Remember your beautiful design.

Hi blessed, there’s a purpose for your life beyond what you have, know and do…but you already know this. Joy within is designed to be a refreshing place for sisters. Guys are welcome here too. We’re designed differently but loved equally, so you being here is a blessing too.

You ever realised that when we make room in our life for joy it shows and overflows into our walk and work?

When you love what you do it can be hard to press pause sometimes because it doesn’t always feel like work…but it’s still energy and time. It was a big challenge…shifting gear, but I was called to get purposefully quiet and start this blog in March 2013. For a while it had an audience of 1. Since then, it has reached readers in more than 90 countries and is on the ‘Top 30 Caribbean Lifestyle Blogs & Websites To Follow by FeedSpot.’ Thank you!

‘Free spirit’ and “nature girl’ were words I heard a lot, until the speed of life changed and one day it was clear the pace wasn’t healthy. Life went from spending a lot of time on the road, tour-guiding, in vocal booths, traveling and on stages (with beach, coaching, volunteering & dance in between) to living on a farm in the countryside of Barbados for years, writing, gardening, cooking, hiking, freelancing, growing my faith while overcoming a huge challenge and getting beyond the loss of a sister-friend.

I used to be a project officer with a children’s charity for a few years and community-building teamwork has always been a part of life so while living on the (animal) farm next to a gully full of green monkeys, I volunteered as a first-time farmer on an acre plot run by another charity growing food for a year. It was so refreshing, peaceful, muscle-building and therapeutic after the high pace and volume that I started handling booking requests by email instead of phone and recorded mostly from home instead of driving around the island day and night from session to session.

Guarding your mind and cherishing gifted time

Time freedom is beautiful, but life rhythm is key. Working diligently and purposefully is energizing but without purposeful pockets of rest, we would miss out on the refreshment. When everything is scheduled, we tend not to recognize some interruptions and encounters as heaven-sent opportunities to encourage and serve or receive. Some visions and creative inspiration come in those unplanned moments. Please don’t forget the freedom part or become a hostage to time. A hostage is not free. I could do with that reminder sometimes as much as anybody else.

Life looks different now, but the lessons from that refining remain and shaped healthier habits. All now, in between writing, recording and getting ready to launch an organic product here on the site for you, there are still quiet mornings, stretch series, homecooking, tennis, consistent skin & haircare routines and nature walks in between…without a rush…and with purpose.

I’m grateful for the pace reset and a better quality of life that freed up more gifted time. Since life is but a vapour, living it on and with purpose and a thankful heart is a priority and something I yearn for…while failing in some way every day. But the Most High knows the heart of every man and as long as we have gifted time, every day is a fresh start and new mercies come by grace every morning. How beautiful and kind is that?!

Pace yourself well, sister. You are not an ox, workhorse or robot and living to impress others is a waste of time. Mankind is fickle and trends come and go. You are a living, breathing, perfectly-loved creation with a purpose. Because of that, there are distractions strategically placed along your path to try steal your joy, press the panic button and derail you from walking well. Be proactive about guarding your mind, growing your faith, loving others and living as calm as possible even amidst a world of chaos.

With love…

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‘Joy within‘ blog is on The ‘Top 45 Caribbean Blogs & Websites To Follow in 2021‘ by FeedSpot.