Changing My Name to Joy: My Spiritual Awakening at Five
The moment I claimed my name—and my Divinity.
From as early as I can remember, I lived life as an adventure. Taking risks. Falling down. And making some pretty bold moves towards understanding the truth of who I am.
A Sunday School Moment That Changed Everything
One of the most defining moments of my early life happened when I was just five years old. Every Sunday, my family attended the Unity Church of Bellevue. One morning in Sunday School, while learning about Jesus's life, our teacher read aloud from the Children’s Bible: “I am the light and the way.”
I didn’t hear those words as a story about someone else. I felt them. As soon as she spoke them, I felt enlivened and hopeful.
Something inside me stirred. I heard my inner voice echo, “I am the light and the way.”
It was as if a switch flipped inside me. Could it be true?
The Way Was Within Me
In that moment, I felt the way wasn’t something I had to find—it was me. And with that realization came a wave of joy so big, so clear, that it changed something in me forever.
Not long after, I decided to change my name.
From Jo… to Joy.
One Small Letter, One Big Leap
I was still learning to read at the time, and I saw that adding a y to Jo wasn’t just easy—it was true. That one small letter felt like a giant leap toward who I really was. I didn’t ask for permission. I simply began correcting people:
“No, my name is Joy.”
Eventually, my teacher called my parents to let them know what was happening. She said, “Your daughter has informed the class that her name is Joy now.”
My parents hadn’t heard a word about it from me—I didn’t want to disappoint them.
“We Hear You Want to Be Called Joy…”
One evening, after dinner, they brought it up.
“We hear you’re telling people your name is Joy. Is that the name you want to go by?”
I looked down, then up, and answered, “Yes.”
My dad smiled and said, “Okay. But you can only change your name once.”
And just like that, they legally changed my name to Joy.
Me as Jo and then Me as Joy
Aligning with my guidance
That choice, made from a place of deep inner knowing, became the foundation for everything that followed. It was the first time I experienced the power of aligning with my guidance and standing in it, even when it felt forbidden or unexpected.
Since then, my path has been one of continued awakening. I’ve studied with many spiritual teachers, explored different traditions, and gone on pilgrimages to sacred sites worldwide. But that first moment of clarity—when I felt the light inside me and named it—remains one of the most profound.
The Soul Knows
And it reminds me that the soul knows.
Even at five years old.
If you’re standing at a threshold in your own life—wondering who you really are, or what you're here to embody—take heart. The truth is already inside you. You don’t have to wait for someone else to name it for you. You get to listen, claim it, and be it.
Let your joy lead you.
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