Editor’s Note: Introducing Following Your Joy’s first guest blogger! The honor goes to my favorite guy in the whole world—my husband, my cheerleader, my best friend, my soulmate, my live-in comedian, my fellow joy-follower, Bill Stimpson.

A new lesson for me is that gratitude and joy go hand-in-hand. Where there is joy, gratitude is always present. And when I come from a place of gratitude, joy will certainly follow. After seeing this idea in writing now, I feel a bit silly making such a simple announcement! But until this past week, though, I never really understood it.

I don’t know that it’s possible to live a life that is joyful in all moments, but that doesn’t stop me from trying. Just like everyone else, I have those rough days, or sometimes rough stretches of days, when joy seems like a foreign concept. I recently had a particularly challenging week, culminating in a Friday that I thought would never end. However, it all changed in an instant, with a simple expression of gratitude.

That day, I needed to get away from the office for lunch. So along with a few of my co-workers, we went out and hit one of the local hotspots, specializing in all things chicken. Unfortunately, the place was completely packed, overbearingly loud, and filled with no fewer than 30 giant flat-screen TV’s…all providing the latest important updates in natural disasters, political turmoil, sports scandals, and, of course, wonderful products that would surely change my life in an instant. That atmosphere wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. Oh well, it still felt good to get away and I needed something to eat anyway.

After twenty or so minutes of strained conversation, our food finally arrived. I was starving and ready to dig right into my mouthwatering-looking chicken wrap. But, instead—in a stroke of good fortune—I paused and took a moment to acknowledge my food. I thought about each aspect of my lunch, where it all came from, and all the people that were involved in helping to create this meal for me. I felt especially grateful for the chicken that had, obviously, gone through the ultimate sacrifice so I could have a nice lunch.

Suddenly, my day seemed not so daunting. In fact, I felt amazingly better!

So while my coworkers were busy having a heated argument on the odds of the success of Tiger Woods’ marriage, I was having an amazing moment by myself. No one would have ever known. The gratitude I had for my chicken wrap spread within me like wildfire. I became grateful for my coworkers, grateful for my job. Grateful for my health, for my beautiful and cozy townhome, for all the wonderful friends and family in my life, and on and on. And most of all, of course, I was grateful for the amazing life that I have with my soulmate, Michelle, and the incredibly rich life we have created for ourselves.

This immense gratitude then manifested into joy; joy that completely filled me. The irony of the situation didn’t escape me either: Amidst all the chaos, I, who had arrived at the restaurant in such a hopeless state of mind, seemed now to be the only soul in the entire place that felt at peace.

My day had completely changed in only a moment’s time. And believe me, a chicken wrap has never tasted so good!

When I got back to work, all the day’s challenges were still there. But in light of my new attitude, everything seemed more doable. I completed my work, and I looked forward to a refreshing weekend. Even the thought of coming back to work on Monday seemed okay.

Again, I took a moment for myself—this time I was grateful for my experience at lunch, which had unexpectedly made such a joyful impact on my day. But more than that, I was grateful for this new life lesson—one that I knew would serve me well in the future, when I might once again find that joy has temporarily eluded me.

___________________________________________________

Bill Stimpson is a life enthusiast, personal growth addict, and part-time writer. For Bill, humor is a priority and a day is never complete without at least one good belly laugh!

Where has a moment of gratitude in your life turned into a feeling of joy?

A few years back, Bill and I attended a Treasure Mapping workshop. This class involved creating a vision board—a creative and fun way to set the intention for what you desire in life. And this new and softer method of goal-setting was a breath of fresh air for me.

Putting together a vision board encouraged me to connect with my heart, while randomly pulling pictures, headlines, words, images, and phrases out of magazines that matched my vision, or, what I wanted in life. The task was simple in looking through magazines: Go for what grabbed my attention, what resonated with me, what beckoned my spirit.

In paging through the magazines I brought to class, I was particularly drawn to a photo of my favorite guitar hero, Pete Townshend of The Who, in action. I knew I had to have him on my vision board. For me, he represented living life out loud and giving life all you’ve got. I love that!

Then, the word “backstage” jumped out at me. I had to have that word on my board, too. What that meant to me was being involved in life…not in the crowd, not on the sidelines, but being as up-close and personal as one can be in the game in life.

There were a bunch of other phrases and words I tacked on to my vision board that reached for the stars in speaking to my dreams, my fitness level, my business goals, embracing confidence, and being a bit of a rebel (okay, I still have a bit of work to do on that one).

