Why it's important to cultivate + protect your joy right now

I've been talking to a friend who is active in advocating for human rights and housing accessibility.

We've been talking about self care and how this can be a challenge.

Our conversation has made me reflect deeply on my own experience.

And why I believe that cultivating and protecting our joy is important.

Yes, even now. Especially now.

I used to believe that if people were suffering the only way that I could show that I cared too, was to also suffer.

I wouldn't let myself be truly happy because I felt really guilty.

I mean how could someone be happy or feel peace when there's so much going on in the world, right?

This would happen subconsciously. I only started to consciously recognize this as I deepen my practice of embodying joy.

I'm noticing where I feel resistance. I'm noticing where guilt arises when joy also rises.

Here's what's different: with awareness, I'm not automatically shutting joy out.

Rather, I intentionally and purposefully cultivate and protect my joy.

We've all heard that cliche saying right… you cannot pour from an empty cup.

I know in order for me to be compassionate, in order for me to help, to support, to offer peace, to even just be kind to people, I need to first take care of myself.

If I am tired, if I am full of despair and fear, if I run on low batteries, I'm cranky. I'm impatient. I'm not as compassionate as I could be.

And nobody really wants a grumpy Victoria supporting them.

Something I've realized is this:

Cultivating your own calm, peace, and joy does not negate the fact that you care.

If you feel joy, it does not mean that you are bad person or that you do not care that there's a war going on right now.

If you feel joy does not mean that you care any less.

These things are not intrinsically linked.

In fact, something that I would like to offer is that if you are cultivating your own peace and joy so that you can share this peace and joy, you care a lot.

Joy is revolutionary.

If we get stuck in the fear, despair and anxiety of everything that's going on in the world, we cannot truly help.

But if we return to our powerful way being full of wisdom, joy and compassion, this is really where we can take effective action where we can take powerful action.

So care about what's happening in the world. Care deeply AND also care about your joy.

This does not mean spiritually bypass any feelings of fear or despair you might be feeling. Feel those, too. It's important that we do this as human beings… feel our emotions. Our emotions are sources of wisdom.

Feel them AND don't get stuck there. Find ways to acknowledge your emotions. And then transform them. Find ways to cultivate your joy. Find ways to be supported when your emotions feel heavy.

I hope that this supports you.

I am seeing this more clearly now than I could have seen years ago without mindfulness, body work, and coaching and so I wanted to offer this experience to you.

With so much love,

Victoria