Joy Wasted with KB Dickey

Hi, Joy Junkies 💛

I know… I know. I’ve been a little MIA. But listen—life has been LIFE‑ing, and I know it’s been doing the same thing to you too.

We are in a serious season of loss. A season of death. And honestly? Nobody has been spared. The hard deaths leave a sting you don’t just “get over.” And yet, here we are—the living—still breathing, still here, still responsible for how we move forward.

So let me talk to you for a minute.

First lesson: People will try to box your grief in.
Three business days.
Clock out your pain.
Use up your PTO.
Report back like nothing happened.

And let’s be real—HR has been struggling with empathy. Everything is “business as usual,” case closed. But dear employers, please don’t miss this part: people run the business. Not AI. Not systems. People.

People build trust through relationships.
People buy the products.
People use the services.
People watch the content AI creates.

So please—people before profit. When you take care of people, loyalty takes care of the profit.

Then there’s social media and our extended social circles. You’ll get the virtual hugs, the copied prayer emojis, the “I’m so sorry” texts. And then—scroll—they’re onto the next reel.

It’s not cruel. It’s just reality.
So take it for what it is.

The world goes back to equilibrium.
Life keeps moving.
And you are left to grieve at your own pace.

Which brings me to this: set boundaries.

Do what serves you in the moment.
Some days I kept my plans.
Some days I canceled everything and napped.
Sometimes I binged TV.
Sometimes I sat still.
I sang. I scrolled. I laughed at comedy. I prayed. I cried. I listened to music.

And guess what? It changed moment by moment.

Grief has stages:

• Shock
• Denial
• Deep pain
• Painful thoughts
• Heightened senses—where everything reminds you of them
• Compartmentalizing life just to keep functioning

If you’re spiritual and you know the Lord, you get this differently. You understand death isn’t final—it’s a reward for those with a relationship with Christ. But for those on the fence about life after life… whew. Let’s be honest—you’re playing with eternity like it’s Russian roulette.

And eventually—if you let it—grief turns into grace.

Grace for yourself.
Grace for others.
Humility.
Reflection.
Refocus.
Restoration.
And crystal-clear clarity about what needs to change in your life to honor God.

Because once you experience loss like this, life becomes unbearably precious.

So let me end here.

You better understand the importance of your DASH.

Your dash is the time between two dates:

• The day you were born
• The day you leave this earth

That little dash? That’s your life.

You don’t know how long yours is. But what happens next—that eternal space your spirit enters—that is determined by how you lived your dash.

So learn how to live it right. Love deeply.
Serve freely.
Repent quickly.
Forgive fully.
Build a relationship with the Divine.

Hold tight to what matters.
Release the small stuff.
Stop stressing what you cannot control.

Pray without ceasing.
Learn what heals you.

You are righteous in God. And as Kingdom citizens, we have the right to pursue healing.

Is this a magic formula? Nope.
It’s a blueprint—for right thinking, right speaking, and right living—when life shows up uninvited with tests disguised as hopelessness…..look towards the testimony. This too shall pass!

So as always, Joy Junkie…
Stay encouraged.
Bring joy to someone besides yourself today.

Rich Auntie out.