>>> I WAS IN THE MIDST OF A LOT OF GRIEF, AND I REALLY WANTED SOMETHING THAT WOULD KIND OF TAKE MY MIND OFF OF THAT EXPERIENCE.

AND FLYING TRAPEZE DID IT.

>> CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST DR.

SHERRY SHERRY WILLIAM THOUGHT SHE KNEW EVERYTHING THERE WAS TO KNOW ABOUT GRIEF.

UNTIL BOTH HER FATHER AND MOTHER DIED MONTHS APART.

GEORGE WASHINGTON WE WANT AFTER LOSING HIS BROTHER.

ABIGAIL ADAMS MOURNED HER MOTHER AND CHILDREN IN ONE OF THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LETTERS FROM THE REVOLUTIONARY ERA.

SHERRY REALIZED HER TRAUMA EXPERTISE WASN'T ENOUGH.

SO THEY GOT OUT OF HER HEAD AND FOUND HAPPINESS IN HER BODY, 30 FEET UP IN THE AIR.

UP!

.

.

>> HI!

.

.

>> HI.

ARE YOU GOING TO TEACH ME OW TO DO THAT?

>> LET'S DO IT.

>> HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT HEIGHTS IN GENERAL?

>> I'M OKAY WITH HEIGHTS.

>> OKAY.

>> BUT USUALLY NOT JUMPING OFF ON PURPOSE.

>> HOW DID YOU FEEL THE FIRST TIME YOU DID IT.

>> I WAS TERRIFIED.

MY BODY'S INSTINCT IS THIS IS DANGEROUS AND THE BODY IS WELL-ORGANIZED TO STAYING ALIVE.

YOU GOT IT, THOUGH.

>> RIGHT.

>> THIS IS KATIE -- >> NICE TO MEET YOU.

>> CIRCUS.

>> DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU GOT YOURSELF INTO TODAY?

>> NO.

>> WE'RE GOING TO SPEND A FEW MINUTES DOWN HERE AND UP THE YELLOW LADDER TO THE TRAPEZE.

>> OKAY.

>> COME ON UP.

>> THIS IS WILD, BECAUSE ON MY WAY OVER HERE, I'M THINKING ABOUT 15 MILLION THINGS AND NOW ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS JUST, LIKE, NOT FALLING TO MY DEATH.

>> I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY WHY I LOVE IT.

>> HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR HANDS FROM SWEATING?

>> WE HAVE LOTS OF CHALK.

>> WHEN YOU'RE UP THERE, YOU CAN'T BE THINKING ABOUT YOUR GROCERIES OR KIDS OR OTHER RAPIDS.

IT'S VERY PEACEFUL, ACTUALLY.

>> YOU READY?

>> NO [ LAUGHTER ] .

.

>> HOW IS THAT?

.

.

>> OH, MY GOSH.

BREATHE.

THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART.

OH, MY GOSH.

THIS IS, LIKE -- FOR REAL SCARY.

OH, MY GOSH, OH, MY GOSH.

OH, MY GOSH.

.

.

>> THAT'S IT.

>> OH, MY GOD!

.

.

>> PULL YOUR LEGS TOGETHER.

>> I THINK THE FIRST TIME THAT I DID FLYING TRAPEZE, I REALLY DID FEEL LIKE A CHILD ON THE SWING SET AGAIN.

I LOVED THAT.

I THINK IT MADE ME FEEL REALLY HOPEFUL, LIKE, WHAT ELSE IS POSSIBLE?

>> WHEW!

.

.

>> NICE.

>> THERE WEREN'T MANY THINGS THAT WE'RE BEGINNERS AT.

>> AND ESPECIALLY BEING ADULTS, AND YOU CAN SORT OF RELAX INTO NOT HAVING TO KNOW.

>> GOTCHA!

NICE JOB.

AND DOWN WE GO.

WHEW WHEW.

>> THAT WAS A CLIP FROM MINNESOTA PBS ORIGINAL DOCU-SERIES, "PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS."

HOST AMANDA BRINKMAN SET OUT TO MEET WITH EVERYDAY MINNESOTANS TO REFLECT ON THEIR OWN PURSUITS.

