Hey, joyful humans!

Thank you so much for being here.

If "no" is a complete sentence, "because it makes me happy" should be too.

Consider this for a second: how often have you been excited about something that makes you happy and doesn't hurt anyone, and some hostile person says, "Why do you even like that thing? It's so (fill in the blank of something negative here.)" Then, you have to bring them around to why that thing makes you happy even though the way they approached the question doesn't allow space for them to accept your response.

My friends, this is your reminder that while bringing people into your joyful world is amazingly kind, you don't owe anything to others to explain your happiness. There are so many negative things in the world that, at this point, what makes people happy should be nurtured and celebrated. As a more positive spin on a current social media trend says, "We listen, and we don't judge."

Let them be happy. Let yourself be happy.

If you're on the questioning side with someone else's joy, this is your reminder to come into it kindly. Rather than making an explanatory phrase which leaves no room for empathy, become curious. Ask them earnestly why they enjoy what they do. Ask, "What is your favourite part about (insert joyful activity here)?" and who knows, maybe you'll like the same thing too one day. We become more joyful when we are open to curiosity and learning more about different aspects of joy.

This would be a great exercise to ask your friends or close ones what their favourite things are to do, nurture their responses, and celebrate with them. The more acts of joy we can all create, the better our world will be.

Let's work together this year!

If you have big dreams for your health and wellness in 2025, let's see if we can create some magic together.

Joyful Movement Club IRL Classes

• REGISTRATION OPENS ON FRIDAY AT 12PM! LFGGGG!! Join early access here and get in on a special 24-hour early bird pricing (aka saving some $$) before it goes live for everyone Friday. I can't wait to see you soon!!

Let's bring our best foot forward for 2025.

• My self-paced mini-course Reset & Restore is perfect for folks who want a clean slate and need tangible takeaways to create a solid foundation for their health and mindset journey. We cover mindset strategies, habit development, creating a joyful movement routine, and how to make life more fun! It's like this "Your Joyful Year" series but with more takeaways and worksheets to implement what you're learning. Plus, it includes ten workout videos and the opportunity to work with me to help keep you accountable.

Let's become fitness besties while we achieve YOUR goals!

• Looking to take your health more seriously in 2025? I'm on a mission to help support more amazing people like you and am currently opening three 1:1 health coaching spots for free. Together, we'll create a strategy to get you to your health goals, including customized workouts, nutrition support, bi-weekly Zoom sessions and chat support so you always have me in your corner. Fill out this form to start today - and don't worry, it doesn't tie you down to anything; it just lets me know you're interested in taking this next step.

I can't wait to make this your happiest and healthiest year yet. ❤️

Song of the Week

Ko'jua - Morgan Toney

I heard this one at the Jets game on Sunday and loved it! When I looked up what ko'jua means, the artist said, "The "Ko'jua" is a type of song in Mi'kma'ki meant for dancing and bringing people together." It's the perfect song for this playlist. Enjoy!

Ko'jua Morgan Toney PREVIEW   ​

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

Good News Wednesday

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

• A new tongue-stimulating implant offers hope for those with sleep apnea in the UK!
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• Quebec is now banning gas-powered vehicles by 2035!​
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• Since the 1990s, farmers and volunteers in Victoria, Australia, have helped plant 750,000 trees to help restore habitat for a critically endangered bird.​
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• Kristen Bell teamed up with Quentin Quarantino to help pay off stranger’s medical bills! So far, Bell herself has donated $100,000 and is sharing people’s GoFundMe pages to raise awareness to donate funds.
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• ​Monarch butterflies are receiving federal protection as a threatened species in the US.
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• ​New Zealand is banning greyhound racing!!​
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• A new bill in the UK would bring tougher sanctions and penalties to those who cause pollution.​
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• Green power generation is now taking over fossil fuels in the UK!​
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• The US Environmental Protection Agency has now banned the use of two cancer-causing solvents, found in water sources, dry cleaning, and automobile repair, among other places.
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• ​Have you ever heard of a numbat? They are super endangered but Australian conservationists are spotting babies in the wild, showing promise of an upswing for this adorable species.

Book of the Week

​Sunshine and Spice - Aurora Palit​

This book was reallllllly cuuuuute! 😍 I read this one pretty much on the planes to and from Orlando, and it went down super well. Bonus points for loving this book were because it's based in British Columbia and because the female protagonist struggles with not knowing much about her culture, and I was able to relate to that. That duality of culture and being Canadian is a tricky line to balance, and the author does a decent job of working with this.

Book Synopsis

Naomi Kelly will do anything to make her new brand consulting business a success. When she lands a career saving contract to rebrand the Mukherjee family's failing local bazaar, she knows there can be no mistakes. But as the "oops" baby of a free-spirited Bengali mother, Naomi's lack of connection to her roots represents everything Gia Mukherjee disdains.
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Enter, Dev Mukherjee.
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Dev knows everything his mother wants...including her wish for him to get married, like, yesterday. When Gia hires a matchmaker (without, you know, asking him), Dev vows to do whatever it takes to avoid ending up in a cold, loveless marriage. When a potential match assumes Naomi is his girlfriend, the solution to both their problems becomes clear: Naomi will pretend to date Dev in order to sabotage his mother's matchmaking efforts in exchange for lessons in Bengali culture. Flawless plan, right?
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But as Naomi and Dev bond over awful dancing at Garba, couples cooking classes, and tackling the rebrand as a team, they start to realize while their relationship may be fake, their feelings for each other are starting to become very real. As the line between reality and rumor blurs, Naomi and Dev must confront what it means to fit the mold, and decide how much they're willing to risk for love.

Share the Joy

Are you enjoying being a part of the Joyful Human Club? It would mean so much to me if you forwarded this to a friend or colleague so we can share the joy!

If you’re that forwarded friend or colleague, join the fun today by ​subscribing here!​​

In gratitude and thanks,