Slow down to the speed of JOY

Nothing drives home this metaphor like going full blast on a treadmill, which I did yesterday for about a half hour, and don't recommend.

I was just over halfway through Workout No. 8 of a 12-part intermediate jogging series, and the ponytailed instructor, whom I'll call Misty, was batting her eyelashes and having just a bit too much fun.

Seriously, Misty, you need to stop and sip ice cold green tea on camera, while I'm still running and sweating to death?

At one point I started shouting obscenities at my screen, as if that would help. Finally, it hit me: Why am I forcing myself to keep up?

I was forcing myself to keep up because I was afraid of being laughed at or regarded as a slacker. Then I realized how absurd that was, and for the rest of the workout, I gave myself as many breaks as I needed. You're welcome, heart.

How often do we take something that should be enjoyable – movement, for example, or life – and let our joy give way to fear? Or shame? Or off-the-charts frustration?

What if instead we made joy our default? I know. Easier said than done. But what if we woke up every day and at least made joy our priority? Think of how it would affect our decisions, our goals, our relationships.

Example: Chances are you have at least one relationship that is joyful – in smaller doses. Whether it's your relationships, your work or even a hobby, it's okay to scale back to the speed of joy. It might even save the quality of your life.