Intersections: Sustaining Joy, Peace, and Meaning in Uncertain Times


Feb 25
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
University of Richmond, Zoom gathering

In a world that often feels unstable and uncertain, how do we hold on to — and even deepen — our experience of joy, inner peace, and a life rich with meaning? That is the question at the heart of our conversation this Wednesday.

Dr. Betty Neal Crutcher and Ms. Jo Ann Deck will facilitate an exploration of what sustains our well-being when the ground beneath us feels unsteady. Drawing on insights from psychology, philosophy, and lived wisdom, this conversation invites us to look inward — at gratitude, purpose, resilience, and connection — as enduring anchors, not just in calm seasons, but especially in difficult ones. Participants will leave with fresh perspective on the difference between fleeting happiness and deeper peace, along with practical approaches they can carry into their everyday lives.

Meeting Details

What Will Be Explored

  • The nature of joy and why it can feel elusive in times of uncertainty
  • The difference between fleeting happiness and a deeper, more sustainable sense of peace and meaning
  • How gratitude, purpose, and connection can serve as inner anchors when the world feels unstable
  • Wisdom from psychology and philosophy on sustaining well-being through difficulty
  • Practical approaches and daily practices that invite more joy and peace into ordinary life
  • The role of community and shared reflection in nurturing our collective well-being

What Attendees Will Gain

  • Fresh perspective on joy and peace — not as distant ideals, but as living practices
  • Insights from research and wisdom traditions on finding meaning even when circumstances are hard
  • Reflection on your own relationship with uncertainty and how to move through it with greater ease
  • At least one concrete practice or reframing to carry into your week
  • A renewed sense of connection with others asking the same deep questions about how to live well

Reflection Questions

We invite you to sit with one or more of these questions before Wednesday — or simply bring them to the conversation:

  1. When you think of a time you experienced genuine joy, what was present in that moment? What made it possible?
  2. How do you distinguish between happiness — a feeling tied to circumstances — and a deeper, more lasting sense of peace or well-being?
  3. Viktor Frankl wrote that meaning cannot be pursued directly; it arises as a byproduct of living with purpose and responsibility. What gives your life a sense of meaning right now?
  4. Brené Brown found that people who experience the most joy also actively practice gratitude. Where do you notice the intersection of gratitude and joy in your own life?
  5. What do you find most challenging about sustaining joy and peace during uncertain times? What tends to deplete you?
  6. What is one small, everyday practice — a habit, ritual, or way of paying attention — that helps you return to a sense of peace when you've lost it?
  7. How has your community — friends, family, faith, or a group like this one — supported your well-being during hard seasons? What does that tell you about the relationship between belonging and joy?

Please email Dr. Keith W. McIntosh at cio@richmond.edu, for more information about Intersections and to receive the pre-discussion materials for this session.