Hey, joyful humans!

Thank you so much for being here.

"It's crazy... what free will can do."

I said this in a random Instagram story last week, and so many people liked it that I turned it into a Reel.

It's my second most-viewed Instagram Reel of 2025, and I think I know why.

In the video (which I've linked as the Video of the Week below), I'm enjoying a single serving of vanilla instant pudding and telling the camera my realization that you can make this for yourself. Of course, the video comes with a sprinkle of motivation, but the message is pretty straightforward.

The video's underlying message (and why I believe it did well) is realizing that we often get stuck in our ways and don't take creative liberties. Yes, I could have bought a ready-made pudding cup at the store, or I can find joy in mixing pudding mix and milk and making it myself. Late last year, I made a poster in Canva for my office because I liked the quote but didn't like the poster options on Etsy. Yes, I could have just sucked it up and found the best version online and bought it, or I could create joy by making it myself and getting an extra boost of joy now when I see it in the office.

Whether we realize it or not, we tend to wait for others to create the ideals we have in mind. If that ideal version doesn't exist, it's easy to let it go, say it can't be done, and deprive ourselves of the joy of creation. We follow arbitrary rules without thinking we can do something different or that different exists.

We are allowed to lead with audacity, see things from different points of view, and experiment like we used to do when we were kids. Because guess what? That version of joy is unmatched. You know the type - the one where you've created something or led with free will to do something that makes YOU happy.

As long as you're not hurting yourself or others, there are no rules when it comes to joy. The only person stopping you (generally) from feeling joy is YOU.

Express your free will, and do the things you've always wanted to do (even if it feels cringy - ESPECIALLY if it feels cringy.) I guarantee someone out there is cheering you on. Plus, we only have one life, so we might as well do the things that make us happy.

Join my Monday night IRL yoga classes!

Looking for a new IRL option in your workout routine? Join us for Monday night slow-flow yoga! It's a great way to relieve body aches and pains, laugh with new friends, and reconnect with your breath.

Song of the Week

2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) - Lizzo

This one feels timely and lovely for today's edition of JHC. I immediately imagine myself dancing when I listen to this track so we gotta add it to the playlist. Enjoy!

2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) Lizzo PREVIEW   ​

Find this song and all the others on the ​Joyful Beats playlist​ on Spotify!

Video of the Week

​It's a story about instant pudding.​

It's crazy what you can do with free will. I'm very thankful that what was supposed to be a random comment on my stories turned into a successful Reel after many people resonated with it.

While you're at it, follow me on Instagram!​

Good News Wednesday

Check out the good news around the world! In our fast-paced world, it’s important to remember “the helpers.”

• Texas broke its solar, wind, and battery collection records in one week! Yay renewable energy!
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• A paralyzed person moved a robotic arm from just HIS THOUGHTS. Telekinesis? I wish - it was from reading signals and pulses in their brain and registered through a computer.
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• New information shows that the population of Asian elephants in Cambodia is far more significant than initially thought.​
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• Although the gender wage gap is still too high, research shows that the gap for women 25-34 has narrowed to 95 cents, compared to the average of 85 cents on the dollar.
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• A Danish city ran an experiment that paid coffee consumers to return their cups when they were done - they collected over 700,000 last year!​
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• After dealing with endometriosis herself, engineer Juliet Oliver created the Endo45 app - a space for those with the disease to connect and work on reducing their symptoms through lifestyle changes. (If you want to check out the app - it's available here.)
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• The state of Virginia has a community college program called Great Expectations to help any foster child get a two-year college degree, providing financial and emotional support.
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• New information shows that after two decades of increases, STIs like gonorrhea and syphilis are going down!
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• The first affordable 3D printing housing project has officially kicked off! Plus, they said it's 35% faster than conventional methods.
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• In an underground tunnel in Switzerland, a ground-breaking machine provides lightning-fast radiotherapy treatments that could speed up cancer treatment in less than a second.​
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• Meet Taylor Schenker - she's helping reunite families with their precious photographs after losing them in Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.

Find more good news at Good Good Good!​

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In gratitude and thanks,