You Can Find Peace and Joy Wherever You Are Right Now

Right now. Today. In this very moment, you can find peace & joy, wherever you are right now. Or so says my “You Are a Badass” calendar.

It’s right. I’ll prove it. Here’s my day thus far…

My dog, Friday, greeted the day by giving me (basically) mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for about three minutes before I could even turn the alarm off. I wanted to push her away, but instead, I let her little kisses cover my face. There’s nothing like the unconditional love of an animal to remind you to pause and savor life. I know one day, I’ll miss this desperately, so I treasure it now.

I didn’t want to, but I hit the elliptical for 40 minutes. The icy sidewalks outside are icy. I wish I had a treadmill. Even in the endless running in place of that morning workout, I can find joy in small victories—and in keeping my body moving, no matter the weather. Bonus: I’m one full bottle into today's water goal. Well on my way.

Two baskets of clean laundry are waiting to be folded. It’s easy to grumble and let the task loom over my day. Just one more chore to tackle. But then I remind myself that I’m lucky to have clothes I like and a place to put them away neatly. Many people don’t.

Bookkeeping errors from automation have me scratching my head, but they’re not disasters. They’re inconvenient, frustrating, and just challenging enough to keep me on my toes. I’m reminded that every problem has a solution. It may not always be the picture perfect resolution we want, but it’s an option and it's unlikely this minor issue will trigger an audit. Yay! I shouldn’t be audited!

I need to cut new demo segments, but work, auditions, and the “stuff” that comes with running a voiceover business all seem to steal my time. Instead of stressing, I make a plan. I’ll calendar it. Five days from now, the demos will be complete. Strategy beats panic every time.

It’s only noon, and yes, it’s a lot. But here’s where peace and joy come in. Every inconvenience, every hiccup, every delayed task is an invitation to notice the good in the moment. Every challenge is a chance to practice patience and to screw up a little more determination. Finding peace in daily life isn’t about ignoring problems. It’s about choosing how you respond, to panic or not, and in refusing to let frustration steal your calm and happiness.

This is more than simply looking on the bright side. It’s quietly saying, “Not today, Satan. Not today.” It’s believing, even when life bumps you around, that you are stronger than the frustrations, that your spirit can rise above the chaos, and that the world won’t collapse because your day isn’t perfect. Peace and joy aren’t destinations. They’re cultivated in the small moments, in the choices we make every day.

And today, for all the little things, I choose both.