🎈 Pollyanna or Powerful? How I Came to Realize That Choosing Joy Was Always My Super Power 💪😊

📝 “Talking about our problems is our biggest addiction. Break the habit. Talk about your joys.” — Rita Schiano

For years, I’ve carried this “joy de vivre” like a bright banner- sometimes to puzzled looks, sometimes to outright teasing. I’ve been called Pollyanna. Cheerleader. Eternal optimist.

And it’s true. I’ve always chosen joy. It’s stitched into my DNA 🧬, a beautiful gift from my mamá who showed me, day after day, what it looked like to find the bright spots- no matter how tough things were.

But here’s the thing: for much of my career, especially in the high-stakes, high-stress environments where I built my over three-decade career, this posture of joy wasn’t always understood. I always felt like I was a foreign organism- wired differently from everyone else. I was blessed with mentors who came to understand this trait might be positive, and taught me how to channel it wisely and regulate it within the systems I was operating in (looking 👀 at you, Josh!).

Now, in this chapter of my life, I find myself working in a place where joy isn’t just tolerated- it’s celebrated. Where encouraging others, uplifting spirits, and finding the good is seen as leadership, not naïveté. When my new boss offered me my job he said the words that made me understand I was home 🏡. Yes, they were excited about my credentials and what I brought but they were most excited about who I am.

What a difference it makes to operate in an environment that aligns with who you authentically are.

So yes, we all have problems. But today- and every day- I’m choosing to break the habit of over-fixating on them. I want to talk about what’s good. What’s hopeful. What brings life.

Because joy isn’t ignorance. It’s courage. It’s resilience. It’s faith. And maybe, just maybe, it’s contagious.

💛 What joys will you celebrate today? Drop them in the comments- I’d love to celebrate with you.

#Leadership #Culture #ChoosingJoy #Gratitude #Authenticity #FaithAtWork