Well, hello there, it's Morgan Harper-Nagles, and I'm so grateful you're here to join me on this

Friday. Much like the questions I pose at the end of each episode, this week's episodes are for

reflection, and reflection, by definition, is to give serious thought or consideration.

Every day this week, you will hear moments from previous episodes that I hope help you

to find space and time throughout your day for positive thoughts as we reflect together.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on social media, where you can find me at Morgan

Harper-Nichols on Instagram

and on Twitter at Morgan H. Nichols. And now on to today's episode. For all that is uncertain,

I am still choosing joy. I am trusting that even in the chaos of things, there is room to breathe deep and keep living.

It takes great courage to let your heart soften into joy. It takes courage to allow yourself to

trust that even though you don't know how good or bad things could be tomorrow,

that this moment right here is worth being a part of to the greatest capacity. Because it's true.

What if it all goes terribly wrong? What if it ends before it even begins?

What if I open up to someone only to get rejected?

There's nothing we can do in our minds to adequately prepare our hearts for the shock and pain of loss.

But we can still choose to courageously soften our hearts and line them with joy. We can let our guards down

and see the world with more gentle eyes. We can delight in what is beautiful because we know it will

not be here forever. We can make room to celebrate the people we love because any day could be the last.

Choosing to cultivate joy is so much more than a feel-good moment on bad days.

It is a grace-filled opportunity to take delight in the things that bring wellness to the soul.

It's so hard to think about what we might lose in this life, who may or may not be here tomorrow or what might

change in unexpected ways. But this is all the more reason to make the most of where we are today.

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