Top 30: Joy Edition

A Playlist of Things That Make Me Happy

Mood: Grounded wonder • Quiet hope • Relational beauty

Places That Stir the Soul

1. Walking the dog through streets touched by early morning light
2. Ice floes drifting in the Antarctic stillness
3. Standing beneath the vast majesty of Kilimanjaro
4. Wandering the streets of Hanoi at night
5. Returning to Paris, where love and memory linger
6. A well-worn path through the native bush, familiar underfoot

People and Community

7. Reconnecting with old friends after a long time apart
8. The joy on someone’s face when you remember their name
9. Watching proud students and parents at graduation
10. Students dancing their hearts out at the annual college dance-off
11. Seeing students thrive in shared community life
12. When the college fills again after the mid-year break
13. A student returning years later to say, “Everything I’ve done is because of what I learned here”

Moments of Growth and Formation

14. A student slowly blossoming after a difficult conversation
15. The quiet trust in a new resident opening up during their first interview
16. An honest conversation that leaves both people lighter
17. Students excelling in their studies, against all odds
18. A sermon that holds honesty, conviction, and truth

Nature and Beauty That Nourish

19. Regenerating bushland in the local national park
20. A newly planted tree beginning to take root
21. The scent of eucalyptus hanging in warm morning air
22. Birds greeting the dawn with layered song
23. An idea settling into place while walking through open space

Creative Joy and Surprise

24. Writing something that feels both true and gentle
25. Finishing a blog post and knowing it says what you meant
26. Rediscovering a long-forgotten song that still moves you
27. Watching a film you didn’t expect to love—and being surprised
28. Listening to a podcast that brings depth or clarity

Simple Sensory Anchors

29. The first cup of tea in the quiet of morning
30. The stillness of being, right before the day begins