So I framed my new creative expression of art and put it up on the wall in my office. I smiled when I saw it but didn’t give much thought to the details in it. I just knew that it reflected a fun side of me and made me feel happy.

Fast forward a few months later.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

My favorite band, The Who, extended their U.S. tour. Cool, I thought, and Bill and I looked into some of the west coast dates to see if we could plan a spring vacation around a few of the shows.

Things moved quickly and we booked a flight. We combined a trip to see family, visit the wine country, explore the Redwoods, and of course, pay homage to our favorite rockers. The first show was in Reno.

We made our way to this mini Las Vegas, and the night before the show, Bill and I searched for a bar to celebrate our first night of vacation. Within minutes of ordering a drink, we struck up a conversation with the guys next to us.

They ended up being part of the road crew for The Who!

We were shocked that we just happened to be at the bar where they chose to go (after all, there are plenty of bars in Reno to choose from!). We hung out with them for the evening, laughing, sharing stories, and becoming friends.

At the end of the night we exchanged cell phone numbers. They said they didn’t have any extra tickets for the show the following night, but we should call them before we head to the next show in Fresno and they’d get us great seats. I told them I appreciated it but we already had tickets. “Get rid of them,” one of the guys said. “These will be better.”

The Reno show was great, of course. A night of rocking with true legends! And then we made our way over the mountains the next day on our trek to Fresno. A scary snowstorm and white-knuckle driving the whole way. The Who’s opening band didn’t even make it out for the next show.

But we did. Whew!

Once in Fresno, we made our way up to the ticket counter and gave our names, saying that we were on the guest list. In exchange, we were handed an envelope.

Inside, we saw that the guys had given us complimentary second row-center tickets! Amazing.

We had a blast whooping it up before the show with the locals and even got the attention and interest of the local news crew; they were intrigued with us Midwesterners traveling “all this way.”

The concert was phenomenal and the band was on-fire. We had a blast up on our feet, singing, shouting, and dancing throughout the whole night.

Then after the show, one of our new buddies who had gotten us the tickets motioned us over from the side of the stage. Before we knew it, we were whisked backstage! Got a quick tour and then straight to the band’s luxurious tour bus for an after-party.

Who would have ever thought?!

What a fun night with all kinds of unexpected surprises. Our time on the tour bus was quiet and low-key, and I’m sure you’re wondering so I’ll tell you now: No, we didn’t get to meet the band. That’s okay, though—that might have put us over the edge!

When Bill and I were ready to head back to the hotel, we made our traditional run to the In-N-Out drive-through and continued to soak in all the excitement.

The next morning as I awoke in our comfy hotel bed, my eyes shot open wide and I think I stopped breathing for a moment. As I was grinning and reflecting on all the fun from the night before, it had just hit me.

Everything that had just unfolded was a manifestation of the vision board that hung on my wall back home.

Seeing Pete Townshend…going backstage…and what I didn’t mention earlier is that on the joint vision board Bill and I created together was a cut-out headline that said “Front and Center” in big, bold lettering. When I added those individual pieces to my vision board, I wasn’t implying that I wanted to be up front at The Who or go backstage. In fact, that idea had never even crossed my mind.

All I did was put together a few seemingly random things that resonated with me.

Look what happens when you remain open to where life’s road takes you!

The Law of Attraction states that it is up to each of us to determine the “what” and the “why”—what it is that we want and why it’s important to us. The “how” of it (as in, how it all unfolds) is up to the universe. There’s no reason for us to fret over the details.

There are more fun stories about subsequent shows on The Who tour later that year, including up-front experiences in Little Rock and Oklahoma City…and even ending up with Pete’s guitar pick landing right at my feet!

These last several years, I’ve learned that when you put an intention out there—and stay true to following your joy—anything is possible. Literally! Need some more examples? Here are a few additional mind-blowing synchronicities and Law of Attraction principles in action!

–How Synchronicity Led To A Front-Row Kiss
–Rockin’ With The Who
–Is Front Row Asking Too Much?
–Neil Diamond, CEO’s, and Magic

My professional background and training involves a more concrete style of goal-setting. And while I still work with that method of planning to set myself up for success, I now balance it out and enhance it with a bit of creativity and more of a heart-focus, often using a vision board to help me set my intention. What a powerful process!

