Quick. Stop what you’re doing right now.

Take a slow, deep breath in. And b-r-e-a-t-h-e out.

And notice:

What’s right with this moment?

Maybe it’s the gentle breeze coming in from the window. Or the fact that there’s not much on your schedule today. Or the great song that’s playing in the background. Or the excitement you’re feeling about an upcoming event.

What is it? What’s right with this moment?

[Pause here to think about it and let it soak in]

Got it? Read more »

I’ve been familiar with Arielle Ford for several years and have been thoroughly captivated by her work in the personal growth and contemporary spirituality movement. For the past 25 years she has been living, teaching, and promoting consciousness through all forms of media. Her career includes years as a prominent book publicist, author, literary agent, TV lifestyle reporter, television producer, radio host, publishing consultant, relationship expert, speaker, and columnist and blogger for The Huffington Post. How’s that for an impressive resume?!

Then, earlier this year it was highly recommended by a few folks that I connect with Brian Hilliard on Facebook. The buzz out there was that he was one of the most loving, spiritual, joyful souls on the planet and it was his mission to spread joy and love wherever he goes. And I would be “so blessed” if I would get connected with him. So I didn’t walk, I ran! And boy, were those folks right-on. This guy has single-handedly made me smile and filled my heart no short of a hundred times.

Come to find out that these two amazing and lovely people are husband and wife! And Brian is the “soulmate” who was the catalyst behind Read more »

I’m writing this from seat 9B on a flight from Milwaukee to Minneapolis, heading home with Bill after a 26-hour whirlwind mini-vacation. The trip was chock full of opportunities to “receive.” And let me tell you, it was quite a valuable lesson.

We’ve all heard the mantra: “It’s better to give than to receive.” Like most others, I always bought into that concept, too, until my ideas around it were challenged, causing me to think completely differently.

Yes, giving is wonderful! And it’s what makes the world go ‘round. However…

I just finished the book The Go-Giverby Bob Burg and John David Mann. If your life or business involves giving to others (which I hope it does!), then this book is a must-read. In the book, one of the Laws of Success is “The Law of Receptivity.” Its tagline: “The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.”

When I first saw that, I thought, “Huh?” But now I get it and Read more »

Beginning in the mid 1960’s, Marty Balin was the lead singer and founder of Jefferson Airplane—a pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement from the San Francisco music scene. I met Marty a few years ago backstage at an outdoor summer concert when he was performing with the spin-off group, Jefferson Starship.

Since then, we’ve spent time together on a few different occasions and I came to realize that this guy loves what he does. And I’ve been drawn to his voice since I was a kid (yes, some of my favorites are from my preschool days!). When I posted on Facebook that I was doing an interview with Marty, one of my FB friends commented: “Marty’s got one of the best voices in rock and roll!” Agreed.

Need a quick refresher? First check out this post to read the cool story of when Marty and I first met, and you can also catch a glimpse there of one of my favorite songs of all-time, “Miracles” (which hit # 3 on the Billboard charts in 1975).

Doing this interview with Marty was a joy…and a breeze. He’s laser-focused, living a life of intention and simplicity, and following the things in life that bring him joy—to a “t.” He’s living a lifestyle that Read more »

I just published my first interview with a musician. Big deal, right? Well, actually it is. When you’re in the middle of your own life—going about doing the things you do—it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. I nearly failed to notice that this interview actually fulfilled a dream for me!

A few years back, I had a plan in place to interview some of my favorite musicians and share their stories with the world. And as I looked at my blog this morning, I just realized that this “dream” has now become a reality. That is very humbling! My coach encouraged me to share the story of how it unfolded, as it’s a great example of how dreams often take shape…not necessarily looking like we originally planned!

The background

Four years ago I met legendary musician, Marty Balin (of Jefferson Airplane fame), backstage at a concert. Bill and I got to share some fun personal time with him before the show (go here for the details). I’ve always been drawn to classic rock music and the way it shaped our generation in the late 1960’s, so the conversation with Marty was a thrill.

