related to readiness.
[00:21:53] Now, depending on your age and your physical abilities, you can access all of this and more at the local Armed Forces Recruiting Center. They provide everything. They provide the training for physical fitness, intellectual, your hard and soft skills. Plus they feed you there.
[00:22:14] They provide food, optical, dental, health care, the ability to travel, heck, even the shirt on your back. They'll give it to you.
[00:22:24] Now the results may vary and not all who seek to take this option will be accepted for final approval. See them for details.
[00:22:36] I want to check in real quick.
[00:22:39] How are you doing?
[00:22:41] Tell me if you're connected with any any aspect of today's episode.
[00:22:47] Send me a message. Send that to hello. At Public Facing Pod Stream, you're listening to the talk show that deep dives into true stories, sharing the everyday voices and shedding light on the positive issues that shape our world.
[00:23:09] We openly welcome the conversations, testimonies and personal stories that impact the lives of so many from all locations and all walks of life.
[00:23:22] Because these stories should always be public facing, our episodes are that of a scripted yet unscripted talk show.
[00:23:31] Now, regardless of what you've heard shared during our time together, we my sincere hope is that you can find truth and hope inside the stories that we share and that this content delivers value to you right where you are.
[00:23:50] Attention Holiday Shoppers.
[00:23:53] This is a friendly reminder that at the time of airing this episode, there are only seven days left before Christmas and 14 days before the New Year 2026.
[00:24:08] Now, I'm extremely thankful for you, my favorite listener.
[00:24:13] I am grateful that you have chosen to be part of this journey, and I am hopeful that this episode has stirred within you an opportunity and a curiosity to explore some of these topics further in your life.
[00:24:29] So come join me again.
[00:24:31] I welcome your important feedback on any or all of the topics that we discuss and share here on Public Facing the Podcast.
[00:24:40] Tell me how may I best serve you?
[00:24:44] You've heard my voice, now let me hear yours. Join the conversation and send me your comments. Share your comments or story ideas, or even just just to say hello, send us an email at hellobublicfacingpod Stream.
[00:25:03] If you're looking for any of our previous episodes, head on over to our website at PublicFacingPod Stream.
[00:25:10] You can also find us most anywhere that you get your podcasts.
[00:25:14] And a side note, you may have heard the old ketchup commercial from the 70s.
[00:25:21] Its chief premise was that anticipation for that ketchup because it was so thick that it exited the bottle slowly and was worth the wait.
[00:25:34] Yep, that's the ketchup I grew up on.
[00:25:37] Shout out to Carly Simon, who provided the jingle, and to Casey Kasem, who narrated the commercial. Thank you. It was worth it.
[00:25:47] I'll share a link to this on our X account
[email protected] public facing pod well folks, I believe this is it. This is going to do it for today's episode of Public Facing, the podcast where culture and community meet.
[00:26:06] Know this you there you are the best part of of Public Facing.
[00:26:14] Thanks for listening and until next time, share those everyday voices and extraordinary stories and keep things upright and Public Facing.
[00:26:28] Take care.
[00:26:38] Of sam.
