intentionally seeking joy
joy is all around us...if you know where to look
Wednesday Wisdom
“Wherever you find yourselves this season, may rhythms of grace find you, too.” ~ Morgan Harper Nichols
Morning Musings
Wow, what a year! And even though I know there’s roughly two weeks left, this will be my last newsletter of the year. Mama needs a break! But more than that, I need time to rest, reflect and restore. This year marked my first year of full-time freelancing and whew, there sure were a lot of ups and downs. But overall, I feel proud of myself for doing the damn thing and for not giving up, although Lord knows I wanted to…several times.
This past weekend, I attended a Yoga for Joy workshop led by Kim Wade, my favorite instructor at Ahimsa. You may recall that her Inner Circle group and class about being of service to others really lit a fire under me the day after the election (as a result, I’m officially spearheading the launch of a Chamber of Mothers chapter in Evanston next year. Hit me up if you want to get involved!). So as soon as Kim mentioned she was hosting a workshop about joy, I signed up. Because we could all use a little more joy in our lives, amirite?
As to be expected, Kim’s workshop did not disappoint. We started—in true Kim fashion—with defining joy. I cheated a bit and borrowed the definition I read in The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu years ago. If you have not read this book, I highly recommend you add it to your To Be Read list. Yes, it is that serious.
The book follows these two spiritual leaders over the course of a week and attempts to provide answers to one of life’s toughest questions: How do we find joy in the face of life's inevitable suffering?
“Discovering more joy does not, I’m sorry to say, save us from the inevitability of hardship and heartbreak. In fact, we may cry more easily, but we will laugh more easily, too,” the Archbishop says. “Perhaps we are just more alive. Yet as we discover more joy, we can face suffering in a way that ennobles rather than embitters. We have hardship without becoming hard. We have heartbreak without being broken.”
Something that stood out to me is their shared belief that joy is the foundation for happiness. Whereas happiness is fleeting and more circumstantial, joy is everlasting. Oprah puts it this way: “I define joy as a sustained sense of well-being and internal peace—a connection to what matters.”
In the workshop, Kim also had us write a list of what brings us joy. It was no surprise to me that the first few items on my list had to do with laughter:
the sound of Violet’s giggles
the way the skin around Jeff’s eyes crinkle when he laughs
laughing so hard with my sister that we’re left gasping for air with tears streaking down our face
my dad’s deep belly laughs (usually either at my expense or one of his dad jokes)
I love laughter. Laughter brings me joy. I would dare to say laughter is joy. And I want to cultivate more of that in my life in 2025. More laughter with loved ones. More laughing so hard you pee a little. More laughter in the face of adversity. More laughter = more joy.
On Sunday, we experienced a joy-filled day. I’ve often written about the perfect Evanston day, but Sunday was a perfect Chicago day. We met friends for a play date in the South Loop (for both the adults and kids); went to Chinatown for lunch (and had some of the best dumplings and dessert of my life!); went to Call & Response in Hyde Park for their Holiday Market (and treated myself to Reel by Kennedy Ryan and chocolate chip cookies from Sweet Syleste); and celebrated another friend’s birthday at Luella’s in Lincoln Square. So. Much. Joy! (And good food with great people, which also brings me joy).
As we settle into the final days of 2024, hunker down for the remainder of winter and brace ourselves for what’s to come, I encourage you to intentionally seek out (and, if needed, create) joy in your everyday life. And, if you’re feeling especially joyful, I invite you to share what brings you joy. Create a list. Check it twice (or whenever you need to inject some joy into your day). And I’ll see you in 2025! 🫶🏾
Psst…become a paid subscriber before Dec. 31!
I’ve got BIG plans for 2025 (including the launch of Werking Moms Club and a PAID fellowship for an HBCU journalism student/grad), but I can’t do it without your help! Starting Jan. 1, paid subscriptions will be increasing from $5/month to $7/month (this is still lower than Substack’s current suggested rate of $8/month). I’m currently at 43 paid subscribers and would love to get to 50 by the end of the year.
When you become a paid subscriber, you’re not just funding a Black woman-owned small business (hi, that’s me! 🙋🏾♀️); you’re also fueling a future where more diverse stories get told. As a reminder, paid subscribers receive:
a shoutout in the weekly newsletter
discounts on merch & events
monthly(ish) advice column
plus, more perks to come in 2025! (Got an idea? Let me know!)
Your subscription is important. It supports me in creating the thoughtful, uplifting content you’ve come to know and love and paying it forward to other dreamers and doers. 💜
Links I Love
Book Clubs, Book Bars, and BookTok: Examining Why Everyone Suddenly Wants to Be Perceived As Well-Read (Architectural Digest)
It Needs To Be Said: The NPR Tiny Desk Is Too Junky ( Hung Up )
Now Hiring
Senior Director, Research for The Black Women’s Health Imperative
Director of Content and Thought Leadership Strategy for GE HealthCare
Senior Director, Branded Video for Complex
Senior Marketing Manager for Origin
Director of Organizing for Mothering Justice
Press & Storytelling Manager for The National Domestic Workers Alliance
Staff Editor, Work Life for Fast Company
Senior Editor, National for The Infatuation
🫶🏾 Paid Subscriber Shoutout 🫶🏾
A special thank-you to April, Jeff, Carol, Cait, Amanda, Harleen, Megan, Najja, Jessica, Priti, Cat, Jenna, Mallory, Rachel, Angel, Sarah, Camesha, Vix, Anna, Stephanie, Dominique, Tiffany, Emily, Mabinty, Lindsey, Casey, Lynnae, Dani, Amanda, Raina, Abigail, Sharon, Kristen, Heather, Renae, Jennie, Brittaney, Kyndall, Sarah, Cecilia, Jessica, Kimberly, Jessica, Ean, Lauren, Brittani, Jenni, Clement, Courtney, Gretchen, Elizabeth, Racquel, Genita and Olivia for becoming paid subscribers and helping to fuel this newsletter. I truly appreciate your support! 💜
Congrats on a full year of entrepreneurship! 🎉
Love this: Werking Moms Club