“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” ~ Henri Nouwren As you journey through life, having joy is a choice. Deciding and having the mindset that no matter what life throws at you or what others say about you, you will choose joy. What is joy? Joy is an emotion “evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune” (Merriam-Webster). It is a feeling of “great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying” (dictionary.com).  Having a rewarding career, being engaged, married, or starting a family are all things that can bring us joy.  Finding the joys of life is an ongoing journey that starts within us. If joy is a choice, then you might be asking how I can find joy. Made-up Mindset Mindset is a fixed attitude or disposition; it is deciding and taking a firm stance. It is knowing that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You have gifts and talents that can impact the community and even the world. It is believing in yourself and saying, “I am.” For instance, I am ambitious, beautiful, caring, confident, daring, determined, fearless, intelligent, strong, and an overcomer, etc. It is knowing that you are enough. Mute the Noise You must mute the noise from naysayers and sometimes yourself. Mute negativity, drama, or dream killers. This will help you find the joy that you desire in your life. In life, there will be challenges and setbacks with noises that you will have to mute. Finding your joy and peace in life will require a mute button. Let it Go There are things and even people in your life that you will need to let go. I know it is hard, but it is necessary to find joy. Your past is your past and to move into your future, you must let go. Forgive yourself, reflect, and learn the lesson so you don’t repeat it. LET IT GO.  Check your Sistergirls Surround yourself with good and positive sistergirls that will allow you to walk in your authentic true self. No imposters or representatives are allowed in the sistergirls. Be a friend and sistergirl that loves, cares, supports, empowers, and elevates another sister. Be my sister’s keeper 24/7. Be Present and Live Learn to enjoy and live in the now. Stop and smell the roses and flowers of life. We are all booked and busy. We live in a fast-paced world and social media is at our fingertips. Stop and breathe and enjoy life. Each day of life is a precious gift. Be present and focus on living and enjoying life. These five strategies are ways along this journey called life to help find your joy!                Written by Dr. Joi L. Brown                       Waldorf, MD USA

Wow, where has 2023 gone? We are in the fourth quarter of 2023. The familiar quote, “Life is a marathon, not a sprint” comes to mind when I think of finishing strong. Marathons take longer to complete and require preparation and training to endure longer than sprints, which are shorter. Life is truly a marathon and requires you to endure to the end and finish strong. Guess what, there is still time in 2023 to finish strong. The year is not over. The game is not over. If you have fallen, get back up. If you are stuck, get moving. There is still time, it is not over. To finish strong, become doers of the Triple AAA and apply them to life’s marathon:  Assess Doing a self-assessment or check-in to evaluate where you are in terms of goals, aspirations, actions, to-do lists, etc. is a requirement. When you assess your life, you celebrate successes. Remember, small wins count. Check out the sample self-assessment questions. When answered, they should provide good insight and clarity on the next steps: Attain Knowing what specific resources, you will need is key to attaining the desired goal.  Resources can be physical, human, financial, or even time. If your goal is to start your own business, your resources may include a physical resource such as a location, start-up funds for the business, and even human resources such as an assistant. A good practice is to create a list and brainstorm all things needed to achieve the goal. Below are suggestions to assist you to attain:   Action You are ready to work on the plan and do the specific actions/behaviors needed to achieve the goal and finish. Actions should address what you plan to do (behaviors) and how you plan to achieve the goal. Include timeframes to help you measure the process.   It is never too late for the Triple AAA method in your life.  “Life is truly a marathon, not a sprint,” and it requires you to assess, attain, and act on goals and aspirations. When life throws you a curveball or knocks you out, get back up and continue to press forward.  You can do it. Do not give up. No matter how long it takes, you finish…There is still time… Finish Strong!                      Written by Dr. Joi L. Brown                                   Waldorf, MD USA

As a woman many of us have been to the salon before and if you reflect on your time there you will remember that many times, we may have an appointment but there is still a wait. During the pandemic there were increased lines in supermarkets and stores worldwide, there was a wait. For our doctor’s appointments there is a wait, doing business transactions there is a wait. In life there is a process called waiting that we all want to skip. We would rather not have to be in the waiting room because even though we are aware of what we are waiting for there is no telling how it will be delivered.  In our Christian walk there is a wait, a wait on God to send us our husband, a wait on God to connect us with the right opportunities to expand our horizons a wait on God to respond. Many times, we see the wait as punishment and torment because we are not patient enough to weather the storms of life. I have read somewhere that the storm never last it is only for a season. I believe we have become distracted with the weight of the wait because we are focusing on how things look now instead of what we wish for them to look like. Many times, we are waiting on the doctor to return with good news because we have received a bad report so instead of speaking what we wish to see we begin to process the endless possibilities of what could happen.  When we do this, we intensify the weight of the wait because our focus has shifted, and we are consumed by the outcomes. The waiting process is challenging it is supposed to be, why because that’s where we grow our faith in God, that’s where we learn to trust him at his word that is where we can identify the blockages in our lives that are preventing us from overcoming the wait. I want you to think of the wait as a journey and every journey has an ending. Focus on the journey along the way learning and understanding the process because there is a response in the process. Have you ever seen how food is processed in our stomachs? It must be digested then after that is done it is sent to various parts of the body that need the nutrients.  Your wait has not been prolonged you are being processed so you can understand where you need to be and what you need to do. You are being positioned for more, but you must not allow the weight of waiting to distract you from learning from your process.