The Joy Junkie Show

FREE WORKSHOP ~> Just think positive. Put on a happy face. Look on the brightside. Think happy thoughts. Don’t cry over spilled milk. Good vibes only. Sound familiar? There is no shortage of platitudes and idioms that send the message that the only acceptable emotion to feel is happiness. The underlying implication is that emotions of sadness, worry, shame, embarrassment, etc. are simply not permissible. And, for god sake, don’t let me actually see you experience one of those emotions. So, “sweep it under the rug” and “have an attitude of gratitude”. And, then if you are in a personal shitstorm, you feel guilty for actually feeling awful. Like, other people have it sooooo much worse, so who am I to feel bummed about losing this job promotion? Better put on a face of “nothing to see here”. And perhaps you’ve even found yourself saying one of these platitudes to someone else. Instead of the awkward intimacy of witnessing someone in an uncomfortable state, we say, “Don’t cry” or something else that completely by