Finding Your Peace (And Maybe a Little Joy Too)

I’ve learned, through experience and observation, that people, myself included, often cling to what’s familiar, even when it’s not good for them. We stay in places, relationships, and routines that no longer serve us simply because they are known. And the unknown? Well, that can be scary. It brings with it uncertainty, change, and the kind of discomfort that makes us hesitate, even when we know we deserve better.

But here’s something I’ve come to understand on a deeper level: feeling good feels good.

That may sound simple, but it’s surprisingly profound when you’ve spent years in survival mode, in cycles of stress or dissatisfaction. At first, peace can feel foreign. Happiness can feel suspicious. Joy? It might even feel too big to trust.

But don’t sabotage the feel good. Don’t talk yourself out of peace just because you’re unfamiliar with the quiet. Don’t walk away from joy because it doesn’t yet feel like home.

Because here’s the beautiful part: when you start allowing in even a sliver of what’s good for you, genuine rest, honest connection, meaningful work, small sparks of joy, it starts to multiply. Feeling good begets more feeling good. Little by little, day by day, peace can grow. Joy can become more than a fleeting moment, it can become part of your foundation.

And then, without fully realizing it, you might just look around and find yourself surrounded by a life that actually feels good. The kind of good that nurtures, sustains, and allows you to exhale.

Wouldn’t that be good for you?

It starts with giving yourself permission. To explore the unknown. To let go of what no longer fits. To believe that peace and joy aren’t just possible, but deserved.

And who knows? In choosing peace, you just might discover the joy that’s been waiting for you all along.

Photo credit: Darryl Evans of Pure Enchantment Photography