Joy will find you — if you let it | David Larbi

0:03David Larbi: You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day. I'm your host, Elise Hu. Today, we're sharing a talk by poet David Larbi, who asks the question, what if joy isn't something that only shows up in life's biggest moments, but something quietly waiting for us every day? I don't think that it's naive at all to look for joy in the everyday. In fact, if I'm ever to be truly content, it seems to me to be the only way. There is nothing too small to be happy about. David reflects on the strange yet beautiful balance between sadness, resilience, and the small ordinary moments that make life feel lighter, like stopping to appreciate the perfect bite of food.

0:46Joy is not just a fanciful thing. It's a whimsical, powerful tool. It's a thread of resilience woven into our lives.

0:54David Larbi: He offers us a gentle reminder that even when things feel like they're falling apart and life starts to feel too complicated, there are cracks where light gets in. And maybe it's just a matter of learning where to look. That's coming up right after a short break.

1:18David Larbi: This episode is supported by Harvard Business School Executive Education. Their programs create powerful connections for leaders around the world, strengthening both organizations and individuals by deepening existing relationships and fostering new ones. Participants leave with lifelong friends, new potential business partners, and a powerful globe-spanning network of fellow changemakers. Learn more at hbs.me slash learn. That's hbs.me slash learn.

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3:17David Larbi: That's why DuckDuckGo built Duck.ai, so you can chat privately with the same AIs you might already be using, like ChatGPT or Claude, and protect your data from hackers, scammers, and data-hungry companies. There's no account required. It's completely free. Plus, it's from DuckDuckGo, known for protecting your data, not collecting it. So you can chat freely without worrying about your AI conversations getting stored or exploited. If you want to use AI without giving up your privacy, visit duck.ai slash talk today. That's duck.ai slash talk, a private way to chat with AI from DuckDuckGo, where AI is always optional and private.

3:59David Larbi: And now our TED Talk of the day. If you're able to, please close your eyes.

4:10Take a deep breath in.

4:14And a deep breath out.

4:19Relax your shoulders. Unclench your jaw. Take another deep breath in.

4:31And another breath out.

4:36You can open your eyes now. My name is David. I'm a poet and author. I write about the things that bring me joy. You'd be surprised just how often that means. I pick up my pen and use my voice. Whenever I have a truly bad day, frustrating as it may be, it's a matter of time until my next smile. Good things are coming to me. That may sound glib. It may sound naive. Life is far more complicated than that. I won't argue with you. I know that that's true. No one makes it through their whole life intact. If you talked to every pillow I've had in my life, you would hear about plenty of tears. If you stole my journal from my hotel room, you would read about plenty of fears.

5:21If I'd had the emotional literacy when I was younger, you'd have heard me articulate pain. I'd do all I can to avoid all of those states, but I'm sure that I'll feel them again. I'm saying all this with a smile on my face not because I don't understand language I just know there's far more for my feelings in store I look on the bright side, it's a habit because even in the very worst of times when it seems that I'll always feel down I've learned over time, in the darkest of skies there will come a break in the clouds I don't think that it's naive at all to look for joy in the everyday In fact, if I'm ever to be truly content, it seems to me to be the only way.

6:05There is nothing too small to be happy about. I mean, truly, nothing at all. And because I take small joys most seriously, they stack up to be rather tall. You see, if I only saw real happiness as the big headline news events, I'd have maybe one a month if I'm lucky. And between them, what would I do then? I think of the day that my sister was born, of the singular joy that day was. Moments like that, the joy is beyond belief. They're so immense, they almost have to be ones of. Some things have to exist at that scale to be truly appreciated. That doesn't mean my reserves of joy can't be regularly topped up and updated.

6:46Because joy is not just a fanciful thing. It's a whimsical, powerful tool. It's a thread of resilience woven into our lives when there are cracks in things joy brings light through. Even if my happiness isn't total, even when I don't think I deserve it, finding the small joys in every day is a practice that's always so worth it. It's easier on some days than others. It takes effort that I won't deny. But I am deserving of my own best efforts. Life is effort. Why wouldn't I try? I spent far too long believing that joy was for someone more deserving than me. I spent even longer believing contentment was ambition's worst enemy, when in fact, we matter because we exist.

7:35We deserve joy by virtue of this. And contentment means that any ambition that follows is the healthiest kind that exists. I'm capable of finding moments of joy. There are plenty of opportunities. And if I can find joy wherever I am, then where I am, joy shall be. Next time, your drink is the perfect temperature, or your fork holds the perfect bite. Next time you put on your favorite socks, or adjust so you're sitting just right. Next time you stumble across a great song that you haven't heard in a while. Next time you catch eyes with a stranger who offers a nod or a genuine smile. When you stretch your body and relax it again.

8:22When you take a deep breath and you sigh. When you get to relax at the end of a long day. When you turn your face up to the sky. Remember, life is made of the average days, and each one offers joy aplenty. The smallest joys are the simplest to find, and they add up more often than any. I always pay attention when a small joy grabs me. Some say easily pleased. I say frequently happy. Because you deserve it, because I do too. In our everyday, may joy always shine through. Thank you.

9:08David Larbi: That was David Larby at TED Next 2025. If you're curious about TED's curation, find out more at ted.com slash curation guidelines. And that's it for today. TED Talks Daily is part of the TED Audio Collective. This talk was fact-checked by the TED Research Team and produced and edited by our team, Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Brian Green, Lucy Little, and Tonsika Sungmarnivong. This episode was mixed by Christopher Fazey-Bogan. Additional support from Emma Taubner and Daniela Balarezo. I'm Elise Hu. I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed. Thanks for listening. Thank you.

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