During a recent conversation over my 2022 One Word, Resilience, a friend shared a Brené Brown quote connecting my 2021 One Word “Joy” with my current word, Resilience. Revealing a unique relationship between my tiny word friend from 2021 and my bold companion in 2022. But fully grasping how Joy fuels Resilience, required a meeting of the minds, or shall I say, a meeting of the “words?”
The lessons so far, speak deeply into my life. I created a special page on my blog where all my Resilience posts live, please take the time to read past posts for more insight into my journey.
Given the theme of this post, consider visiting my One Word 2021 page for my Joy posts.
The good news is that joy, collected over time, fuels resilience — ensuring we’ll have reservoirs of emotional strength when hard things do happen.
Brené Brown
joy and resilience

Though each year brings a new One Word focus, I never completely leave behind my previous year travelling companion. Rather, God continues astounding me with the inter-connectedness of my words from year to year.
Yet, until my friend shared Brown’s quote, understanding the relationship of Joy and Resilience remained a mystery.
Stepping back, my journey with Joy flowed directly into my journey with Resilience, illustrating how Joy fuels Resilience.
Bringing perspective to life, relationships, and even suffering, Joy fuels Resilience through savoring God’s goodness in every circumstance.
Savoring Joy in even the small every day things, ignites gratitude for God’s goodness, faithfulness, and provision. Shifting perspective from scarcity and tragedy rehearsal to hope-filled faith.
Savoring joy

Beauty flows from the heart of our Creator God. Spending a few moments in my garden confirms God’s intricate beauty on display. As I reflect, exchanging ashes for beauty (Isaiah 61:3) is the very meaning of redemption.
Created in His image, we reflect His beauty; which is perhaps, the reason we feel drawn to beauty: it calls us home.
Joy provides the emotional manifestation of beauty, inviting us into the Presence of God as we celebrate His goodness in the realities of life.
Savoring Joy fuels Resilience by strengthening our brain’s ability to remember God’s goodness in the “land of the living,” even when walking the hard paths. (Psalm 27:13) As a Fruit of the Spirit, Joy reminds us of the gift of a life lived in companionship with God.
The fullness of Joy in His Presence (Psalm 16:11) fuels Resilience as we realize in every hard circumstance, God’s intimate fellowship abides with us through each moment.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13
when joy fuels resilience
Coming full circle, I realize cultivating Joy strengthened my Resilience. Much the same as gratitude, we must seek Joy daily: in the small places, the things we take for granted, or rush past, and even along the hard paths.
The better acquainted I became with my tiny word friend, Joy, the more Resilience became visible.
Enabling me to see Resilience in its simplest form, which is nothing more than relentless Hope: the assurance of God’s eternal goodness and faithfulness. Birthed from savoring the Joy of the Lord around me and within me, but ultimately the lingering Joy moments in His Presence.
The emotional manifestation of trust in God, Resilience emerges from the intentional pursuit of Joy through a heart set on seeing the goodness of God in every moment and encounter.
Want more Resilience? Pursue more Joy!
I had never considered how JOY and RESILIENCE are so intertwined.
I love how the Lord leads us year by year, word by word, along a path of self discovery and spiritual growth.
I am in awe once again.
Actually, me neither, Barb, but I had an inkling from the beginning, I am confident there is more to the story! Thank you for reading and encouraging me today!
Oh yes! I feel the same about gratitude as well. But I guess joy and gratitude are so interrelated too.
Corinne, so true about Joy and Gratitude, in fact all 3, Joy, Gratitude and Resilience make a great triumvirate of graces with which to know God more deeply!
Joy fuels resilience. I agree. Thank you, Donna (and Brene) for connecting those dots. It helps explain how the joy of the Lord is our strength. Glad you added your post to our One Word linkup!
Thank you, Lisa, for reading, indeed the JOY of the Lord IS our Resilience!
Such a lovely marriage of two words Donna!
Joy begats resilience, resilience begats joy!
Like you, I look back on how past years words relate to each other.
At times they don’t seem to relate at all until a revelation from the Holy Spirit happens & all falls into place. 😉
Bless you sweet friend, Jennifer
Thank you, Jennifer, I enjoyed exploring this connection! And so amazing how the Lord weaves the lessons of past together, always revealing something new and powerful!
Donna, hi! I love that idea that joy fuels resilience … makes me begin to wonder if the reverse is true, that resilience fuels joy??!!
Linda, I was tickled to make the connection between Joy and Resilience, and I do believe the living water of these beautiful fruits flows in both directions!
Amen! As an educator, we often talk about how to build resilience in our students. We need to teach them to relentlessly pursue joy, no matter the traumas (of which they have experienced many) and trials in their lives. I’m fortunate to work at a school where I can also teach them the Source of joy.
Anita, I agree with you, children need to learn how to build resilience too. I rejoice at the opportunity you have to invest these truths in the lives of your students!
Donna, this is great. Wow! Does that quote ever fit you. I love how your words interweave. And I loved traveling through your joy journey last year. Blessings.
Visiting today from Let’s Have Coffee #17&18
Thank you, Paula! You are always so kind and supportive! Praise God you enjoyed my JOY journey, which was really a journey of intimacy with Him in the end! And to think I headed into that year fearing what lay ahead!
What a wonderful quote by Brene Brown. And a wonderful friend to be an iron-sharpening-iron as you pursue a hope-filled faith full of joy and resilience.
Thank you, Lisa, I sure enjoyed pondering the implications of Brene Brown’s quote this month!