AMANDA JOINS US NOW.

WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

OKAY.

YOU REALLY DOVE IN QUITE LITERALLY.

THOSE ACTUALLY IS OUR FIRST DAY OF FILMING.

>> STOP.

>> AND YOU KNOW WHAT I WAS SIGNING UP FOR.

BUT IT WAS EXHILARATING.

TO CONNECT YOUR MIND AND BODY IN THAT WAY AND TO TRY SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, TO JUMP OFF A PERFECTLY GOOD PLATFORM INTO THE -- BLANK SPACE AND PROVE TO YOURSELF THAT YOU CAN DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

IT JUST REMINDED YOU OF THE POWER OF JOY AND THE POWER OF PLAY, AND IT WAS VERY EXHILARATING.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

>> WAS IT ALSO PARTICIPATORY FOR YOU?

>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK ONE OF OUR BIGGEST STRUGGLES AS HUMANS IS STAYING PRESENT IN THE MOMENT.

IT'S REALLY FOCUSES ON WHAT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF US WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HAPPINESS, CONTENTMENT AND JUST OUR ENJOYMENT AND FULL I WILLMENT IN LIFE.

A LOT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT WE SPEND SO MUCH OF OUR TIME EITHER IN THE FUTURE OR PAST.

AND APPROXIMATE AND APPROXIOUR MIND ISN'T RIGHT.

AND WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KIND OF CAN'T NOT BE PRESENT.

YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE FOCUSED IN ON WHAT YOU DO.

AND JUST DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO REMIND YOURSELF OF BEING PRESENT WAS REALLY POWERFUL.

>> GOOD FOR YOU.

I'M WONDERING ABOUT THE, THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

SO YOU TALKED TO ALL THESE PEOPLE AND YOU KIND OF EXPERIENCED THIS YOURSELF.

WHAT ARE THE COMMONALITIES?

>> YEAH, SO IN THE ENTIRE SERIES, WHAT WE SET OUT TO REALLY FIGURE OUT WAS WHAT DO THE FOUNDING FATHERS MEAN WHEN THEY PUT PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS IN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

AND 200 YEARS LATER.

AND TO YOUR QUESTION, NO ONE RESPONDED TO THE THINGS WE TYPICALLY ASSOCIATE WITH KIND OF THE AMERICAN DREAM.

NO ONE TALKED ABOUT THE CAR THAT THEY DROVE.

OR HOW BIG THEIR HOUSE IS.

OR THE SIZE OF THE BANK ACCOUNT OR TITLE AT WORK.

THEY TALKED ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES.

THEY TALKED ABOUT THEIR CONNECTION TO COMMUNITY.

THEY TALKED ABOUT THEIR CONNECTION TO OTHER PEOPLE.

YOU KNOW, THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE REPORT SPENDING THE MAJORITY OF THEIR TIME THINKING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.

>> AND YOU'RE IN MINNESOTA.

HOW DO MINNESOTANS RATE WHEN IT COMES TO HAPPINESS?

>> WE ACTUALLY RATE INCREDIBLY HIGH.

AND I THINK WHAT WAS REALLY FUN IS WE WERE FILMING THIS, YOU KNOW, IN SPRING OF 2026, EARLIER THIS YEAR, RIGHT AFTER MINNESOTA REALLY SHOWED UP WELL.

YOU KNOW, AND FOR OUR NEIGHBORS, AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

WE WERE VERY PROUD OF HOW MINNESOTANS GATHERED AROUND EACH OTHER, HOW NEIGHBOR BECAME A VERB.

>> AND ALSO WENT THROUGH A LOT, TOO.

>> WE ARE, YEAH.

>> NE OF THE THINGS THAT SHOWED UP IN ALL OF THE STORIES WAS THIS CONCEPT OF RESILIENCE.

THAT, YOU KNOW, HAPPINESS IS NOT THE AVOIDANCE OF TOUGH STUFF IN OUR LIFE.

