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Aaniin… Boozhoo.
Last week, I had the opportunity to work with Indigenous employees at the University of Arizona, and together we spent time reflecting on something that often feels distant in our work and lives. We talked about joy. Not surface level happiness tied to outcomes or productivity, but a deeper and more sustaining kind of joy. The kind that stays with us even when things feel heavy. What emerged from that space was a powerful reminder that joy is not something we stumble upon or wait for. It is something we must actively reclaim.
Somewhere along the way, especially for those of us who work in spaces centered around people, care, and impact, we begin to lose touch with joy. Not because we do not care, but because we care so deeply. We invest ourselves fully into our work, our communities, and the people we serve. In doing so, we often begin chasing happiness instead. Happiness becomes tied to results. Did the meeting go well? Did the student stay? Did the program succeed? But happiness is fleeting. It rises and falls depending on outcomes. Joy is different. Joy is not a response. It is a constant. It is what happens when we are aligned with who we are and what we are meant to do, regardless of the outcome. It is quieter and steadier, often found in the smallest moments of connection and meaning.
At the core of reclaiming joy is belonging. Before we can fully experience joy, we must feel like we belong. Belonging is more than just being present in a space. It is about feeling seen, valued, and connected. It is about being able to show up as your full self without hesitation or fear. When belonging is absent, our energy is spent navigating whether we fit, whether we are safe, and whether we are accepted. When belonging is present, something shifts within us. We exhale. We open up. We engage more deeply. In that space, joy has room to grow.
I know this truth personally. Growing up, I often felt like I was navigating spaces where parts of my identity needed to remain hidden. I did not always feel like I belonged. It was not until I got to college and stepped into a space intentionally created for belonging that everything changed. Within a matter of months, I was able to show up as my full self in ways I never had before. That experience transformed my life and ultimately shaped my purpose. It led me to ask a question that continues to guide my work. How do we create spaces where people feel like they truly belong on purpose? Because when we do, we are not just changing environments. We are changing lives.
Belonging is not just something we create for others. It is something we must cultivate for ourselves. In the work that we do, whether in education, leadership, or community spaces, we often pour so much into others that we forget to ask ourselves where we belong. We design programs, build systems, and hold space for others to feel seen and valued, yet we rarely pause to consider our own sense of connection. If we do not feel a sense of belonging, it becomes increasingly difficult to sustain joy in our work. The work begins to feel heavier. Our energy diminishes. Our impact narrows. Reclaiming joy requires us to turn inward and ask where we are seen, supported, and connected, and what we need to nurture that in our own lives.
Alongside belonging, gratitude serves as a grounding force in reclaiming joy. Gratitude is not always easy. There are many days when it feels much easier to focus on what is going wrong than what is going right. There are days when we feel tired, overwhelmed, or stretched too thin. Gratitude is not about ignoring those realities. It is about choosing to recognize that even within them, there is still something good, something meaningful, something worth holding onto. To be thankful is to acknowledge the fullness of life, the joy and the pain, the ease and the struggle, and still find value in the present moment.
For me, gratitude is both a mindset and a practice. It is something I intentionally return to, especially when life feels overwhelming. There are moments when I step away, go for a walk, and reflect on what I am thankful for, not just the big milestones but the small moments that are often overlooked. The conversations that made me smile. The challenges that helped me grow. The people who continue to show up in my life. Gratitude becomes relational. It connects me to the world around me, to my community, and to something greater than myself. It reminds me that even in the hardest seasons, there is still something here worth appreciating.
Gratitude, however, is not the end of the work. It is the starting point. Once we recognize what we are thankful for, we are faced with a choice. What do we do with it? Do we let it pass, or do we live into it? This is where choosing joy becomes essential. Joy is not something that simply happens to us. It is a decision we make again and again, often in moments when it feels the most difficult. Choosing joy is a radical act. It is choosing to believe that joy is possible even in the presence of struggle, uncertainty, and pain.
Radical joy exists alongside hardship. It does not wait for everything to be perfect. For many individuals and communities, especially those who have experienced systemic barriers or personal adversity, joy becomes an act of resistance. It is a way of reclaiming humanity, dignity, and hope. In Indigenous ways of being, joy is not separate from struggle. It lives alongside it. Joy is medicine. It sustains us, heals us, and connects us to one another.
Choosing joy often shows up in quiet and intentional ways. It can look like laughing with a colleague after a difficult meeting. It can look like taking a break when you need it. It can look like setting boundaries that protect your energy. It can look like creating spaces that reflect who you are. These moments may seem small, but they are powerful. They are reminders that we still matter, that our humanity is still present, and that joy is still available to us.
When we bring belonging, gratitude, and the choice to embrace joy together, something shifts within us. We begin to radicalize joy. It becomes both our shield and our protection. It helps guard us against burnout, disconnection, and the pressures that try to take away our sense of self. It also becomes something we carry into our work and our lives, shaping how we lead, how we connect, and how we show up for others.
There will be moments when we lose sight of joy. That is part of being human. There will be days when the work feels heavy, when we feel disconnected, and when joy feels far away. In those moments, we are invited to return. To come back to belonging. To come back to gratitude. To come back to the decision to choose joy again.
Because joy is not something we wait for.
It is something we reclaim.
Miigwetch. Thank you.
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