Choose Joy

In an earlier post, I wrote about an index card of core values left behind by my mom. “Choose joy” was the first one on the list. I heard about this notion from the morning radio broadcast, The Bobby Bones Show. It was a mantra that began with cohost Amy Brown’s mother who fought cancer. She wanted her misfortune to mean something to the world. Choosing joy meant taking a positive view of the world and events for oneself and being of service and spreading joy to others. When things weren’t going my way, I’d tell myself to choose joy in that moment. I even bought some Choose Joy t-shirts for my wife after learning that all proceeds went to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Over time, I shared this with my mom and she began to choose joy too.

I can think of many instances when tragedy struck that my mom was the embodiment of choosing joy. When it was a cancer diagnosis in our own family, she was able to support loved ones with empathy, love, and compassion while also inspiring a positive attitude and outlook. After a friend experienced a tragic loss she helped them navigate a life that would never be the same. In all situations, she was a disseminator of joy, hope, and love.

I continue to remind myself to choose joy daily, especially when a tough moment arises. If spreading kindness through the world might impact even one person going through a hard time in a small way, it’s so worth it.

So long for now.

-Felix