Joy is the bravest thing you could possibly feel 🌟

Yesterday morning, I stumbled into the kitchen bleary eyed after an extra long sleep – it feels like life these days has been demanding more from me – more sleep, more space, more stretching, more care. Lucien was drinking his coffee and had the inauguration proceedings streaming from his desk in the sun drenched breakfast nook.

I wasn’t really planning to watch, but there they were. I made my morning cacao (yes I drink and eat my chocolate these days ;) and watched as Biden spoke, Garth Brooks took the stage and finally – as this gleaming beacon of light – Amanda Gorman stepped up to the podium.

I was immediately captivated by her presence and her words. Soon after she started speaking I burst out sobbing, releasing god knows what I had been holding on to. I think many of us have been holding our breath for four years and are only now allowing a bit of an exhale.

I stopped watching after she spoke and joined my Wednesday morning womens speaking circle facilitated by a friend and peer. We dance, connect to our bodies and take turns speaking our truth and celebrating one another. Per usual, I didn’t have anything prepared and was nervous before it was my time to speak, but I used my embodiment tools and breathed deep into my belly / womb / pussy and let the words come.

What follows is my attempt to capture in text what came through me yesterday morning before turning my energy towards The Radiance Collective kick-off party and having the best dance party and realest feminine leadership conversation about all of this. I hope it sparks something in you:

Most people believe to be an adult is to accept being kinda miserable, but I believe joy is not only possible, but a necessary and courageous act.

The times we are living in are excruciatingly difficult and no one would blame you if you were depressed, anxious and grieving.

In fact, letting ourselves feel those feelings is necessary too.

From hundreds of thousands of lives lost – all of which were someone's family, someone's community – maybe yours.

To going through this excruciating time with unprecedented isolation and lack of community

If it was hard to get out of bed in the morning and every day felt like a slog, we would get it, we would understand and no one would fault you.

But I also know that the people who have lived through the darkest personal and collective trials are better equipped to seek out and savor joy.

That's all of us. Every single one of us.

Joy can be found in the simplest, the most mundane of things, but won't be found if you're not willing or ready to let it in.

You can find joy in a sunrise, a bike ride, the smell of a flower, the touch of skin, a deeeep breath and even a cozy new sweater but you won't find joy in these things if you aren't available to let it in. To breath it in and drink in the nourishment that joy has to offer.

There's some association we have in our culture with joy being naive but I've lived some shit and I think joy is the bravest thing you could possibly feel.

Why?

It can be taken away at any moment.

So is it still worth it? That's my question to you

Certainly it's safer to just stay mildly miserable, because at least we won't have to face the devastation of falling from joy.

Many of us cling to the identities we've created of being cynical, sarcastic, or reserved to guard us from this very pain – these identities protect us from pain, but also from joy.

Joy isn't naive. It's brave. It's the bravest thing you could possibly dare to feel.

Are you ready to commit to your joy? I’ve opened up free discovery call slots on my calendar next week. Hop on in.

XO Alyssa