The first attitude is the attitude of joyfulness. I believe that one of the best ways to build and strengthen this attitude is by having joyful experiences in the present moment. Being present with joyfulness is taking delight in what is going on right now, in this moment.
 

•   enjoyment that comes through the senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching something that gives us a positive feeling
•   enjoyment that arises out of our interests and curiosity
•   enjoyment that results from the satisfaction we experience by something that we are doing
•   enjoyment from the personal connection that we experience between our self and others

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One of the most significant aspects of our intellect is our sense of time. It is often in our consciousness, either in the forefront of our minds or in the background. This sense guides us through our day, from the time we get up till the time we go to sleep. Remembering the past and anticipating the future strengthens survival and adaptation. At any given moment, our attention can be on the past, on the present or on the future. Unfortunately, we can become consumed with regrets about the past and with worries about the future; replacing regret and worry with fond memories and joyous anticipation helps. However, I am also suggesting and encouraging you to have a different kind of joy—a joy that is steeped in the experiences of the moment, the here and now, and not on thoughts that are rooted in time. Being joyful requires that we not be so captivated by the dimension of time that we are unable to be conscious of the moment. Being mindful of the moment is sometimes called having “presence.”



​Take delight in what is going on right now, in this moment.​

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How we come to joyful feelings is a very individual matter. In the exercises following this section of the book, give some thought to how you bring joy into your life. I could make a list of the various ways that people bring joy into their lives but it would end up being a very long list and I think it would be too impersonal. So, by way of illustration, let me tell you some of the things that bring joy into my life:
 

I love to be in nature: walking, hiking, skiing, or being on or near the water. But the place that I spend most of my time in nature is in my garden. The beauty of plant life draws my attention to the outdoors and feels wonderful to me, no matter the season. Nurturing a seed or a sapling to a fully adult plant gives me enormous gratification. I feel the presence of the universe in nature.
 

I love playing the piano and singing. Making music gives me an incredible feeling of presence and music can propel me through a wide range of emotions that is restorative. As I gain mastery over a song, I feel a sense of accomplishment and my creativity unfolds in a way that gives me a strong sense of my uniqueness.
 

I love spending time with my wife, with my children, with my extended family and with my friends. Enjoying each other’s company and having a sense of connectedness completes me. When my presence is reflected back through the presence of others and when I reflect their presence, I feel like a loving entity has been created. Each of these relationships has its own special properties that are dynamic and uplifting. Later is this book, I will discuss the “we.” For me, it is powerful and in the moment has a sense of timelessness.
 

I love to read. It opens up the world to me. It stimulates my brain. It helps me to learn and grow. And it gives me a good laugh.
 

I love to write. Writing forces me to think and put my swirling thoughts and feelings into words. It unburdens me. I understand myself better by writing.
 

I love my work. I feel so honored that people share their private and personal stories and feelings with me. And I get great satisfaction from feeling like I have made a difference in people’s lives by helping them with their difficulties. I feel blessed that I am able to do this work.
 

I love a lot of simple little nothings. It’s a bit hard to explain but I think that it arises from sensations and interests.
 

These are some of the things that bring joy into my life.
 

But that’s me. What about you? Is it important to you to have joy in your life? Does it give your life meaning? I suppose, in some ways, it is an existential question. For the purposes of this book and for what I am saying about mental health, I am proposing that having joyful feelings within yourself and within your relationships is essential.