Interested in making your own vision board? Be sure to check out our friend Barb Laporte’s book, Goal Achievement Through Treasure Mapping, in the Resources section which launched this exciting new perspective for us!

Have you ever created a vision board? If so, I’d love to hear about your experience!

Since February is the month of “Love” (well, every month is about Love, but if you step into a mall or Hallmark store–you know what I mean!), I wrote a guest post called “What Do You Love?” for my friends at Empoword.

Have you ever noticed how one word can get you into a certain mood? This is the strategy behind Empoword. Their products and services—focused around the ‘words’ in our life—help to strengthen us in our journey.

For example, I have one of their cool window clings up on my bathroom mirror that says “Gratitude.” So when I’m drying my hair each morning and my brain drifts to all kinds of trivial stuff (which it does), the word “Gratitude” always catches me. Instantly, it centers me and helps to remind me how grateful I am to be me, to be healthy, and for the day ahead. Of course, my morning isn’t necessarily always that profound; sometimes the word “Gratitude” simply reminds me to be grateful that I am having a good hair day or that Bill wiped off the counter when he was done. It’s all about the little things!

Back to “Love”: You can check out my post here. Special thanks to Stephanie and Wendy at Empoword for inviting me to write a Love post; but more importantly for helping the world choose positivity by becoming more conscious of the words we use.

What’s the word that helps you stay centered and focused?

Hello! As you can see from the photo above, I’ve been working hard and preoccupied with thoughts of how to make my blog better.

I could use your assistance! What got me thinking about this is a great quote by W. Somerset Maugham which is posted on my business website: “It’s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.”

See, I’m not interested in just “having a blog” or “being a blogger.” I’m only in this to make it rock. One of my friends recently said, “Of course you are going for the best—that’s how you roll!” My intention for this blog is that it creates huge ripples in the world! And if you’re not sure about that…well, just stay tuned.

A blog is driven by its readers, and that’s where you come in.

The background scoop on Following Your Joy (what you might like to know first):

This blog started last spring because of a big need I saw around me. You may know that I’m a Professional Coach, and what I found in my work with clients is that minimizing stress, prioritizing what’s most important, and feeling a sense of balance and fulfillment all seem to boil down to one simple idea: The power and importance of following the things in life that make you come alive and bring you joy.

I began to notice the same thing in my own life, too. The more I paid attention to the things in life that jazzed me and that brought me joy…the more the magic unfolded for me. Ten-fold. In fact, the more I embraced this idea, the more I was richly rewarded and blessed with magical life experiences.

Friends and colleagues started to ask: “How can I have what you have?” and “How can I experience all those great things you do?”

All around me, I sensed in others a deep desire and a yearning to live the good life. So in response, I started focusing my work on helping clients tap into the joy in their lives.

And this blog came to life!

The amazing feedback that started to pour in right away not only filled my heart, but it was validation that a call for focusing on joy is all around us.

Why your help is important:

It’s essential to consistently step back from whatever it is you are doing and ‘check-in’ to make sure you’re on-track; to identify what’s working and what’s not…and then make adjustments accordingly.

Over the last several months, I’ve researched, read, and studied what it means to have a successful blog. One thing I know for sure is that a blog thrives on its readers and subscribers (a.k.a., you!). In order to make this blog even better, though, I’ve got to understand a few things about what you might like to see.

*By the way, if you’re new here, first of all—welcome! And thank you for visiting! You can check out a collection of the top posts here to dive in and get your feet wet. :)

Finally, how you can help:

Please leave a comment below with your thoughts on any or all of the following questions—I’d be honored. Thank you in advance for your valued feedback!

Regarding this blog…

• What do you like best about it?
• How does this it stand out from others?
• How could it be even better?
• What future topics would you like to see addressed?
• What can I do to make this blog extra fun?
• What else?

Your comments and thoughts will help me drive the way forward for the blog. While I may not incorporate everything that is said, know that your comments are appreciated as they will certainly help me to think broader and play a bigger game.

Thank you, and here’s to the best of life!

With much gratitude,

Michelle, Chief Joy-Follower

I’ve always been enamored by the idea of “Life Moments.” Those moments in time where life stands still and you are simply and completely awe-struck. They’re times of celebration; times of pause.

What are those highlights for you?

A few that stand out for me (which all include my husband, Bill!) are:

–Swimming with dolphins in Key Largo as one of the dolphins and her calf repeatedly swam just beneath us—and with us—beckoning us to join them in their underwater play, watching and following our every move.

