Joy comes from connection. Connection to self. Connection to God. Connection to others. Connection comes from vulnerability. As a child I learned the rules to keep safe in a dysfunctional family system. Don’t talk, don’t trust, don’t feel, don’t share. In me these rules bred disconnection, pain, anxiety, fear, isolation, and numbness. Not joy. In those days I defined happiness as an absence of turmoil. I had no idea it was an actual emotion that could be felt and enjoyed. As a young adult I learned that these family rules were destructive to my wellbeing. It was terrifying and so [...]