Several weeks ago, I heard an excellent sermon on the subject of joy, and a just few days later, a morning devotional on the same topic appeared in my inbox. The consecutive messages caused me to pause and look inward toward my day-to-day emotional state. It quickly became clear to me that I do not allocate enough of my mental bandwidth toward celebrating the many things that bring me joy. Like all humans, regardless of their faith, I tend to become absorbed by the secular aspects of my life and, without realizing it, develop stress and anxiety over work issues, family issues, health issues, political issues environmental issues…..the list goes on and on.

The truth is, when I take ten steps back and view the totality of my life, I realize that I have been a damn lucky fellow—I am blessed beyond measure! So many aspects of my life inspire joy—my family and friends, my job, my church, my Gamecocks, my golf game (though it could use quite a bit of improvement!), and a wealth of subjects and activities that interest me. I simply spend too much of my time and energy living in my own head, with its worries, doubts, and preoccupations, instead of enjoying the present moment and all of the wonder it has to offer. As I’ve been more mindful of this tendency over the past few weeks, I have made an effort to pay more attention to the things that bring me joy. Not surprisingly, doing so has made me more resilient to the “issues” that inevitably arise each day, and I’m better for it!

But don’t take it from me—see for yourself! I encourage you to spend three minutes reflecting on the things in life, great or small, that bring you joy and start your weekend off in high spirits. You deserve it!