David Larby

You see, if I only saw real happiness as the big headline news events, I'd have maybe one a month if I'm lucky, and between them, what would I do then?

I think of the day that my sister was born, of the singular joy that day was.

Moments like that, the joy is beyond belief.

They're so immense, they almost have to be worn off.

Some things have to exist at that scale to be truly appreciated.

That doesn't mean my reserves of joy can't be regularly topped up and updated.

Because joy is not just a fanciful thing.

It's a whimsical, powerful tool.

It's a thread of resilience woven into our lives.

When there are cracks in things, joy brings light through.

Even if my happiness isn't total, even when I don't think I deserve it, finding the small joys in every day is a practice that's always so worth it.

It's easier on some days than others.

It takes effort that I won't deny.

But I am deserving of my own best efforts.

Life is effort.

Why wouldn't I try?

I spent far too long believing that joy was for someone more deserving than me.

I spent even longer believing contentment was ambition's worst enemy, when in fact, we matter because we exist.

We deserve joy by virtue of this.

And contentment means that any ambition that follows is the healthiest kind that exists.