Finding Joy in the Little Things

Woman jumping in the air for joy

Sometimes life feels too big - the bills, the headlines, the to-do lists that multiply like Gremlins. It’s easy to get stuck staring at the big, scary stuff and forget that joy is often hiding in the small, ordinary moments.

Finding Joy in Nostalgia

Remember when happiness was a Ring Pop or a Saturday morning cartoon, or going to see Lost Boys in the theater (which I am currently doing as this is posting)? Finding Joy didn’t have to be complicated, and it still doesn’t.

The Everyday Little Wins

For me lately, joy has been as simple as:

• Finding my reading glasses before the panic sets in.

• A nap that wasn’t planned but was definitely needed, and that I didn’t resist.

• Sipping on that perfect milkshake that tastes just right.

  
  

These aren’t flashy moments. They won’t make the evening news. But they matter.

The Big Joy in a “Little” Box

And speaking of little joys, one of my biggest ones this week was opening the box of my first printed workbook samples. To some people it might just look like a stack of books, but to me it was HUGE. It’s been months of late nights, second-guessing, and wondering if I’d ever actually hold them in my hands. Flipping through those pages was a moment of “yes! this is real.” A little thing on the outside, but a massive joy for me on the inside.

Joy as a Survival Strategy

Midlife can feel heavy, we’ve got kids, parents, health, and the daily grind all stacked on top of us. Choosing joy in little things isn’t denial, it’s survival. It’s how we remind ourselves we’re still standing.

That’s why I’ve created the Survival Fun Guide workbooks, because sometimes joy is rediscovering yourself on paper, making lists of what really matters, or just laughing at the absurdity of it all.

Closing

✨ The first wave of workbooks will be ready for holiday pre-order soon, because giving yourself (or another Gen Xer) the gift of reflection and survival might just be the biggest little joy of all.

Until then, I’d love to hear: What little thing brought you joy this week? Drop it in the comments - let’s collect those small wins together.

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