EVEN HERE, YOU ARE WORTHY OF JOY
Sometimes, seeking joy can feel like a chore.
Even if we want more joyful encounters in life, the uncertainty of life can drain us of our energy. Even in seasons where we feel like we should be celebrating and delighting in the beauty of little things, all we want instead is to get on the other side of sorrow or what remains unknown.
Whether you live in a place where the sun is shining and flowers are blooming, or you’re just feeling the pressure to enter this new month with a joy that seems to be lacking, remember this: while we may care about what joy looks like in everyday life, joy will still find us all the same. I like to call this the indiscriminate nature of joy.
Many of us have known far too many environments that are heavy with discrimination. And whether the discrimination is subtle or direct, we receive messages that tell us we don’t belong unless we look or behave in a certain way. The more you have experienced discrimination, the harder it can be to accept what is truly indiscriminate.
Is it true, that joy can find me when I look this way? In this skin, in this body that I’m in? When my life is riddled with chaos?
The answer is “yes,” and always, “yes.”
There is no monopoly on joy. It’s not reserved for those with money, status, or privilege. Joy is a force found in music, laughter, and rays of sunlight on ordinary days. Joy is the dance among fireflies under the moon, and the running start to the long day ahead.
May today be the day you embrace the indiscriminate nature of joy so you can discover that joy is available to you in the same way it’s available to everyone around you.
Word of the day: Indiscriminate (adj): deficient in discrimination and discernment (Merriam-Webster)
Affirmation: I am worthy of joy.
Journal: Have you ever struggled with feeling like you were worthy of joy? Why or why not?
More in this week's series called "Make Room For What Matters Most", only with a subscription in the Storyteller App.
Sincerely,
Morgan Harper Nichols
@thestorytellerco
@morganharpernichols
