The secret ingredient is joy

What brings you joy? The gurgle of a baby's laugh? The rising sun painting clouds with gold, silver and copper? A hug from a loved one? Following curiosity and learning?

We need joy in our lives. It's the secret ingredient that grounds us. With joy, it doesn't matter what people think of what we do. We won't feel the need for acceptance or feel we should demonstrate value to justify our worth.

When we experience joy, all else fades into the distance.

Deep down, most people know what brings them joy. Acknowledging and accepting that can be difficult. Following a path where you experience joy requires courage. It might require making choices that perhaps others and society don't understand.

Being a quality professional brings me joy. I love the analytical side of disassembling systems to better understand how they operate and how they connect.

This is my deep win¹. It's deep because I accept and see the joy in what I do. The sheer joy of tapping into my curiosity and learning is enough.

It's not always been that way. I've raged against the injustice of working in a profession often undervalued and dismissed. My career is littered with times when I've allowed my fear of rejection, of not 'being enough,' to dictate choices.

It's taken a while, but I've now come to see these as shallow wins. They may bring temporary happiness, but they quickly fade as the next threat to my self-worth appears on the horizon.

What's driving your wins, and are they bringing you deep joy?

¹ Dr Pippa Grange - Fear Less.