Don’t squander joy.
We can’t prepare for tragedy and loss. When we turn every opportunity to feel joy into "I better not let my guard down and feel too happy - that's inviting disaster" we actually diminish our resilience.
Yes, softening into joy is uncomfortable. Yes, it’s scary. Yes, it’s vulnerable. But every time we allow ourselves to lean into joy and give in to those moments, we build resilience and we cultivate hope. The joy becomes part of who we are, and when bad things happen—and they do happen—we are stronger.My intention: To lean into joy. To remember that traumatizing myself with too much news or letting my imagination run wild doesn't create empathy - it generates fear and blame. I'll try to remember that joy requires vulnerability and that if I want more joy (and I do) I need to stay openhearted.
-Brené Brown, from Daring Greatly
I like the tactile quality assigned to joy in this quote-- joy as something that can be softened into, leaned into, as though if we would only be brave enough to curl up against it, joy would hold us in its arms, feeding us love and strength to carry on in darker times.
Lean in.
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| Photo of Salvage One (Chicago) by Victoria Sprung. |