–Singing “Hey Jude” with Paul McCartney as he led a choir of 20,000 in a packed arena; the house lights were shining brightly on all of us, with many concertgoers in tears (“…na na na na na na na…”). Goosebumps!

–Watching the sun set from Mallory Square in Key West, where thousands gather nightly to celebrate nature’s ritual; as the sun melted into the water on the horizon, everyone stopped what they were doing and paused in complete respect and reverence—you could hear a pin drop.

–Ringing in the New Year (see photo above) on a cruise ship deck with family and 3,000 other partygoers; dancing in the warm breeze under a starry sky to Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” amidst noisemakers, confetti, streamers, flowing champagne, and fireworks.

–Renewing wedding vows on our 10^th anniversary deep in the peaceful Redwood forest, sitting on a blanket underneath giant skyscraper-like trees towering over us and sharing a bottle of wine and words of deep gratitude with each other.

These special moments and how I felt will never come again; not in the exact way or precise form. When I think back on these precious flashes of life, none of them were things I could have planned; each extraordinary and unique experience simply unfolded right in front of my eyes in its own glory and magnificence…and left me speechless.

Following your joy involves being open and ready for these moments to take the reigns and grab ahold of us. Moments like these call for us to be:

1) Conscious and awake to our lives

2) Intentional about how we live

3) Appreciative of all that comes our way

What an exciting and wonderful part of life! The quote on my vision board above my desk is by good ol’ Anonymous: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.”

Ahhh…perfect.

For another fun and inspiring post on a great run of life moments, be sure check out this one.

What is a “Life Moment” that stands out for you? Love for you to share!

Today is my birthday and the perfect day for me to honor, celebrate, and revere life. This past week has been one of the most intense weeks I have ever known, prompting me to reflect a great deal on life and the world around me.

All within a matter of hours, my grandpa had a significant heart attack; and my father-in-law went into emergency surgery as a follow-up to heart bypass surgery—landing him directly into the intensive care unit (ICU).

The next few days were incredibly intense and flanked with uncertainty—spending precious time at the two hospitals, talking through options with family members, jumping at each phone call, barely sleeping, dissolving into tears at the drop of a hat, and on and on.

I immediately cancelled all meetings and lunches on my calendar. While these were all scheduled with people I was excited to see, the need for focus was so strong that I didn’t even give it a second thought. I knew that I needed to clear the space—both literally and figuratively—to be ‘here’ for my grandfather, my father-in-law, my family…and myself.

In my coaching, I work with my clients on stripping away the “extras” in life; the things that distract them from being 100% on-purpose. And I now experienced the most perfect example of this in my own life. Canceling everything I had on my plate allowed me to be laser-focused, intentional, and unequivocally present to the monumental events right in front of me.

The week was full of heaviness, sadness, and uncertainty. And at the same time, it was also full of joy, love, and gratitude. Special times during the week included poignant moments I will never forget…

–Doing crossword puzzles with my grandma, playing ping pong, and sharing oatmeal cookies together in her quiet house as she waited and waited for her sweetheart to recover and come home to be with her.

–Sitting with my mother-in-law in the waiting room while her guy was in surgery—as we both patiently awaited her hospital pager to buzz, signaling it was time to confer with the surgeon.

–Giving my fragile grandpa, a once strong World War II Navy Officer in the Okinawa Campaign, a gentle shoulder massage over his hospital gown as he held my grandma’s hand.

–Standing at my father-in-law’s bedside and breathing in-and-out to match the rhythm of his ventilator; squeezing his hand and telling him how grateful I was to be a part of his family.

–Becoming acutely aware of my own heartbeat one morning in bed, as I put my hand on my chest to feel the rhythm of my healthy, smooth heartbeat…prompting me to softly whisper: “Thank you.”

–Being showered with phone calls, emails, notes, and hugs…full of love, hope, compassion, and prayer.

This past week, I learned the power of being where you are—right here, right now—and letting nothing else enter your space. From this place, it’s quiet, it’s peaceful, it’s real. It is to be cherished.

My grandpa is home now with his true love, resting and recuperating and doing well. Whew!

My father-in-law continues to be in critical condition in the ICU, but stable.

I feel very peaceful about both situations, knowing and trusting that there is a bigger plan for all of us. Part of following your joy is also about being ‘real’ and allowing yourself to experience the depth of all levels of life…and feeling every part of it.

