It Didn't Go the Way I Planned…

When I imagined the June Joy Journey, I pictured something different. I imagined taking photos every day. Sharing little moments. Documenting joy as I found it. Creating a habit of noticing the beauty in ordinary life.

And then... life happened.

Not in a dramatic way. Just in a very human way.

Some days I remembered. Some days I didn't. Some days the joyful moment passed before I thought to capture it.

And if I'm being honest...I found that surprisingly difficult.

At first, I felt disappointed. Hadn't I committed to this? Shouldn't it have been easier? What will the people I invited to join me think? But as the month unfolded, I realized something much more important was happening.

The challenge wasn't finding joy. The challenge was slowing down enough to notice it.

And slowing down enough to document it. That was the practice.

You know, I've always loved the idea of gratitude. I truly believe that when we intentionally notice what's good, we begin to see more of it. But lately I've also found myself questioning something.

Has gratitude become something we say because we're supposed to? Has it become another thing to check off the list?

"Write down three things you're grateful for."

Done.

Move on.

For me, authenticity has become one of my deepest values.

I'm always asking myself: "Do I actually feel this?"

Or...

"Am I just repeating words I've heard before?"

I don't want joy to become performative. I don't want gratitude to become a script. I want both to feel lived.

Real.

Messy.

Honest.

Some days joy looked like laughter with friends. Other days it was watching the light come through the studio windows before class. Sometimes it was a hug. Sometimes it was quiet. Sometimes it was simply realizing I had made it through a hard day.

None of those moments needed a perfect photo.

They just needed my attention. And maybe that's what this month was really teaching me.

Joy isn't always something we capture. Sometimes it's something we experience fully enough that it changes us.

One thing I am proud of is this:

Instead of criticizing myself for not documenting every day...

I chose grace.

That may not sound like much. But for someone who often holds herself to high expectations, it felt significant. Grace is becoming part of my joy practice too.

Because if I'm constantly striving for perfection, am I really making room for joy? I don't think so.

As June comes to a close, I'm not leaving this journey behind.

In fact...

I'm taking it with me.

July is my birthday month. It always feels like a chance to reflect, reset, and begin again. So rather than ending the Joy Journey, I'm simply continuing it.

Not with pressure.

Not with rules.

But with curiosity. With softer expectations. With open eyes.

Maybe I'll take the photo. Maybe I won't. But I hope I'll notice. Because I've realized that's where joy lives. Not in the perfectly curated post. Not in proving that I'm happy. But in the quiet moments that remind me I'm fully alive.

So here's to another month. Another chance to slow down. Another opportunity to notice. Another reminder that joy isn't something we achieve. It's something we practice.

And I'd love for you to keep practicing with me.

Here's to July. Here's to grace. And here's to finding joy, not because life is perfect, but because we're learning to pay attention.

With love,

Jody 🤍