Choose Joy. I choose to find joy in my life. I used to be like Mary J Blige, “ All I really want is to be happyyyy… “ Sing along if you know the song! But I realized happiness felt temporary. I would tend to find happy moments.
I am now on a journey to find joy. I am trying to find new things and a new lifestyle that creates more joy in my life. This journey might mean changing my job, changing the way I show up as a friend and a family member. It’s in the way that I affirm myself.
To me, there is a difference between joy and happiness. Happiness shows up in the face while Joy is found in the heart. It takes heart work to get to a sense of joy in your life. Happiness you find in small moments, but joy is connected to your soul. I don’t want to smile just because I want my whole being to smile.
The Journey to Joy means practice and practicing things that make me feel joy—changing habits and creating new lifestyle choices. If something ain’t working out in my life, change it.
One thing that I changed was my mornings. I wake up earlier. 6 am I wake up, pray, stretch, and work out. Then I shower and turn on my affirmation group on Clubhouse (Yes, on Clubhouse. There are healthy communities on Clubhouse). Shoutout to my Affirmation Aunties crew. As I listen to the affirmation group, I get ready for work and make my breakfast for the day. This routine has made me have more productive days.
What happens when I deviate from this plan? I feel more stressed. I missed an essential part of my mornings. Choosing joy is a practice. I need to wake up committed to joy.
I no longer choose to chase temporary highs of happiness cue Snoh Aalegra. Those things no longer work for me. I will instead be on this journey to find joy. When you have joy you can withstand the trials and tribulations in life with strides. I want to feel a sense of stillness during obstacles; I no longer want my anxiety to get the best of me. I want to be okay sitting in my trails because I know that joy will give me a sense of peace through it all.
There is a reason why joy is repeated in the bible so much. God wants joy for us and not just happiness. I hope joy finds you, and I wish joy upon all of us.
Rachiie Speaks 