For now, there are two polished stones on the center of our kitchen table. These stones were available in one of the hospital chapels for visitors to take after offering up a prayer. So my prayer was one of extreme gratitude for these two special guys, and that they both experience deep peace in their journeys. Amen.

On my birthday today, I’d like to make a toast to…life.

Have you ever seen Magen’s Bay in St. Thomas? What a fabulous place to leave behind any stresses, any “should’s,” any worries; and breathe in…life.

Similar to how a dog feels safe in his cozy kennel, as a beach bum I felt totally “safe” here on Magen’s Bay, too. The beach is surrounded by a cove; a magnificent three-sided wall of lush tropical green. There’s something about it that felt so comforting, and I was amazed by the acoustics—while there were hundreds of people having a good time on the beach, I noticed that we lowered our voices when we spoke, as if we were in a sacred space like a church or place of worship.

I was moved to take this shot of a carefree grandma resting with her grandchild under the sun. Seeing the peace that enveloped these two reminded me of how easy it is to be “on-the-go” or to be busy “gettin’ stuff done.” It certainly isn’t as easy, though, to tap into the joy of life amidst that busy-ness.

On the contrary, joy is wonderfully experienced when we slow down, take a deep breath, and relax into being.

You may have heard the notion that we’re human beings, not human doings. Clever, huh? But oh so true.

Where do you see yourself getting caught up in the rat-race? And how does it affect your family or those around you? One of my clients told me recently that when she comes home stressed-out and overwhelmed from the work day and is frantically trying to get things done around the house, it impacts her kids big-time. And they take-on that type of frenzied energy from her. As a culture, we’ve become famous for staying busy, active, and involved 24/7, moving us away from the quiet and the peace where wellness—and joy—reside.

Remember that around us ‘life happens.’ And there will always be all kinds of things going on in our world that we can’t control. What we can control, though, is how we react and how we choose to “be” despite everything else. While we might not necessarily be chilling on the beach, we certainly have the power within us to act as if we’re on the beach, regardless of the circumstance.

This anonymous quote posted in my husband’s office sums it up beautifully: “Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

Often, the joy in life is quietly disguised in the stillness. Where will you pause today, take a deep breath, and relax into being? For some additional insight, check out this story or this lesson to help get yourself in the mood. :)

We’re sailing the Caribbean on a mega cruise ship where glitz and glamour abound. Most of us onboard weren’t even aware of the massive destruction unfolding in Haiti and continued partying on and enjoying gourmet cuisine, fancy martinis, and live jazz.

I was particularly struck by the moment I learned of the news later the next day. I had purchased a half-day pass to an elite section of the ship called The Sanctuary, an adults-only “pocket of tranquility” they call it. Here, you get your own reserved comfy chaise lounge, similar to a cloud on wheels. Cleverly named “Serenity Stewards” are on-call to cater to your needs (including the menu item titled “Evian Water Mist” for your face!). Really, this place is a brilliant little piece of heaven.

So as I sipped my fruit smoothie upon learning the news, I laid there a while longer trying to imagine the stark contrast of an island just a short distance from where I was. And then I had to get up because, well, it just didn’t feel right to lay there any longer.

I’m observing all of us here on the ship extra keenly today; where elegance and opulence are a way of life. Don’t get me wrong–I love this experience! And I thoroughly enjoy the extra indulgent and nurturing pampering. But I’m taking a break this afternoon to give my money somewhere it’s needed more. Maybe you saw my recent post about the importance of “community” and how essential it is that we are here for each other? I hope you’ll check it out and donate in the way that you can, too.

Wishing all of us peace in the world and a spirit of compassionate giving.

To get 2010 started off right, let’s look back a bit…

First things first. Got any idea what the initial blog post was about back in April ‘09? In it, you’ll find the phrases: “Cedar Falls, Iowa,” “front row,” and “Taco Bell.” Still not sure? Here’s the gig that kicked this whole thing off back in the spring.

And…here are the reader faves from the rest of 2009!

Synchronicities & The Power of Intention:
–How Synchronicity Led To A Front Row Kiss
–Winning Tickets To The Caribbean
–Jefferson Starship and “Miracles”
–Neil Diamond, CEO’s, and Magic

Helping & Serving Others:
–How To Help Others Follow Their Joy
–You, Too, Can Make Someone’s Day

Law of Attraction & Concert Tickets:
–Rockin’ With The Who
–Is Front Row Asking Too Much?

