An intriguing part of our human experience, joy is an awfully big emotion packed into a tiny package. For many of us, it tends to be one of those elusive emotions felt only with success or good fortune. However, in exploring definitions of joy, its true character is more internal than external. It occurs in even the simplest of everyday moments and can be felt when we are open to the world, connected with ourselves, or embracing moments as they unfold.

Over the past few months, I’ve noticed the speed of daily life seems to be increasing to a frantic pace. This frantic-ness is never more noticeable than during the final months of the year. It is exactly this frantic-ness that creates the need for our wellness practices more than ever, specifically those that draw us mindfully into the present and facilitate our ability to thrive during the final days of the year. The practice of gratitude is one component of a wellness toolkit that can facilitate a slowing-down.

Life is peppered with ups and downs. We have days of great success as well as those when challenges feel difficult to overcome. Influencing us through it all is the resilience we all possess in some capacity – playing a significant role in our ability to adjust to life changes and events. Though resilience, like wellness, will look different for each of us, there are strategies we can all use to build even greater resilience.

The shift from summer to fall is such a dynamic time. Settling into September, many of us face changes in routines from summer days just past. Unlike navigating a season change, building wellness desired and envisioned requires more than just transitions. While developing “what was” to “what can be” through intentional transition is a first step, to shape our unique wellness also means addressing our own transformation.

Daily life is filled with weighing options and making decisions – it is one of the most common things we do! Intertwined with nearly every action of a day, we continually intake information, sort it into something that makes sense, and then choose (or sometimes not choose) the next step forward. And while not always difficult or complex, just the act of sifting through choices can be a taxing process that challenges us daily. This is true with wellness, too.

On an ordinary day, we accomplish hundreds if not thousands of tasks. Many are automated and habitual – we barely think about brushing our teeth or putting on clean clothes. Others, however, require focused attention, such as the endless debate about what to have for dinner. One such task that often goes unnoticed is the pencil-to-paper act of writing.

It is often believed that through making lifestyle choices paired with setting and achieving goals, we build wellness envisioned and actively construct the life we desire. However, key components frequently underestimated for their impact on wellness are emotions and feelings.

While springing forward brings light to the evening, there are drawbacks to our bodies with shifting the time. A powerful way to address the fluctuations and challenges of the spring is with an emphasis on wellness through sleep. Though an area that is frequently overlooked and undervalued, sleep is an essential ingredient to creating balanced wellness.

Just like negotiating the winter/spring transition, we can envision the spring ahead but must also navigate the uncertainties of the present. It can be a bumpy process. What is certain, though, is that change is perhaps the most constant process we will ever experience. From enduring seasonal change to managing daily challenges, there will always be changes to navigate and overcome.

Our hearts are amazing. As one of the most essential organs, our hearts are engines for life. Pumping oxygenated blood and feeding vital nutrients into our bodies – the work of the heart is massive and mighty. It is with beating hearts that we can move and laugh; we can work, learn, and play.

Another amazing function of our heart is as our emotional core – the space from which we live our lives.

With the transition to the new year, I would like to offer the idea of envisioning as a powerful way to harness the electric energy currently in the air. Envisioning is a process through which we can accomplish more than just thinking about what we want to happen...