Brené Brown

Like it's so vulnerable that we don't even let ourselves feel joy because we're so afraid someone's going to rip it away and we're going to get sucker punched by disappointment.

Yes or no?

Like people choose to live disappointed rather than to feel disappointed, risk feeling disappointed and get excited about something.

You know, it's like the first time my kids shared with me when they were young, certainly not the way I was raised, but, you know, I really, really want to make this team, mom.

And I said, I want to pause you for a second and tell you how brave it is to talk openly about something you want so much when you don't have control over whether you get it or not.

I want it for you because you want it.

But regardless of what happens, I admire your courage for wanting something and sharing out loud that you want it.

Because if you don't get it, I'll know that it was a crushing blow.

But that's so great because I'll be here for you when that happens either way.

So we, and I'm really, I'm a really, we call it foreboding joy.

That joy is so good, just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

And people who have trauma histories are really like that.

Like for me, because of the way I was raised, when something good happens, I'm like, oh God, now what's going to happen?

Statistically, bad shit's going to roll around any second now.

And it's interesting because the group of people that we researched, the only group of people that could take that, you know, there's a bodily quiver, right?

A vulnerability.

Have you felt it?

Yeah.

The only people that can really lean into joy consistently are people who use that vulnerability quiver as a reminder to be grateful, to be able to practice gratitude in that second.

So gratitude is a huge enabler of joy.