By: Marie Moore
Put down your phones, step away from the computer screen, turn off the video game and remove those earbuds. Click off the power button on all your remote controls and unplug. Disconnect. Work with me people, we’re just getting started! Forget about the bills, the housework, the groceries and your job. Dismiss the thought that there are a million things to do, to think about doing or to just think about.
Take off your glasses, close your eyes and focus your mind. Try to visualize every line on your face and then, one by one, imagine them melting away. Let your forehead droop and your mouth pout. Un-squint your eyes. Drop your shoulders.
Hear nothing but your heart beat and your breath as you breathe deeply. Breathe it in. Take your time. Fill your lungs slowly and steadily until new air saturates every single centimeter of space.
Now, get ready for the best part. This is when you find joy.
What makes you happy? Ice cream cones enjoyed on a sunny walk through the park or savory salsa with queso and chips? Is it the smell of a new-born baby or the leather interior in your new car? Is it the sound of waves hitting the beach or the guitar riff that shivers through Keith Urban’s fingers? I love the tickling sensation I feel on my leg when I come home and my cat lets me know how much she missed me, but even that pales in comparison to two little arms wrapped tight around me and my grandson’s voice telling me he loves me.
So, search through your list and find joy. Let it bubble up inside you and turn that pouty mouth into a warm and genuine smile. Let joy remind you of all the reasons why life is good.
Want to feel even better? Share joy with someone else. Volunteer to feed the hungry, take your favorite book to a hospital and read it to someone who’s too sick to do it themselves. Have you helped out at an animal rescue shelter? Have you taken an older neighbor grocery shopping? Have you called a friend who’s going through a tough time and just listened? 
Real joy also comes from giving. You can’t buy it for any price but you can grow it for free. Life, after all, should be meaningful. It should be cherished and cultivated. Life should be joyful.
The next time you get lost in the flow of modern times, remember to get back to the things that really matter. Find what brings you joy, coax it out of the corner, bring it to the center of your life and build your days around it. Have a joyful day!