Joy at Work: Reflections from ECPP Dublin
Still feeling a profound sense of awe and appreciation after the European Conference on Positive Psychology (ECPP) in Dublin, a gathering that reminded me how fortunate we are to learn, laugh, and create alongside extraordinary colleagues and inspiring friends from around the world.
I'm overflowing with gratitude for the conversations, new friendships, joyful moments, the organizers, presenters, attendees, sponsors, and the unforgettable opportunity to celebrate our SpringerNature book with a “Book Baby Shower,” led by our amazing and wonderful editor, Dr. Merethe Drønnen.
It was an honor to finally meet many of the brilliant contributors in person and to introduce this exciting event together. What a joy to collaborate with scholars and practitioners like Merethe, Fredrike Bannink, Christian Thiele,andJonathan Fisher, MDhere, as well as Sofia Kousi , Sayyed Mohsen Fatemi, Ph.D.andDr. Louise Lambertwho are so deeply committed to helping people and organizations flourish.
I'm especially grateful to contribute a chapter exploring the power of play, positive movement, joy, and meaning at work in order to create healthier, more connected and flourishing workplaces.
In addition to sharing inspiring examples from leading organizations, the chapter invites readers to discover practical ways to move, connect, and play with purpose, showing how even small moments of joyful engagement at work matter.
My hope is that organizations increasingly recognize that wellbeing isn't separate from excellence; it helps make excellence possible.
And then there was the photo,…where I found myself standing on a chair while the statuesque Merethe and Frederike cheerfully lifted me even higher so we could be eye-to-eye. We laughed until we cried!
It was one of those perfectly unscripted moments that reminded me of something I've long believed: joy is not a distraction from meaningful work, it is often what makes meaningful work possible.
Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to Merethe, Springer Nature, and every one of my talented fellow authors. What a thrill to share this book with the world: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-25138-1
Here's to creating workplaces where people thrive, and organizations, truly excel. 💙