After going home that evening, Read more »

As part of a series of interviews with some of my favorite Joy-Followers, I’m proud to introduce Kenny Lee Lewis, guitarist and vocalist for the Steve Miller Band for over 28 years.

Why Kenny?

Bill and I first saw the Steve Miller Band live a few years ago and were completely blown away. Here’s a group of guys that knows how to have fun and how to show the crowd a good time, connecting people through the joy of their music.

I particularly felt a connection with Kenny and after reading about him, I decided, yep—this was the guy I wanted to talk to. The Following Your Joy blog is full of stories of synchronicity, and I was enthralled with Kenny’s write-up of how he and Steve Miller started working together way back. On his website, Kenny tells how he snuck out of his house as a 13 year-old in 1968 to see Steve Miller play live.

From his website: “When I watched him that night in ’68, I could swear he made eye contact with me for a moment and winked. I made a sub-conscious auto-suggestion to myself right then and there that Read more »

Well, it’s official. Through your comments and feedback, you—our readers and subscribers—have given a message loud and clear. You’ve been captivated by stories relating to joy and the wonderful way in which life gets sweeter the more we focus on joy. It’s seems that you crave more stories and real-life examples of the power of joy in our lives.

Many of you have reported that it’s so easy to get caught up in the “busyness” of life, and that you’ve lost touch with what brings you joy, struggling to make it a priority.

You have so resonated with the idea of Following Your Joy, that I’m extremely excited, proud, and humbled to get a new gig going here. This blog started out as a place to share what I know about joy…but now it’s time to get some other big-time Joy-Followers involved!

So let’s learn from the experts and see how it’s done. Soon, you’ll see Read more »

I tend to pay attention when themes come up in my coaching sessions with clients. Most recently there have been several conversations around the “masks” we wear.

For example, you might wear a certain mask when you’re with family—not letting them know how you really prefer to raise your children. Or you might wear a mask with friends for fear of them learning how overwhelmed you really are with life. And the one I deal with most often—the mask you wear in the workplace. This one allows you to play the game, live up to (perceived) expectations, and most importantly—not let anyone see who you really are.

In my coaching, the masks that clients talk about are pretty big and definitely get in their way of fully being who they are.

Posing as someone else takes work

It takes a lot of energy to wear a mask; to be someone you’re not. One of my clients felt compelled to put on her mask every time she walked through the door of her large organization. She revealed to me that she worked hard every day to keep Read more »

What has been a turning point in your life; a moment or decision that led you toward greater joy? You know, one of those times where you know things will never be the same?

For me, soaking in the summer sun each year reminds me of one of those important times in my life. Back in my days in the corporate world, I had a great job. I enjoyed my role as Training & Development Leader and had the gift of spending my days with cool people, many of whom are still close friends.

Goofing around at work

One of those friends, Michelle, sat in the cube next to me and we’d constantly goof around in between working on projects. We’d laugh at anything and everything, throw notes over the cube wall at each other, and my absolute favorite was Michelle’s horn. I mean, literally—she had an actual “horn” sitting on the top of the cube divider wall. It was a heavy-duty metal one with a big black rubber ball on the end and screws attached to it, intended to clamp on to a kid’s bike. It was loud!

When something exciting would happen Read more »

If you read the last post, you saw that it was all about answering the question: “Who are you?” I’ve received several emails from readers saying this post really helped them clarify important priorities in life. So be sure to take a moment to read it first if you haven’t already.

Needless to say, after I published the post, I had the song “Who Are You” (by The Who) in my head for the remainder of the day…and week.

Then it got me to thinking that I should probably share with you what it reminded me of next.

Bill and I are both huge fans of The Who. It started a few years ago when we first saw the band live, and from the moment the rockers hit the stage—we were hooked. Since then, we’ve lived it up and seen nine shows in six states, always up close if not in the front row; we’ve hung out with the crew and made it backstage—I’d say that classifies us as official Wholigans!

A couple years ago the band had a contest where Read more »