2025 - Love Out Loud | A Blog Series | 2

Every single day, the universe hands us hundreds of sparkling reasons to celebrate ... not just the obvious ones like birthdays or big wins, but the quiet, twinkling moments most folks miss.

Want to live an extraordinary life? Start by letting joy crack wide open inside your heart. Invite it in. Make it dinner. Let it stay the night. Then wake up and do it again.

Joy doesn’t just show up, you’ve got to nurture it, call it by name, and feed it regularly.

How?

By slowing down long enough to see the sacred in the simple:

• Stare in wonder at the glistening geometry of a spider web

• Cheer wildly for the bravery of a toddler’s first wobbly steps

• Bury your nose in a bloom and breathe deep

• Let the stars humble you

• Dance in the moonlight like you're in your own indie film

These small rituals? They’re sacred. They’re strength. They’re joy with its sleeves rolled up.

Now, let’s lean into four everyday practices that will help you turn up the volume on joy, because joy, my friend, is not a luxury.

It’s your birthright.

1. SMILE AND LAUGH

Your smile is your invitation to connection. It says, I see you. You’re welcome here. And guess what? Smiles are free, unlimited, and wildly contagious.

So, beam that grin like you mean it. Laugh freely. Laugh loudly. Laugh so hard you snort.

Laughter doesn’t just sound good, it heals. It lifts the fog, unplugs the drain of dread, and infuses the room with light. Science backs this up, but honestly, your heart already knew.

When we laugh, we release the heavy stuff and make space for joy to dance.

So laugh more. Worry less. Smile like it's a revolution. (Because it is.)

2. ADMIRE THE WONDER

Let’s be real, modern life moves fast. Like, warp-speed fast. But the magic? The wonder? It lives in the in-between moments, and you’ve got to train your heart to catch them.

Pause.

Look up.

Notice.

There’s wonder in the glint of morning dew on your lawn. There’s wonder in the hush of snowfall, the synchronized sway of trees, the chorus of birds. There’s wonder in a kid’s question, a standing ovation, and your dog’s floppy-eared devotion.

Wonder recalibrates the soul. It pulls us out of the grind and drops us right into the present, where joy has been waiting all along. Make time to marvel.

3. PLAY

Play isn’t just for kids. It’s for anyone who wants to feel fully alive. It’s not frivolous, it’s foundational.

Play heals. It humbles. It reminds us that joy doesn’t always need a reason.

So grab the sidewalk chalk. Play tag with your dog. Build a sandcastle. Sing into a hairbrush. Try the pogo stick. Let go of looking cool.

We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.

4. GET EXCITED

There is always something to get excited about. Always.

Your upcoming vacation. A note from an old friend. A new haircut that makes you strut. That tiny win at work. The first sip of coffee on a cold morning.

Excitement is fuel, and it’s too often rationed. Why wait for the big stuff when there’s so much sparkle in the small?

The more we allow ourselves to feel genuine excitement, the more we train our brains to search for it. And soon, joy isn’t something you chase, it’s something that chases you.

So yes, follow your bliss. Find your fire. And for heaven’s sake, let yourself be thrilled by the ordinary.

Joy is a Muscle

If you want to love out loud, start treating joy like a muscle. Flex it. Stretch it. Feed it. Rest it. And keep showing up for it, especially when life feels complicated.

Because no matter the storm, no matter the heartbreak, joy is still possible. It’s the soft light after the hard day. It’s the surprise giggle in a serious moment. It’s the holy yes in the middle of your no.

So, celebrate everything. Even the rough stuff. Especially the rough stuff.

Joy is not optional.

It’s essential.❤️

Love Out Loud is a blog-series where we explore all the ways in which we can engage with everything about our life. It's through the contrast that life brings our way that we learn what we do not want and what we do want. Each day is significant, and it matters how we approach it. Take a moment to check out the different chapters in this series on www.iloveureka.com