The Joy by Design Manifesto
A living guide to what we believe—and what we’re building.
Joy isn’t something you wait for.
It’s something you build—even when life feels heavy. Sometimes especially then.
There are a lot of ideas out there about joy. Some people hear the word and think “birthday party energy.” For us, joy is something deeper. More grounded. More powerful.
It’s not a glitter bomb. It’s a practice.
It’s not the absence of hardship—it’s what lets you meet life differently.
This manifesto is our flag in the sand. It’s what we believe joy can be, how it shows up in our lives, and why we’re building a space to explore it - together.
What We Believe
1. We are meant to feel joy.
Life is short and uncertain. Joy isn’t frivolous—it’s essential. It reminds us we’re alive.
2. Joy is a practice.
Not a feeling you wait for, but a way of living you return to again and again.
3. Success is the amount of joy you feel.
Not the amount of money, titles, or approval. Joy is the real indicator of a life well-lived.
4. The practice doesn’t mean you’re happy all the time.
Joy can sit beside grief, uncertainty, and fear. It doesn’t erase what’s hard—it adds something stronger.
5. You don’t have to earn your joy.
You are worthy of joy now. Not when you’re thinner, calmer, richer, or more “healed.”
6. Your inner world shapes your outer experience. (Abraham Hicks)
When you shift your emotional state, you change your possibilities.
7. Your joy is your responsibility. (inspired by The Four Agreements)
No one else can create it—or take it away. You get to choose your perspective. That’s power.
8. Joy connects us.
It’s not selfish. It’s contagious. When you cultivate joy, you create space for others to feel it too.
9. Joy is a radical act.
In a world that profits from fear, burnout, and shame - choosing joy is a rebellion.
10. Joy leads to better outcomes.
For people. For business. For relationships. Joy fuels creativity, courage, and collaboration. It’s not a soft skill—it’s a superpower.
We know joy can look different for everyone.
For me (Justine), joy is the feeling of happy expectation - that everything is working out for me, even when I don’t know how.
For Eric, joy feels more like peace, connection, or belonging.
For you? It might be something entirely different.
There’s room for all of it here.
This is a living manifesto. It may shift and grow as we do.
We reserve the right to evolve—and to feel joy about that, too.
We’d love to hear from you:
What does joy mean to you?
What helps you return to it when life feels heavy?
Hit reply or share in the comments—we’re listening.
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I've spent some time learning how writers have talked about "joy," and so far I've found a lot of variability. It's interesting that such a common term seems to be so much "in the eye of the beholder." Thus far to me joy implies honesty and integrity such that you're able to feel a kind of "unlimited acceptance" in the world, like you really and truly belong. A lot like unconditional love.