from the editor

from Bella Magazine July 2023

What Inspires You? her perspective

Joy is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a feeling of great pleasure or happiness.” So, it’s next-level happiness.

But joy doesn’t always come naturally. Sometimes you have be intentional about it and seek it out, so it is important for us to know what gives us joy. It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day hustle of life and let the fun things drop off of our schedules. I know I do this. Surely the action items for work or even home are more important than having a little fun, right? And personally, I struggle with having enough energy at times, so I should prioritize making sure I have enough energy for the “important” stuff, right? Um…no. Whether you call it happiness or joy, it’s the most important thing. Otherwise, what are we working so hard for?

I am usually a pretty happy person, but life has been a bit rough lately, and I’ve had to work hard to try and put on a happy face. At times it’s felt like I’ve been in survival mode – just trying to get through the day and get done what I have to get done. When you’re in that survival mode, there’s not a lot of joy, but it made me realize the importance of intentionally seeking out the good stuff. There were times I didn’t think I felt like doing the fun things that I knew would bring me happiness, but I would push myself to put my hair in a ponytail and get out of the house and be with my people – and it was worth it every single time. And those times helped contribute to improving my overall mood and helped getting me out of just surviving and into a better place. This helped to recharge me for all aspects of my life.

So, figure out what sparks joy for you. Some people can’t focus unless they have a clean and tidy home (or office), so check out our decluttering story on page 22. But, as that story notes, even Marie Kondo has figured out that there are more important things in life than always focusing on an organized home.

The experts we spoke to for our cover story on page 28 say that joy is innately inside all of us and that it’s really our thoughts that control our ability to experience that joy. We have to get outside of our heads and all the spinning thoughts so that joy can rise up inside of us.

I have a hard time with my mind racing at night. I’ve tried writing things down – journaling feelings or writing my to dos for the next day so I stop thinking about them. Those things do help, but what has helped me the most is a basic gratitude practice right before I get into bed. I do a couple of stretches, crack my back and then I say out loud what I’m grateful for that day. Those things make me smile, but I think it’s the saying them out loud that always makes me laugh at myself. Maybe the things I’m grateful for make me happy, but the laughing out loud is what takes it the next level of joy. It really can be that simple.

Also, having the cutest puppy in the world curled up next to me while I write this brings me a ton of joy!

— Kelly MacLeod