IT IS HOW WE NAVIGATE THE HARD THINGS THAT WE SURROUND OURSELVES WITH, WHAT RITUALS WE USE, HOW WE REALLY REFOCUS ON CONTENTMENT AND ENJOYING THESE BEAUTIFUL LIVES WE'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH AND HAVE BUILT.

EVEN IN TIMES OF TRAUMA, EVEN IN TIMES OF CHALLENGE.

>> I WONDER, YOU ARE A BIG FAN OF PURPOSE.

FINDING YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE.

YOU TALK ABOUT THAT AN AWFUL LOT.

AND I'M WONDERING, HOW DID THAT DOVETAIL INTO WHAT YOU'RE 3 WORKING WITH WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.

>> YEAH, DO SPEND ALL OF MY TIME REALLY THINKING ABOUT EVERYTHING I'VE WORKED ON, THE INTERSECTION OF PURPOSE AND HAPPINESS AND MEANING.

AND SO FOR ME, THIS WAS SUCH A DELIGHT TO KIND OF BE A HAPPINESS TOURIST AND TO THINK ABOUT HAPPINESS THROUGH THE LENS OF ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT MINNESOTANS AND DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE AND COMMUNITIES.

FOR ME, YOU KNOW, I THINK I -- I SPEAK A LOT ABOUT HOW PURPOSE REALLY ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO FIND.

IT'S SOMETHING WITH HE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO LIVE IN AND REALLY RECOGNIZE THE BLESSINGS IN OUR LIFE AND THE GIFTS WE'VE BEEN GIVEN AND HOW E CAN SERVE OTHER PEOPLE WITH THOSE.

AND SO TO WATCH IT SHOW UP IN ALL OF THE STORIES WHERE REALLY THEY WERE FINDING MEANING WITH HOW THEY WERE IN SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM WAS VERY AFFIRMING.

>> I'VE ALSO NOTICED WHEN YOU GET -- WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND YOU IMMERSE YOURSELF AS A HOST IN A SERIES LIKE THIS, YOU CHANGE A LITTLE BIT.

SO HOW DID YOU CHANGE IN DOING ALL THESE INTERVIEWS?

>> WELL -- I'M SORRY.

>> GO AHEAD.

>> WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I -- WHAT REALLY ASN'T -- HADN'T BEEN EXPOSED TO BEFORE WAS THIS INDIGENOUS BELIEF AROUND SEVEN GENERATIONS.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD OF THIS BEFORE.

BUT IN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, THEY REALLY BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD THINK THROUGH THE LENS OF WHATEVER WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW, HOW WILL IT AFFECT THINGS SEVEN GENERATIONS FROM NOW.

HOW ARE WE TREATING OUR LAND, OUR WATER SUPPLIES, HOW WITH THEY THINKING ABOUT OUR FOOD, THE CHALLENGES AND LESSONS FOR PASSING ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION AND HOW WILL THAT AFFECT THIS WORLD SEVEN GENERATIONS FROM NOW.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY A LOT OF TIMES IN AMERICA WE THINK VERY SHORT-KITED.

IT'S VERY QUARTER TO QUARTER.

AND I THINK IT IS REFRESHING TO THINK ABOUT THAT LONG EFFORT, AND THINK ABOUT OUR LEGACY AND LASTING IMPACT.

SO THAT WAS A NEW LENS FOR ME, TO THINK ABOUT THAT LONG-TERM LASTING.

>> OKAY, TELL US, BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY AIRED ON MINNESOTA PBS TOTALLY TOTA LOCALLY.

TELL US ABOUT THE NATIONALLY AIRING.

>> NOVEMBER 1ST.

BUT YOU CAN WATCH IT RIGHT NOW ON THE PBS APP.

THE PBS WEBSITE.

THERE'S EVEN A YOUTUBE LINK OUT THERE.

WE'RE EXCITED FOR PEOPLE TO SEE US.

WE NEED MORE GOODNESS ON TELEVISION.

AND I THINK IT BRINGS PEOPLE A LOT OF JOY AND ASKS SOME REALLY GREAT QUESTIONS.

>> THANKS FOR SHARING HAPPINESS WITH US.