WAIT. I thought this was a newsletter for exvangelicals beginning to heal. What is going on?

Good question! Hear me out: (And this is for YOU if you are healing from religious programming or deconstructing!)

Most of us believe that happiness equals something big: a vacation, a promotion, or the “perfect” day when everything finally falls into place. Or…how many times have you thought or said this: “I’ll FINALLY be happy when… (insert random this or that here)”. Been there? Me too.

What I’ve found in consistently doing this practice for a few weeks now is that real, lasting well-being and healing is not built from rare events. Instead, it grows out of ordinary moments of joy and things that make us happy, repeated daily. Non-negotiable. Period.

Here’s the thing: Daily ‘joys’ are not indulgences. Although they may ‘seem’ small, they are small daily acts that signal to your whole being that YOU MATTER. You matter to yourself. And so do your needs. And when you practice these daily acts with intention, over and over, they become like lanterns that light your path through the noise of life. They’re your ‘happy places’.

And this matters even MORE for those of us healing from religion and learning to decondition from religious programming! Many of us were taught that joy was selfish or dangerous, that putting other’s needs ahead of your own was godly or a sign of maturity, and that pleasure was guilty or came with strings attached.

Some people were taught that happiness was postponed for heaven, and suffering was framed as the only path to growth. That kind of programming runs deep, and it can make joy feel almost suspicious. I’m here to tell you that it is most definitely NOT. It’s been one of the biggest game-changers in my own healing and well being.

I’ve learned that my joy is IMPORTANT. Those little moments that I practice every single day are done because it’s a way of 1. Instantly raising my frequency (energy) and 2. It’s one of the fastest ways to rewire my body and mind that my needs not only matter, fulfilling those are imperative and have totally changed my mindset!

You don’t need to overhaul your life to begin this practice. In fact, start small. Pick one thing to do that makes you SO happy, you’re giddy. It can be something tiny or ordinary to other, but to you…it’s pure HAPPY.

So my invitation to you today: claim one small joy. Let it be yours, without apology. Let it remind you that freedom is not a future reward. It’s a practice, here and now.

If you’d like a gentle path into this practice, I’ve created a free guide: The Daily Joy — 100 Ways to Find Joy in 5 Minutes or Less. It’s in my shop waiting for you, no strings attached. Click for your free gift, just because I love you!

I. Love. You. BIG.,
Debby

✨ PS: What joy did you choose today? Hit reply and tell me!

Things Lighting Me Up This Week:

• THIS PLAYLIST

• Drum Circle!!

• Sitting on my deck in the rain

• My youngest daughter calling me, excited about her job and her life!

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