In this episode of Spanish Janice, host Janice Burt sits down with Andrew Defy—poet, TEDx speaker, and cultural architect—to explore a powerful idea: what if joy isn’t random, but a skill you can train?

Drawing from personal experiences with loss, grief, and resilience, Andrew shares how his “Great Joy Hunt” began and how simple daily habits, neuroscience, and self-awareness can help you overcome dark moments.

Learn practical tools to improve your mental health, understand the role of dopamine, serotonin, and cortisol, and reshape your inner narrative to live with purpose and confidence.

• (00:00:00) - Spanish Janice
• (00:01:02) - "The Great Joy Hunt"
• (00:06:54) - What brings you joy?
• (00:08:24) - How Joy Is Made in Your Body
• (00:11:34) - Five Ways to Reset Your Body
• (00:14:35) - Spanish Janice
• (00:15:33) - Poem on TEDx
• (00:18:25) - Poems for Self-Preservation
• (00:20:04) - What's Your Poem for Audiences?
• (00:21:47) - Melissa Etheridge on Becoming Poet Laureate
• (00:27:14) - Former Sacramento Poet Laureate Andrew Def
• (00:31:21) - Jimmy Kimmel on Being a Good Leader
• (00:37:48) - Sometimes the Hard Truths Are Gifts
• (00:39:09) - Spanish Janice: How to Build Resilience
• (00:47:00) - Forgiveness, Trust, and Then Love
• (00:49:59) - Andrew Defy on His Great Joy Hunt