Each month here at Onward as we work on cultivating our resilience, we explore a habit, a disposition, and we take a dive into an emotion. For this month, we take a dive into joy.
Elena begins this section in Onward by sharing how “this book is ultimately about joy – about how we can find more joy in this life, in one another, and in our work as teachers and leaders, and how we can create the conditions in which others experience joy. This book is about thriving, not just surviving. Thriving implies joy, You deserve to feel joy.” This is such a powerful message as it often feels like we are all in survival-mode in the field of education.
Elena goes on recommends a great read, The Book of Joy by South African archbishop Desmond Tutu and Tibetan spiritual and political leader the Dalai Lama who both personify resilience. Both endured decades of oppression and exile. And they are also, undoubtedly, two of the most joyful people on earth. They came together to discuss an essential question: How do we find joy in the face of life’s inevitable suffering? The conversations were captured in The Book of Joy, an uplifting, captivating, and mesmerizing read.