Priorities & Life Purpose:
–Ever Been Called a “Quitter”?
–Is Today Giving You Energy…Or Draining Your Energy?
–Ever Wonder Why You’re Here?

Teachers of Joy:
–My Role Models in Following My Joy
–The Joy in Nature’s Lessons

And then there’s this one, just because it’s pure fun:
–Just Another Day On The (Nude) Beach

Thanks and love to all of you who support this blog! Thank you for reading the posts and commenting, for forwarding it to friends, for silently (and not so silently!) cheering me on, and most importantly for spreading the idea that when you follow the things in life that bring you joy…magic unfolds all around.

It’s true. Life really does get better when you Follow Your Joy.

Best wishes to you for a fantastic 2010! Who do you know who could use an extra dose of joy? Please share this blog with them, and together—let’s spread the good news.

“…People all over the world, join hands, start a love train, love train…” If you recognize this 70’s song by the O’Jay’s, and if you’re like me, you can’t help but get out of your chair and start dancing! And if you don’t know this one, you may want to add it to your library. I love that song! And from now on whenever I hear it, it will bring a “pause” to my life as I recall a very powerful and goosebump-inducing night last year.

Bill and I were on a cruise celebrating my 40th birthday. It was glorious! As we sailed the Caribbean, one of the nights on the ship was designated as “70’s Night.” That one had my name written all over it, and it was also the backdrop for some pretty cool personal experiences for me.

In the interior of our ship was a large promenade area that looked up seven levels and was probably the length of two football fields. This was the grand setting for the evening’s kick-off party as no less than a thousand passengers filled the space.

Most of us didn’t know each other and many of us spoke different languages. But when that O’Jay’s song blasted through the speakers, and the music pumped through and filled every single corner of that massive interior of the ship, time stood still. There were beach balls smacked up in the air and bouncing off walls wherever you looked, everyone was smiling, some were videotaping, cruisers around me were high-fiving, and all of us were dancing. Talk about following your joy!

It was in that moment that I realized the power of celebrating “community.” I didn’t know anyone else there, and it didn’t matter. But I felt so loved and supported in that moment as we all shared in the beauty of celebrating life…together. We were “in the same boat,” so to speak. And we needed each other throughout the week, as many of us were thousands of miles away from home—away from life as we knew it—sailing in vast open seas and visiting foreign lands.

We’re all in this journey of life together.

Another scenario that embraced this idea perfectly was when Bill and I hit the ship’s disco after dinner that same night. We walked in and the flashing disco lights halted and the more peaceful and soft slow-dance lights illuminated. Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” began.

We sat down and noticed an elderly couple, somewhere in their 80’s, emerge from their seats in the dark corner. They danced the most graceful dance together, obviously well-rehearsed over many, many years. As I tearfully watched them and wondered what type of lifetime stories they shared together, they effortlessly floated across the dance floor, never taking their eyes off one another, never letting their smiles dissolve. Yes, we do need each other. “What a wonderful world…”

Witnessing this made me reflect on turning 40 even more and on some of the many thoughtful gifts I received. One was given in my honor: a gift of food to feed a child in Haiti for two months. Two full months! I was speechless as I was instantly reminded of how essential it is that we support one other. It could even mean life or death to someone.

Community is to be celebrated.

A client and special friend gave me a card that birthday with a particularly poignant quote on the front. I’ve seen it many times before, but this time as I hit a milestone decade, it struck me more powerfully than ever before. The anonymous quote read: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.” And so that night in the disco, as Bill and I began to grow tired from our day of excitement, one more magical piece unfolded that tied everything together.

We were relaxing in an oversized, high-backed red velvet booth with our heads resting on the back, admiring the dancers. The classic “Your Song” by Elton John was playing, and the tune filled the disco to the top. The silver ball was spinning from the 2nd deck of the club, and Bill and I turned our heads to each other. And almost as if it were choreographed, we both belted out the lyrics to each other and sang along with Elton:

“I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind, while I put down in words…how wonderful life is while you’re in the world…”

I could barely get the words out without being choked up.

And so, who is it that you need in your life?
When was the last time that you told them?
How might you celebrate the power of community with them?

It’s way too easy in our fast-paced world to get trapped in a silo, trying to handle everything on our own. But remember that we live on this earth together. We are here for each other.

Who will you reach out to today?

Note: Here are a few other great stories about the importance of community and how we can help each other out:

–You, Too, Can Make Someone’s Day
–Ever Wonder Why You’re Here?
–How To Help Others Follow Their Joy