Feeling Joy and My Tiny Desk Contest Video!

“Joy is the most vulnerable emotion we experience, and if you cannot tolerate joy, what you do is you start dress rehearsing tragedy.” -Brene Brown.

Such wise words I think about often. What does Brene Brown mean by dress rehearsing tragedy? Basically, instead of feeling the joy and excitement in the moment, we feel a foreboding and worry that something bad is going to happen and wait for the other shoe to drop.

The first time I read that, it dawned on me that I sometimes do this too. I don’t allow myself to get THAT excited or hopeful, especially when I really want something.

When I spoke to my dad the other day, he wrapped our sweet call by reminding me to enjoy each and every day.

So I write to you today, from my sunny abode in Los Angeles. I am practicing being in joy, finding something to enjoy! Honestly, it’s helping me not to be on pins and needles as I await this Tiny Desk announcement for Friday.

If you don’t know about Tiny Desk Concerts, it’s a video series of live concerts hosted by NPR Music at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. The contest invites bands to submit a video of an original song, behind a desk of course! The winner gets to travel to NPR in Washington DC and play a concert at the Tiny Desk. Let me tell you, playing a Tiny Desk Concert at NPR is a big deal!

You’ve heard me on previous posts talking about taking a leap of courage and entering in this contest.

My Tiny Desk Video is a testament to my joy!

I thought of you when we made the video. It’s a bit tongue in cheek even though the song, “That’s How The Story Goes” is about the cycle of domestic abuse. I’ve done so much healing around it and have come a very long way– that I can look at this with a renewed perspective today. I can see the bigger picture and know what happened wasn’t because of anything that I DID.

NPR Music will be picking the winner this Friday, and from now until tomorrow, I will be reveling in the excitement and anticipation, and also acknowledging all of the ways this experience has brought me so much JOY.