“You haven’t smiled in months,” my mother tells me. I think she was right. There were a number of things wrong at the time.

I thought back to my freshman year of college, my first time living away from home. When I felt lonely, miserable, or like “blah” as I liked to call it, I called my mom. Her usual questions were, “Have you played the piano today? The guitar? Done anything musical? Why don’t you hang out with a friend?”

So, I would drag myself out of my dorm room, go to the dining hall, and inevitably run into friends. We’d talk and laugh, watch movies, or play ping-pong. Other times, I went to the music hall, played the piano for an hour or so, then went to the dining hall and met up with friends. These things brought me joy.

Years later, the same problem has returned, but its prolonged, “You haven’t smiled in months.”

Here are the remedies I have discovered:

Call a friend. In junior year of undergrad, going to the dining hall to run into friends didn’t work anymore. Most of them had apartments, and others were studying abroad. I had to schedule times to share a meal with my peers. Similarly, now my friends have different work schedules, family commitments, and live in different states. We’ve found it best to schedule a time to talk.

Play the piano. That’s a source of joy for me. Maybe yours is drawing, coding or gaming. If whatever it is has been neglected for a while, carve out some time and pick it up again. I got new music and started playing the piano more often. What can you do?

Be creative. That is part of how Boundless Joy was born, as a way to reignite my passion for creativity, to grow as a writer, work on a website, a little graphic design, and to plan something fun just for me.

Coming back to these sources of joy has also reignited my passion for them.

Life Lesson: Pursue joy!

**You may notice that I did not say “pursue happiness.” Happiness comes and goes, but joy lasts through life’s ups and downs.