💪🏾 I feel strong
👸🏾 I feel confident
☺️ I feel joyful
🍎📓🧖🏾♀️ I’ve done MY WERK…
As I celebrate another trip around the sun, I sit in gratitude. 🙏🏾.
For 4 years I’ve done my work in the 7 dimensions of wellness. On this blog I’ve shared ups, downs and talked about the journey extensively. I even took a moment to write a book about it!
I’ve werked very hard to address each dimension. Not all at the same time, but in a measured approach that worked for me.
👜 Fabulous Forties Tip: we’re never “finished” projects. In the words of Michelle Obama we are always BECOMING.
Let’s Talk about Joy!
Do not let your JOY be stolen….. It’s such a simple yet powerful reminder. Because joy, unlike happiness, is not dependent on circumstances. Happiness can come and go with what’s happening around us, but joy is deeper. It’s an emotion tied to our spirit, our health, and our sense of purpose.
Recently, while on a Disney cruise with my family, I witnessed joy in its purest form. My teenage son, who usually keeps his “cool,” found himself caught up in the energy of a dinner show. Surrounded by clapping, singing, and dancing pirates, I watched him let down his guard—smiling, and laughing with abandon. In that moment, I saw him experience the freedom of joy, unfiltered and real.
That moment reminded me of our own history as Black people. Even in our hardest times, when forces sought to crush our spirits, we reclaimed joy. We turned to music, poetry, dance, and food—not only for survival, but for celebration. These were not just pastimes; they were medicine for the soul.
And speaking of medicine, I’ve seen firsthand how food itself can bring joy back into our lives. One of my greatest pleasures is teaching food as medicine classes in the teaching kitchen.
With wonder, humility, and joy I watch people rediscover the beauty of home cooking—preparing meals that nourish their bodies and reconnect them to heritage, family, and health.
So How do we Reclaim Joy Today?
- By choosing it—every single day.
- By remembering our ancestors and refusing to let stress, comparison, or distraction steal it.
- By protecting it through gratitude, through community, through creativity, and even through the simple act of gathering at the table.
Joy is not a luxury—it’s essential. It heals, it sustains, it strengthens.
On this day, let us commit to reclaiming joy—not just for ourselves, but for those around us who may need to see it, feel it, and be reminded that it is always possible.
From My Heart ♥️ to Yours…
J
Let’s Take this Journey Together
If you choose to continue this journey with the book, I highly encourage you to mark it up! Don’t treat it so precious, that you don’t take advantage of the tools and bookmarks. They were very intentionally created for you to use direct.
Order your copy today on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DMD4G2FM
I’m cheering for you!!
