Find connection. Feel seen. Speak your truth.

Feel into this video before reading.

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Nothing here requires you to become someone else
only to become more at home in who you already are.

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Take a moment here.
Let your breath settle.
Stay as long as you like.
You are welcome here.

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Hi,
My name is Debbie Happy Cohen.
(Yes, that really is my middle name… from birth.)

I want to welcome YOU to the world of Joy-Based Living.

Joy-Based Living is a sanctuary for people who value
authentic presence,
gentle aliveness,
and the beauty of being here.

We gather to remember that joy
is not something to earn…

It’s something to experience in the heart,
in real time,
together.

Authentic Belonging

I’ve heard it said that one of the most meaningful ways to create something is to make what you always wished had existed.

That’s what I did with Joy-Based Living.
I created the kind of group I had always longed to belong to:

A place where people could show up as their whole selves…
radiant,
tender,
messy,
real.

A place where belonging is created through showing up … whole, honest, and alive.

What You’ll Find Here

Joy-Based Living is about recognizing joy as something already close.

It’s about remembering the joy you already carry inside … the part of you that’s been waiting to be seen, heard, and celebrated.

Here, we explore:

Joy …
the deep, real kind
that comes from connection.

Truth …
the courage to say what matters.

Belonging …
the safety of being with people who “get it.”

An Invitation

I built this to sit in the circle …
right alongside everyone else.

Because I needed this space,
just like you might.

If you’ve been carrying a lot on your own, or longing for a place to feel at home in your own skin… maybe this is for you.

Trust your joy.
Find your people.
Speak your truth.
Live your joy.

A Love Letter Waiting for You

If you feel a longing for deeper connection,
there’s something I created just for you.

The 12 Practices of Joy is a gentle companion
that honors who you already are.

It’s a love letter to who you already are.

A collection of gentle reminders
that help you return to what you already know
when life gets loud and complicated.

Think of it as a permission slip you can keep close by that says:

You’re free to live as fully as you are.
You are allowed to live with joy, connection, and freedom.
You don’t have to walk this path alone.

Discover The 12 Practices of Joy.

The ebook can be explored on your own,
shared with a friend,
or experienced in community on Patreon.

Much love,

Debbie

Craving connection?

Come hang out with us on Patreon

… the fire’s warm and the vibe’s real.

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More about Joy-Based Living …

Home is a place where a feeling of possibility fills the air for every single person.

To create a feeling of HOME in our lives, we need to embody feelings of safety in ourselves first.

Then we can extend the feeling to others.

My entire life work is built on the premise that this is possible.

Recently, one Joy-Based Living member said that the reason she loves JBL is because it “validates her existence”. WOW!

Her words nearly knocked me off my chair and strengthened my resolve to share it with more people.

Hi, I’m Debbie Happy Cohen. And yes, Happy is my middle name from birth.

I have a masters degree in counseling and 20 plus years as a life and business coach.

My passion is helping people become strong, positive influencers in their own lives.

Start Here

Wherever you are in your life…

whether you’re in a mode of healing or a mode of thriving

or somewhere in between,

I wanted to share this with you.

A sort of inner COMMAND.

A hell YES.

A movement toward your JOY.

I CAN. I CARE. I CHOOSE. I WILL!

You got this!

Start Here

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At Joy-Based Living . . .

we cover topics from HEALING TRAUMA to AUTHENTIC-SELF-EXPRESSION to PEAK PERFORMANCE to SPIRITUALITY to CONNECTION and JOY!!!

In this in-depth interview, Emma Whalley gets me to talk about ALL OF IT. The conversation is an hour. (Which is kind of long when you just meet someone!) So I asked my friends to create a list of topics… a table of contents. This way, you can scroll to what YOU are interested in! Hope you enjoy it and it sheds sparkles of light, clarity and joy on your journey!!

