Does anyone remember the scene in Sex and The City where Carrie goes to a party and spots Lexi Featherston smoking her cigarette by the open floor to ceiling window? Well, Lexi starts yammering on and on about how New York City is O-V-E-R. Over. This seemingly random (yet arguably, legendary) character in a TV series definitely had a point when she dared to ask the question:

“Whatever happened to fun?”

When I first saw the SATC two years ago, this moment stuck with me for obvious reasons. Shortly after stating this question, Lexi Featherston (unfortunately) ends up no longer being in the show moments after. If you know… you know. Yet despite her tragedy, the point still kind of stands. To me, that’s pretty impressive for a line said around twenty years ago. More often than I’d like to admit, I notice many people sharing the same sentiment Lexi did in real life. It seems as though everyone is wondering whatever really happened to, not just fun, but joy? Even in the spaces where you would think you would find them most, people seem to leave questioning why it wasn’t as exciting as it used to be. Just like how Lexi questioned the whereabouts of the lively energy (she believed) left New York City.

So is it really true? Is the world not as joyous as it once used to be?

I mean, its not hard to believe that some even question how it could even be possible to find anything slightly positive during a time like this in a world as chaotic as ours? It’s pretty obvious (or at least it should be) that adversity in our human lives are inevitable. If it wasn’t obvious, then I do apologize for assuming that was common knowledge. I also apologize for breaking the news. Either way, there has always been and will always be strife in our lives. Something I do believe that it is important to remember is just how powerful choosing to cultivate joy can be. Think about it: if the fun is missing, especially due to the state of the world, then who or what is really benefiting from that? Waiting for fun to come around is one thing, but to believe that it is totally gone from the world is another. I mean, it isn’t called the pursuit of happiness for no reason. With so many things to worry about, it’s just as necessary to recognize that there are just as many things in life to be happy for. No matter how big or how small. It is also important to remember that one has to actively create joy despite it all.

Lately, I’ve been embracing the intentional act of stepping out of my comfort zone. Before I share what that looks like for me personally, I want to share why I came to this decision. I had to get real for a moment and understand why it was easier for me to constantly dwell over the uncertainty of the world and robotically live my life based off of that. When I truly looked inwards, I began to understand that it was because of the anxieties constructed to drive various systems that I have no control over or no say in. All the while slowly losing it every time I notice that even ‘fun’ itself is only a commodified incentive that “has to be earned” nowadays. The realization that dehumanization, despair, disillusionment, and desensitization was the big, distracting goal all along makes the act of avoiding cynical or nihilistic thinking even sweeter. Truthfully, being complacent with my perception of the world and all it’s woes was the comfort zone. Courageously choosing to exist delightfully in this world, not fearfully, is a priority for me now. My joy is my escape and most radical act yet. It’s an intimate experience that doesn’t take away from my peace or throws me into another destructive cycle. More importantly, it’s a birthright. There is no need to explain any further on that. So I will leave it at that.