The simple art of living joyfully is vastly underrated. We're taught so often to pursue success, cultivate the best in us, and progress in a satisfactory manner toward a set of goals that it becomes significantly difficult to enjoy the journey.

Don't get me wrong—I am all for maximizing our innate, unique potentials.

It's just that along the way, we forget how to have fun. Often, we find ourselves reacting to outside forces. If you're in an environment with other people in your daily job, you'll undoubtedly become frustrated with any one (or more) of those fine folks at any given time. You may not see any measurable growth in yourself professionally (or physically, for you fitness-minded folks—I salute you and your endless pursuit of GAINS).

(This is the song that happened to be playing while writing. I'm rolling with it.)

It's easy to be caught up in the day's minutiae and lose sight of the big picture. There's something to be said for living in the present. Mindful living is critical, but being able to see six (number arbitrarily chosen) steps ahead makes you truly formidable.

Think about it—taking a myopic view of the world means you're reactionary. You deal with whatever happens to fall into your path, without considering how it may fit into the context of the grand design for your life. When you're big-picture living, every aggravation is now compartmentalized; they become lessons.

This brings us to the title. How might you defend your joy?

I've said more than once that the day I stop smiling at work is the day I choose a new career. I firmly believe that. What helps me is to consider every day an adventure. Even the most rote task becomes a challenge; how efficiently can I accomplish [x] things today? How can I make today fun for myself?

Treating every day almost like a game might be an exercise in madness, but you'll (literally) waltz through the day unstressed. I like to think I've taken a page from Cam Newton's playbook. If you bring an element of self-competition (because comparing yourself to another is an asinine, destructive ego exercise) to your day(s), you'll blow through days/weeks/months, look back at what's left in your wake, and realize that none of it was nearly as soul-crushing as you thought.

Actively refuse to let your soul be crushed. Take steps to cultivate and insure your happiness in ways that already line up with what you do. For instance...

I am an audiophile and a musician. 65% of my day is consumed by music. I drive to/from work listening to music (and probably singing along). I drive to/from assignments listening to music (and might even be listening to music while on assignment—pro tip for sports reporters: asking an athlete about the music they listen to, and chatting about it honestly with them will let them see you're human, and they'll open up to you a little more). Music is on while I'm at my desk, and sometimes I'll share it with my coworkers (nobody ever complains about some Earth, Wind & FIre). Music fuels my gym sessions and my run sessions. I have playlists for focusing on something (probably work), for de-stressing, for keeping in touch with my emotions... I could be jotting down lyrical phrases, or devising basslines that never get written down (oh, well).

Overkill, but I'm getting to a point.

Doing that puts me and keeps me in a frame of mind where I enjoy life (I have two very specific playlists for that). For the moments that the world seems brutal, unforgiving, and unfair—which is exactly what it is all the time...best to never forget that—being able to process emotional responses (acknowledge, validate, and let go) is vital to protecting that joyful spirit from being snuffed out. Sometimes your defensive line needs a little extra help (Ha! sports pun), and that's where your joy-triggering habits come into play.

Do that thing that brings you back to your center. Meditate. Pray. Lift weights. Run (physically, not away from the pressures of life). Read. Listen to music. Heck...do it preemptively. When you make a decision about how you'll face the day, and back it up with something invigorating that you love... You and your joy become unstoppable. More than that—you and your joy become infectious.

Your spirited push through life is all you have. Once it's gone, you'll experience what a mentor told me once: "You will die a miserable life." This is not to say that you cannot be a responsible adult, because you can and must (because bills and collection agencies and laws and stuff).

So...that's my secret.

Behind the equal parts absurdity and relentless drive...there lies a deliberate manchild—aiming for constant improvement, setting realistic expectations for the world, and being playful about both. It makes sense, since I'm only 25, but I intend to keep it that way.