For anyone hurting or scared or feeling worn out this morning: finding a way to move toward joy.

I was writing in my journal earlier while having my coffee. I paused, looked up and out the window which, when I had sat down 10 minutes earlier, had been a sky of just overcast — an indication of the storms they say are coming through today. Instead, I saw this rainbow, and my body smiled — literally and figuratively.

I was immediately flooded with a singular thought: there are people out there this morning who are hurting. They’re scared of what the day will bring. They’re worried they can’t handle things. They’re wondering if they’re falling apart. They’re afraid there’s no way out of whatever struggle they’re experiencing.

This post is for them. Whoever “they” are, wherever “they” are: look up. Look outward. Look beyond what is before you. Whether you’re capable this morning of a giant leap or a babyish, half-hearted crawl — move forward. Find the least little spot of joy on the horizon and move toward it.

That joy you perceive is in the far-off distance? It’s closer than you think.

So, walk on. Leap on. Crawl on. Drag the unwilling parts of yourself through jagged, rough pathways if you must.

And know this: that spot of joy you’re perceiving? That joy is within you right now, and in every step forward you are moving toward yourself.