The Shift: Joy isn’t something “out there” to achieve; it’s cultivated from within.

Practice:  Move your body. Laugh with a friend. Put on music and dance—alone or with others.

Feel the aliveness that’s already in you.

For much of my life, I ran on what’s often called the hedonic treadmill, pursuing one achievement after another. I worked and saved to put myself through college, then earned a job, followed by a doctorate, and ultimately built a business. Each milestone mattered, and the journey has been meaningful.

But I’ve come to realize something vital:

Happiness tied to future accomplishments is fleeting.

Joy is available now—when we embody it.

In my coaching work, I’ve met many successful leaders who have everything—status, wealth, achievements—yet still feel an inner emptiness. Despite their outward success, they long for a deeper connection to themselves and the world around them.

So what makes the difference?

Joy arises when we become present in our bodies and in the moment.

It’s a shift from striving to sensing. From “doing” to “being.”

One executive I worked with was stuck in relentless goal mode. Together, we explored small shifts. She began starting her day not with email but with music, just one joyful song. Sometimes, she danced. Sometimes, she simply swayed. Within weeks, her energy transformed. She smiled more, connected more deeply with her team, and found herself enjoying the journey again.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. Research confirms what many of us feel instinctively:

Laughter, music, and movement, especially in community, reconnect us to our natural joy.

When was the last time you let yourself dance? Laugh out loud? Feel joy in your bones?

Yes, the world is filled with challenges. Joy doesn’t deny hardship—it accompanies it.

When we cultivate joy, we become more resilient, creative, and open to possibility.

So today, I invite you to pause.

Put on a song.

Move.

And feel the joy that’s already within you—waiting to be embodied.