I’ll be honest, I didn’t really care about the Royal Wedding prior to last Saturday. I didn’t plan on watching it — even though I was probably awake while it was happening (hello, wonky newborn sleep cycle). But then I woke up on Saturday morning and was flooded with gorgeous images and gospel singing and cello playing and a powerful sermon and beautiful, beautiful love.
It actually was nice to take a few hours to just sit and revel in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s love story. It reinforced two important lessons for me.
The first was how important it is to take the time to be joyful even when the world seems like one giant dumpster fire. It can be tough and might seem downright frivolous to really pursue joyful, carefree moments when there is so much work to be done and when it seems like the world is actively out to get you as a woman of color.
But here’s the thing. Every day that you show up and laugh and smile and dance and create, you are doing your part in fighting those forces that wish to hold us down. It doesn’t have to be something lofty or “important,” it just has to be something that you enjoy fully.
Joy is some powerful shit.
The second lesson comes back to — you guessed it — taking up space in a place that may not have traditionally belonged to you. Meghan Markle does not look like who we think would be marrying into the Royal Family. And when she got the chance to show up, she showed up fully as herself. From the sermon touching on slavery and civil rights by a Black Bishop, to the gospel choir, to listing herself as a feminist on the Royal Family website. She didn’t apologize, she didn’t shrink herself.
When you find the thing that brings you joy, keep it close. Let nothing—not what other people think or even hundreds of years of tradition— separate you from it.
Joy isn’t what happens when we finally get promoted, or finish our Master’s Degree, or by having a long list of professional accomplishments. Joy is what fills you up because you are confident in who you are and connected to the things and people that bring balance, calm and simple appreciation to your life.
We should be as intentional finding true unbridled JOY by making a life long commitment to never stop discovering who or what we can be.
We owe it ourselves to be truly happy and filled with JOY—by any means necessary.
When we are at our best, we can be the best for others.
Joy isn’t what happens when we finally get promoted, or finish our Master’s Degree, or by having a long list of professional accomplishments. Joy is what fills you up because you are confident in who you are and connected to the things and people that bring balance, calm and simple appreciation to your life.
We should be as intentional finding true unbridled JOY by making a life long commitment to never stop discovering who or what we can be.
We owe it ourselves to be truly happy and filled with JOY—by any means necessary.
When we are at our best, we can be the best for others.
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