"Hey!" I said to myself one day last summer. "Let's kick off a fun July 4th weekend with a colonoscopy!" Well, okay, it didn’t exactly happen like that. I was due for this treat, we were going to be in town and I wanted to get it over with.  I promise this isn’t the...

There is so much joy in learning a new word. I even have a list of words that I classify as “want to use this some day when the time is right” on a white board in my office—words like excrementitious, fantasmagoria and flibbertigibbet add a jazzy little mojo to life,...

Last May I got an email that changed a corner of my life, and that same email could very well change yours. It was from a former student of mine who said this, in part: As we move through life we meet LOTS of people and sadly some pass away and all we have are...

An artist named Lori Portka did a thing. And this thing turned me inside out with joy and inspiration. I’m betting it’ll have the same effect on you. Lori worked for two years to make 100 paintings to say “thank you” to and for 100 people who had a positive impact on...

Ever have a vision of the way you wanted something to work out…and it didn’t?  Of course you have. Personally, I’ve had a dream of going dog sledding in the snow. Which hasn’t exactly materialized yet. But a Plan B in that department once yielded an amazing experience...

Hey friends,  This is just a very short episode to let you know that I have some news to share with you! After creating 128 episodes of joy shots, my heart and my mind need a little space to dream some new dreams and create some new things for you. So I’ve decided to...

Tell me the truth: how do you feel about poetry? For the record, I have a consistent habit of being unable to see the deeper meaning in just about every heavily symbolic poem I’ve ever read. I took a couple poetry classes in college, and my MO, especially in one...

Some people have no nap-shame. They are excellent at taking naps, and gift themselves whenever they feel the need if they can. For instance, my father-in-law was a pro at it. He could fall asleep just about anywhere just about any time, especially, back in the day,...

There is so much to worry about these days, so much to steal our joy by filling our minds with stress and distress: the war in Ukraine, mass shootings that never seem to stop, natural disasters, crises among faith leaders, inflation. And because we are so...

You are very familiar with social norms--those unwritten rules of behavior that are considered acceptable in society. And since you probably want approval of the other people, you probably tend to comply with most of those unwritten rules of behavior.  And there are...

The challenges of moving from one stage of life to another start early…and the transitions don’t get any easier as time goes on.  Maybe you’re at an age at which you find yourself doing a fair amount of reflecting on your life--looking back at your past, taking stock...

Raise your hand if you just love being out of control of your life.  Right. I thought so. Exactly no hands are in the air out there.  Generally, we’re more comfortable thinking we can change circumstances, fix whatever (or whomever) is broken, and find whatever we’ve...

Not long ago, I was in a local bookstore and came upon an irresistible title that I’m convinced you will love as much as I do: Dessert Can Save the World: Stories, Secrets, and Recipes for a Stubbornly Joyful Existence. It’s the kind of book I put on my nightstand to...

How do you feel about letting God have it?  Your anger, I mean. Many people are really uncomfortable about railing at the Almighty but I’m here to issue  your permission slip to do so, and even suggest that God is really okay with you unleashing your truest, most...

When you’re presented with an opportunity, is your first response usually a “no”? Maybe you’ll change your mind later, but is your typical knee-jerk a negatory? Or maybe you know someone like this, and think, “sure glad that’s not me.” But that mindset is very common,...