Joy lives in the present moment.

    Being mindful basically means being present in this moment.  Really focusing on the information that is coming in through 1 or more of your 5 senses, right now.  It means paying attention to what you're doing in this actual moment, and not thinking about the future or the past, or numbing yourself.  Here are common ways of NOT being mindful:

• Eating while you're binge-watching a TV show, and at some point realizing you've just eaten the entire bag of chips without really tasting most of them.
• Being in a conversation and realizing that you haven't heard a word the other person has said for several moments because you've been preoccupied, thinking about what you're going to say next.
• Lying on a beach and instead of just immersing yourself in the views and the smell of the fresh air and the sounds of the waves, you're busy taking photos and posting them on Instagram and Facebook.

It's not that any of the above is that bad, it's just that joy only lives in the present moment.  Take a moment right now and think about a time in your past when you felt intense joy.  .  .  .  .  .  You were fully present in that moment.  You weren't worrying about the meeting with your boss the next day, you weren't dwelling on an argument you'd had the day before, you weren't planning what you were going to do after work tomorrow.  You were intensely alive in that moment of joy, completely focused on the emotions, the sights, sounds, etc.
    So, if you want to experience joy every single day of your life, train your brain to be able to come back to the present moment when it wanders off into the future or into the past.  The best training for that is mindfulness meditation.  If you're new to this, here are a couple of easy ways to get started:

• Find a time and place where you can be alone, and listen to this 10-minute recording. Do this every day for three weeks, and notice the positive effects.  Gradually work up to 20 minutes a day without the recording.
• Choose something simple you do most days, such as preparing and drinking a cup of coffee, or taking a shower, and do it mindfully.  Pay intense attention to all the information coming in to your 5 senses, such as the sound of the coffee pouring into the cup, or the smell of the shampoo.  When you notice that you're mind is wandering to something in the future or the past, just gently bring your attention back to your senses.  Your mind may wander many times, and that's normal -- just bring your attention back to your senses each time.

    If you practice mindfulness meditation every day, you will notice a shift.  It will become easier for you to shrug off negative emotions and you'll feel more relaxed and in control of yourself.  You will experience more joy.  Just google "benefits of mindfulness meditation" and you will be impressed with all the research results.