00:00 Intro
05:02 Trifecta ship introduced
06:46 Obstacles to Joy
07:27 Emotional Ladder introduced
08:52 Trauma defined
13:20 JBL 12 Practices
14:11 Feed your COW
16:07 Where JBL started
17:08 Honor discussed
23:00 Authentic Connection
25:30 Groups-Building relationships
33:12 Gabor Mate book reference
34:44 Requires interaction & desire
37:22 Contact Debbie at Patreon
39:21 Emotional Flashback explained
41:23 Patreon community
45:56 Ripple reference
48:22 Brainwashing discussed

Our Vision: Thousands of subcultures of wellness around the world where people feel more at home in themselves and with others.

– Debbie Happy Cohen, Founder of Joy-Based Living, Author of The 12 Practices of Joy!

Start Here

“Inauthenticity, being someone you’re not, is our biggest source of stress.”

Dr. Gabor Maté, The Myth of Normal

We flourish when we are connected with others who support the true self.

But how do we become such a person and where can we find this kind of community?

Right here! At Joy-Based Living!

At JBL, we use a proven set of principles to relate to ourselves and others and to help each other flourish and grow.

When the authentic self is unwanted, we struggle. We suffer. We die a hundred thousand deaths.

Anxiety and depression are the results of a stuffed self. You aren’t alone.

We can blame old, unhealthy cultural conditioning. We can upgrade how we see ourselves and how we treat others.

The truth is…

When our authenticity shines, we flourish.

Joy is our natural state of being. As we reclaim our energy, we improve our sense of direction and increase our clarity about our life purpose.

True joy is possible when

True joy is possible when

1. We are Authentic.
2. We feel Connected to other people who share their Authentic selves with us.

Start Here

ABOUT JBL

At Joy-Based Living, we show people how to create and sustain Authentic Connections. We offer tools that are easy to apply and that last for life.

We are trauma aware and we have deep appreciation for people who are actively healing from emotional trauma.

AUTHENTIC CONNECTIONS

The benefits of having truly Authentic Connections in your life are outstanding!

“Debbie Cohen lives and teaches a path to happiness that can positively affect your health and longevity.”

~ Dr. Mario Martinez, bestselling author of The MindBody Code and The MindBody Self

• You’ll be more energized, powerful and creative
• Your presence will be radiant and strong
• You’ll save a ton of money on therapy
• You’ll be less compulsive, obsessive and addicted
• You’ll feel more hopeful, more content, and more joyful
• You’ll improve your ability to self regulate your emotions
• You’ll experience more secure attachment
• You’ll know the joy of real friendship
• You’ll be less needy
• You’ll take more healthy risks
• You’ll be more YOU!

In our culture, being Authentic doesn’t come naturally.

Why? We are constantly conditioned to conform. As children, many people gave up their Authenticity for the sake of survival.

When we create Authentic Connections, we give ourselves and others the greatest gift.

Authentic Connections offer a healing balm. A space where we can thrive.

When we are Authentic, we open ourselves to experience the magic of Authentic Connections.

Authenticity requires a deliberate effort and a conscious intention. Like a workout.

An Authenticity workout!

That’s what the 12 Practices are for.

That’s why Joy-Based Living exists.

Start Here

JBL INTERVIEW

“Our aim is to be a conscious culture which actively allows joy to be fully accessed and experienced by each individual.” ~ Debbie Happy Cohen

Excerpt from an interview with Nova Southeastern University. Click here to read the entire interview.

OUR WORLD TODAY

“Humanity is always transitioning. But this is the first period in human history where we are having multiple transitions simultaneously, and each one is techtonic, is enormous, is fundamental.

Even more importantly… in previous transitions, people always had a fallback… they could always go back to the clan, the tribe, the village… they could always revert to something that kept them grounded and centered, that buffered the changes, that reduced their anxiety. ..

In our world today, we have widespread anonymity coupled with total loneliness. It’s a toxic mixture. It’s the recipe for mental illness.”

Sam Vaknin, professor and author of Malignant Self Love

JBL aims to help people overcome these challenges and win … and we’re hitting the target! Members are receiving immediate and long lasting benefits. JBL households, JBL work spaces, JBL classrooms are on the rise. Our community is creating a new planet. We hope you’ll join us so we can add your story to our growing list of Testimonials!

