Life Lesson 1: Joy

Don't get me wrong working with Casey has its struggles and hard moments but most of the time it’s very fun. We do fun things like, hiking, picnics, cooking, fry dates, shopping and a lot more. What makes it so fun is that Casey is always happy. I mean this girl is always laughing and cracking jokes. (some of her favorites involve attempts at tricking me) Sure Casey gets frustrated and sad but like most young children she doesn't dwell on those emotions. Think about a 3rd grader who forgets to put away a toy when they are done. Mom and Dad get angry with the kid and there may be some tears but then it's off to eat dinner and laugh with each other. I feel like many times we as a society forget what optimism is. I see news channels only broadcasting bad things happening in our cities and everyone posting about and sharing the bad things happening in our world. When I open instagram stories to see what people are sharing and reposting all I see is crime, poverty and death. What about the stories about a teen that is raising autism awareness, the girl that was missing for years finally found, the cancer survivors that never lost hope. These are stories that are just as worthy to be heard and shared as the bad ones. We should all try dwelling on the good news stories every once in a while. Casey has shown me to find happiness in the little things and to dwell on this happiness not sadness. Although Casey can be at times dramatic she has also shown me that the bad stuff can be easily brushed off in order to enjoy the good stuff. Nobody likes to be sad, angry or frustrated. She simply takes a breath, flips a switch in her head and she's on to talking non-stop yet again but about something that brings her joy. Things that bring her joy are as simple as passing a sign that is her favorite color or going to Starbucks just for the green straws. So remember Casey's lesson of joy; dwell on happiness and joy and not anger, frustration or sadness, find joy in the little things; and overall do your best to be an optimist. Because who doesn't want to be happy?

Application Challenge: Today do one small thing to make yourself smile.