Joy
In the busyness of life I missed the evolution from lifespan to health span to joyspan until just the other day! Lifespan measures how long you live. Healthspan measures how many of those years are in good health. Joyspan is the latest wellness buzzword focusing on living well rather than just extending life span. It represents the emotional counterpart: describing the quality, frequency, and depth of joy, meaning, and well-being you experience as you age. There has been a shift from hustle to harmony because a longer life without joy is not the goal.
Joyspan, was coined in 2025 by gerontologist Dr. Kerry Burnight. Her book, Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half focuses on four ways to expand your joyspan: grow, connect, adapt, and give.
GROW – Your determination to continue developing as a person.
CONNECT – This is your dedication to building relationships with other people.
ADAPT – Your desire and ability to adjust to life’s inevitable challenges.
GIVE – This is your willingness to share yourself to enrich the lives of others.
When I think about the four elements of Joyspan, I can see them applying to any age, phase or stage of life. Couldn't enjoying life be the purpose no matter your age rather than simply existing?
For obvious reasons many people aren't focusing on joy because life is a struggle right now. In these times, I think we are still learning how to hold joy and grief in the same hand. Looking for the small, simple, ordinary things we experience in the moment, not like fireworks on the 4th of July makes it easier. The experience of joy is different for everyone. It could be a stranger greeting you with a warm smile and a genuine hello, hearing the infectious laughter of a child, or seeing a puppy.
Or it could be through Youtropolis' daily invitation to feast on the banquet of small, simple joyful moments provided by the postings of its members. Whether it is an experience, a story about an act of love or human kindness, a current event, a music video, or an opinion.
I don't know about all of you, however, for myself my ability to feel joy has expanded since joining Youtropolis. After my husband died I was not certain that was possible. I have grown in my personal development from information I have read on the site. I feel a connection with other members through posting, making and receiving comments. I am pleased that I could adapt my perspectives and opinions to adjust to obstacles and blocks. While at times it has been scary and I felt vulnerable being authentic when I shared my challenges and victories with you I am hoping something I said enriched your life.
If you feel like sharing, I would be interested in reading how your joy has expanded since discovering Youtropolis.
Evangel
Thank you for this wonderful perspective! Reframing longevity as a consequence of one's joyspan changes everything. It reverses our obsession with doctors, diets, and exercise by putting joy at the top of the wellness pyramid. It puts us in control of our life instead of others. Not that I'll indulge in eating cakes and pastries everyday, which is very joyful, but I will go with the more joyful prompts that come to me instead of negating them with, "No, there's too much work to do."
And thank you for your comments about Youtropolis—what a tribute! I am so humbled by your affirmation. In a few words, you've captured its essence so beautifully along with the benefit you've experienced. I'm deeply touched that it's contributed to raising your level of joy after your devastating loss. That's so meaningful and powerful. Thank you!
As to your hope of enriching lives, all of your pieces have been exceptional explorations of new knowledge, deeper feelings, and personal evolution—all shared through a lens of deep wisdom and love. What you post is always thoughtful and purposeful, life affirming and even life altering. In every case, you achieve the true meaning of providing for the greater good by offering hopeful spiritual food in a world that needs it more than ever. What a blessing! Thank you🙏🏻❤️
Present Valley
Wow, thank you thank you.
My joy just skyrocketed reading your post!
I am thrilled to read I captured the essence of Yourtropolis. It is certainly what it has meant to me. Making a difference in other's lives...well that is simply "frosting on the cake."
Music City
What a great perspective on not just living but living joyfully! I love your 4 bullet points and I think Youtropolis has been a great way for me personally to work on expanding my joyspan!
Another great article thank you for sharing!
Present Valley
I am thrilled to read Youtropolis has expanded your joy too!!!
I appreciate your acknowledgement of the 4 bullet points. I thought they were very instructive.
As always, I am grateful for your insight and comments.
