Dani Wenger

Hey, joyful humans! Thank you so much for being here. Do you ever look in a room and think, "I wonder how the couch would work in this spot...", or, "What if we moved the table over here..."? I've been in that mood lately, but with this newsletter. We changed our name to The Joyful Human Club back in October, which was totally the right call. We're a club—a community of folks who, despite their struggles, believe in the unshakable power of joy. But, because we're a club, I want to evolve this...

Hey, joyful humans! Thank you so much for being here. Super quick thing before we start, for my Canadians! 🇨🇦 The federal election is on Monday!! If you haven't gotten your advance vote in yet, please, please, PLEASE go vote! *cue Sabrina Carpenter* If you need help determining which political party best aligns with your values, head to CBC Vote Compass. If you want to vote strategically in your riding, head to 338Canada.com. Voting is one of the best things we get to do as adults to help...

Hey, joyful humans! Thank you so much for being here. When was the last time you experimented? Remember when we would try new things as kids? It didn't work out most times, but when they DID... wow, it felt amazing. It was the joy of trying and achieving. I thought more about experimenting as an adult and came up with anxious thoughts. They all wrapped around this question, What if it doesn't work out? Makes sense, right? As adults, we want the safer option - the things we know will pay off...

Hey, joyful humans! Thank you so much for being here. I've been thinking a lot about what US Rep. John Lewis said about "good trouble" - taking necessary action to fight for justice and equality, even if it means facing opposition or consequences. We saw this last week with US Senator Cory Booker's good trouble of executing a 25-hour speech protesting President Trump and his administration. Through his marathon speech, in which he did not sleep, eat, or drink water, he made it known to...

Hey, joyful humans! Thank you so much for being here. I can't believe it - this newsletter turned 3 years old on March 31st!! 🎉 It could walk, talk, and express its personality if it was a human child. In a way, that's exactly what this newsletter feels like - a living, creative entity that I'm so stinking proud of. Thank you for being a part of this growing community and continuing to believe in joy and empathy in a world where it can feel complicated or uncool to be joyful. (If you're...

Hey, joyful humans! Thank you so much for being here. My sister has this line that I've loved for a while, and now seems like a good time to discuss it. For context, she's a kickass, guns-a-blazing kind of lady with a lot going on. She has a more dedicated workout routine than I do and a cozy home with her husband and two adorable doggos. Her line? Protect your peace. It's more than just a line - it's a declaration of the boundaries she keeps for herself to continue giving to others. It's so...

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...

Hey, joyful humans! Thank you so much for being here. March brings up weird feelings for me, and I wonder if it does the same for you. For me, March feels like bumping into an old friend I haven't talked to in years. As we catch up, I feel awkward because I'm so far removed from the person I was when I first met them that I don't know what version they expect to see. March reminds me of the COVID shutdowns, which occurred only five years ago. It's a month when I've always experienced...

Hey, joyful humans! Thank you so much for being here. Me and movies go together like macaroni and cheese - I adore them. I have a lengthy list of movies I want to watch (currently 72), and they range widely in genre, decade, and so much more. One that's been around for a while and that I finally watched this weekend is the 1994 classic The Shawshank Redemption. But Dani, why do you want to talk about a prison movie made 31 years ago? Because, my friend, one of its themes is about hope, and we...

Hey, joyful humans! Thank you so much for being here. Want more joy in your life? Ask for it. I've been able to do some really cool things lately that have made me happy, to the degree that people have asked me how I've gotten these opportunities. It feels silly to tell them, "I just asked x person if I could," but it was true. We often overcomplicate things (myself included) to the point that we don't believe we deserve specific opportunities because they haven't magically fallen into our...