✨ Joy and Timely Connections ✨

✨ Joy and Timely Connections ✨

There’s no easy way to say this. The last few months have been weird, complicated, and unnerving. And if I’m honest, I know I’m not alone in feeling that.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it really means to be a social worker. Not in some abstract sense, but in real ways that show up in everyday life. One of the National Association of Social Workers’ core values is honoring the dignity and worth of every human being. For me, that isn’t just a value on paper. It is a guide for how we treat each other in good times, bad times, and all the complicated moments in between.

At the same time, I’ve been on a quest to understand joy. Not the surface-level joy of feeling good for a moment, but joy as a liberatory practice, a form of resistance, and a way of reimagining what is possible. Research confirms what I am experiencing. Psychologists like Barbara Fredrickson have shown that joy expands our ability to think creatively and connect deeply with others. Joy literally broadens and builds our capacity for resilience.

Here’s what I’ve noticed. When I put into the universe that I want to feel and see joy, it comes back to me. This week, I have had the most intentional and unexpected encounters. Conversations with people who share values. Conversations with people who can sit with complexity and who do not rush to assumptions. Instead, they choose to recognize our shared humanity.

That is what joy can do. It reconfigures how we see the world. It helps us find connection in the middle of difference. It reminds us that even when the world tells us we should be at odds, joy makes it possible to sit with discomfort, have the hard conversations, honor our mistakes, and keep trying to do better.

The research is clear. Joy is not just a fleeting feeling. It is a practice that helps us thrive, build relationships, and foster community. I am anchoring my life in joy. And every time I do, joy anchors me right back.