How to Choose Meaning When Life Feels Out of Control w Matt Kutz

Life doesn’t ask for permission before it disrupts your plans. And when it does, happiness alone won’t carry you through. In this episode of Change Made Easy, Paul talks with leadership coach and author Matt Kutz about the deeper concept of joy—how it differs from happiness, why it matters more, and how it becomes a stabilizing force when life delivers uncertainty, loss, or pain. Matt shares personal insight from navigating cancer treatment while continuing to lead, write, and create, offering a grounded, honest perspective on resilience without platitudes. Joy vs happiness: inside-out vs outside-in Why control is an illusion (and why that’s freeing) The role of adversity in personal growth Why resistance and stress are necessary for strength How meaning is built through action, not avoidance The EPIC framework: excellence, perception, inspiration, compassion