Explore, Engage, Empower

Dive deeper into the intersection of joyful living, social justice, and the powerful blend of science and storytelling. Explore resources designed to educate, inspire, and provoke meaningful change.

Blogs

Insights for Joyful Living and Social Justice

Get a glimpse into my ongoing reflections, stories, and research as I explore the science of joy, the realities of racial justice, and how our digital world shapes both.

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What’s on your #JoyPlan?

An introduction to the three key characteristics of a powerful Joy Plan—intentionality, community-centeredness, and resilience—inviting others to share their own #JoyPlan practices.

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🌟 5 Resources for Your Journey to Joy 🌟

A curated list of books and podcasts that highlight joy as resistance, healing, and creativity—especially centering people of color, queer communities, and those often left out of mainstream conversations.

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Social Media and Joy: A Complicated Relationship

A reflection on the tension between joy and overwhelm on social media, offering three strategies—time boundaries, audience control, and curating joyful content—to reclaim digital joy.

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🌟 Week 2: Joy as Healing 🌟

Part of the Journey to Joy series, this week focuses on how joy can heal and transform lives, even in difficult circumstances—through stories, music, and movement that foster personal and collective well-being.

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🌟 Mini-Lesson: Defining Joy and Its Power 🌟

From Journey to Joy, this mini-lesson explores joy as more than an emotion—it’s empowerment, resistance, and transformation. Through art, culture, and identity, joy becomes both personal healing and political power.

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Grief and Joy

A reflection from Journey to Joy on how grief and joy are not opposites but interconnected—showing how joy can coexist with loss, not to erase pain but to help sustain us through it.

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Activating Your Joy Plan in Challenging Times

A reminder that joy is not a luxury but a lifeline—especially in heavy times. Drawing inspiration from Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory, this post encourages embracing joy even when it feels awkward or counterintuitive.

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🌟 Creating a Joy Plan: 3 Steps to Anchor in Hope Amid Uncertainty 🌟

A practical 3-step guide to anchoring in joy during global chaos and uncertainty—through taking action for others, reclaiming small daily joys, and strengthening joyful connections.

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Join the Movement

Take the next step—join the waitlist for my upcoming book or book me for your next event. Let’s build a future rooted in care and connection.

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Desmond Upton Patton outdoors in burgundy coat, advancing trauma-informed research and digital empathy.