Finding My Word of the Year 2026: How Music Brought Me Back to Joy

Welcome back to Jump Start Your Joy! In this episode, I'm sharing something deeply personal my unexpected word of the year for 2026: HARMONY. This word literally came to me in the middle of the night, and as I share my story, you'll understand why it makes perfect sense. I'm diving into how music, which was such a huge part of my childhood, has been missing from my life and how I'm intentionally bringing it back. From rediscovering my old Armstrong flute after 40 years to planning a duet with my trombone-playing son, this episode is all about reconnecting with what brings us joy. Read the full show notes on my website. This episode explores the themes of rediscovery, intentionality, and taking small steps toward joy. I talk about the power of recognizing what's missing in our lives and how even the smallest actions, like turning on the radio or pulling an old instrument out of the closet, can spark a the beginning of transformation. I also share my journey of finding community through music and how the inspiration-intention-action framework can help you jump start your own joy. Whether you're looking to reconnect with a forgotten passion or find your way back to center, this episode will encourage you to take that first tiny step. In this episode, we cover: My word of the year for 2026: harmony, and how it unexpectedly revealed itself Rediscovering my childhood love of music and playing the flute after decades The inspiration-intention-action framework for bringing more joy into everyday life My adventure to Starving Musician to repair my 40-year-old flute and the sweet encounter with Daniel Finding my new-to-me flute on eBay and planning to join an adult band or symphony How small steps, like turning on the radio or buying dollar CDs at thrift stores, can reignite passion The importance of community and finding "your people" through shared interests Resources: Jumpstart Your Joy website: jumpstartyourjoy.com Follow Paula on Instagram: @jumpstartyourjoy PretaVoyager Instagram account by Anne Ditmeyer Anne Ditmeyer's book, " Override! What if there was another way? A pocket playbook for possibility. " Episode 3 of this season: " What I Found in My Closet " (also titled: "I still haven't found what I'm looking for") episode 4 of this season: Paula's trip to Paris and finding hope Keywords: word of the year, harmony, rediscovering passion, music and joy, playing flute, community building, inspiration intention action, jump start your joy, finding what's missing, reconnecting with childhood hobbies, small steps to joy, intentional living, Paula Jenkins podcast host, personal growth, self-discovery

You can listen to Finding My Word of the Year 2026: How Music Brought Me Back to Joy online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Finding My Word of the Year 2026: How Music Brought Me Back to Joy is an episode from Jump Start Your Joy by Paula Jenkins.

This episode is 12:36 long.

This episode was published on Feb 1, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Jump Start Your Joy when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.