Start Here

JBL CONCEPTS UNITE US

WHOLEHEARTEDNESS

Become Wholehearted! Listen to your heart. Stay in tune with your soul. And trust yourself more.

Wholeheartedness means really caring about the quality of how you feel. Your joy. Your empowerment. Your relationships. How you invest your time. Discernment is power.

Wholeheartedness requires community. You can’t really become wholehearted all by yourself. That’s why Joy-Based Living was created. All of our content and spaces for connection serve this purpose. Authenticity, reciprocity and inclusiveness are hallmarks of our culture.

In practice, being wholehearted looks like having meaningful conversations with yourself and with others. Becoming wholehearted means incorporating the Joy-Based Living Trifecta into your everyday life. It’s our framework for becoming wholehearted. It’s our way of being.

THE JBL TRIFECTA

• trauma awareness – Every single one of us either has trauma or knows someone who does. Our healing aim is for everyone to have self-connection.
• spiritual connection – At JBL, we are inclusive to all beliefs that are life-giving.
• peak performance – We aim for you to let your true self emerge in full radiance!

OUR COMMUNITY & PHILOSOPHY GO HAND IN HAND

Joy-Based Living is an amazing, collaborative, co-creative community.

We express our Joy-Based Living philosophy in ART:

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✋ PAUSE 🚧

The rest of this page is under construction.

If you’re ready to get started…

Start Here

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JBL has child-friendly resources as well as resources for adults. Here’s a map:

FAIRY TALE AUDIOS ARE NOW ON YOUTUBE:

Click here to link to the Playlist.

Here’s a fairy tale audio for you:

Art & Soul

Through public appearances in the last year we are now sharing our JOY with wider audiences.

• Joy-Based Traveling Art Exhibit: Courage to Connect: Networking for Joy exhibit at Carrollwood Cultural Center, Tampa, FL October 2020
• Fairy Tales interview with Little River Arts Council on Lookout Mountain in Mentone, AL April 2021
• Livestream interview with Linda Burhans at Connecting Caregivers Radio June 2021
• JBL Building Block Village – and JONATHAN!

Coaching and skill-building for adults & children

Most people would agree that having more joy would be great. But what does it take to actually prioritize that? 99% of transformation is listening to the objections and then negotiating. Navigating difficult conversations and overcoming obstacles within YOURSELF and with OTHERS. At JBL, we practice negotiating for JOY. That means WIN WIN. It means standing for thriving, not just surviving. It means embracing life’s awkward conversations with courage, conviction and celebration!

• Personal Coaching and Leadership Coaching
• Connection Superhero Curriculum: Social-Emotional Competence – created for classroom teachers, co-authored with Amy Gregory

Bringing Joy to the World

INSERT: art piece with “If there was more joy in the world… and it all begins with you and me” “We have the power to change the world together.”

“You can’t leave all the darkness back there and pretend it’s not there.”

Vito Acosta

“Your time, energy and attention are your most precious gifts. Invest them wisely. You are so worthy.”

Debbie Happy Cohen

Past Events – In Person

Pop Up Art Exhibit Sept 25 2021

Joy-Based Living presented It’s About Time! November 13 & 14th!

Past Events – Online

Self Care Art presents TIME TO SHINE! Next Meetups are on December 12 and January 12

PRESENCE goes for 100 days and you can jump in anytime. Recordings are available. This series is Awesome.

Live Events 2022

April

• Online. Live-streams at Patreon. A new series, Worthiness Matters, begins April 1. Recordings from previous live-streams (Surrender to Love and PRESENCE) are available once you join!
• Online. Get Fairy Tales for kids and adults. At Debbie’s YouTube channel Monday’s at 9pm Central through the spring and summer of 2022. Starting on Monday evenings in April (stay tuned!)

May

• In-Person. Art Exhibit in Mentone, Alabama on Lookout Mountain: May 21, 10am-3pm, on the grounds of Mentone Inn