Homeless Valley
I agree that this could apply to any adult of any age. My concern is that in the chaotic, demanding world we live in, too many of us have to give our ALL to the hustle. I would show up here a lot more often, but dang, sometimes the day leaves me exhausted. Sometimes, I feel that the only joy I can feel is when I finally close my eyes and fall asleep. But your post has inspired me to look for the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you so much.
Present Valley
Homeless Valley I so get your point about being caught up in the hustle of this chaotic world. I really appreciate your honesty about that...it's a real thing.
I always look forward to reading your posts when they show up.
I especially wish you success in following your inspiration so you can find joy when your eyes are open and you are awake. 😊
Homeless Valley
What a beautiful comment! Thank you so much!!
Slipstream
Thank you for sharing Dr. Burnight’ s take on how to make the most of life’s second half. And you're right; the formula works for any age. The sooner we start, the more joy we experience. What a tribute to our existence if we reflect on our lifespan not just as the passing of time, but as an honoring of it for the joy we’ve had and given and continue to make and give. I couldn’t help but notice that the last phase, “Give,” can circle right back to “Grow.” The more we give, the more we grow.
And thank you for expressing how much you receive from Youtropolis. We want Youtropolis to be a place to find refuge, camaraderie, and joy, and I’m so happy you found it here. I'm already looking forward to another of your awesome articles. Thank you for sharing your goodness with all of us.
Present Valley
Great insight Slipstream. Yes, the more we give the more we grow.
Thank you for your supportive words about my articles. Your comment is a perfect example of what Youtropolis brings to it's members. My joyspan has increased reading your comments.
Thank you so much!!!!
Well Street
Learning how to hold joy and grief in the same hand was a powerful vision for me. To contend with our modern world and the disbelief it evokes in us almost daily, I hadn't considered that two diametrically opposing emotions can coexist. I appreciate you including this concept in your article, as it's well worth pondering.
I also appreciate you sharing your Youtropolis experience, and I agree that all your posts are rich with wisdom. Thank you!
Present Valley
Thank you for much for your supportive comment Well Street.
Regarding holding grief and joy together...I'm not sure exactly when people started writing about this as a human experience not just an idea in healing grief. It has been showing up for a few years in a variety of ways, psychological literature, books, posts, podcasts, Ted talks. I could imagine events like 911 and COVID were opportunities to explore this. It is a perspective at one time that was considered unthinkable...we could hold one or the other but not both. I appreciate your willingness to ponder.😊
Especially thank you for saying my posts are rich with wisdom. That means a great deal to me.
Wilsons Grave
While reading this, the first thing that hit me was the four steps. Didn't we all as kids do those things naturally? And where you say we can't focus on joy because life's a struggle, ever wonder how the struggle is so different today that it's been in previous times?
It's puzzling, isn't it? And I'm sure we're stuck in trying to understand the puzzle, but if I could take a stab at it, I'd say we've been a solid, stable nation throughout our lives, but now we're schizoid and indifferent toward others, with an added layer of split-personality, half of us living in one reality, the other half in another.
Though this feels like an unconquered challenge, and it is so far, joy can sure pull us out of the confusion, frustration, and dismay and ground us back into our reality, our sacred cows, our more wholesome traditions, and comforting habits.
Joy is what we believe in and holding onto it. Joy is sharing who we are and who we've been. Joy is indulging in fun, whatever that is to you, experiencing rewards, and spreading the goodness. Joy is reading a post like this one that lets you know we're all in this together trying to solve the puzzle, trying to rise above it, trying to make each day meaningful. So, for me, that's a way to say Youtropolis has helped me see another side to social media that's positive, joyful, caring, and useful.
So thank you for exploring joy and sharing it here with your tribe—it's giving me an opportunity to mouth off a bit which is always fun 😉.
Present Valley
Oh Wilson's Grave thank you again for your so insightful comments. I really enjoy the way you seize the opportunity to "mouth off😊" Thank you for sharing the ways Youtropolis has helped you see another side of social media.
I was drawn to those 4 points of joyspan because I was one of those kids who grew up with a lot of adapt but not much of the other 3. Joy was a long time coming...however, today it runs through me deep, like a river and it is so appreciated and delicious.
Thank you for your comments.