Many of us reach a point when our lives become routine, dull, and thankless. We lose our sense of meaning and direction. There seems to be a lack of purpose and feelings of hopelessness permeate our very being. We do reach a time when we are tired of being emotionally constipated and seek out ways to break this numbing cycle. The time has come to venture into something new.

Here Ways to discover joy:

• Listen to Music-Select songs that will make you happy or if you haven't cried for a long time, select songs that will induce sadness. The release of tears will help you let go of what ever is keeping you stuck.
  
  
• Changing Jobs-If you have been working at the same job for a long time, perhaps it is time for a change. It is difficult sometimes to know when you have outgrown your current position and you stay because it is familiar and secure. However, the lack of new challenges is deadly for your personal growth and creativity. It may be time to move on.
  
  
• Follow your Dream-If you have had a long term dream of writing a book, opening a store, moving to the country or running for political office, now is the time to pursue that dream instead of merely fantasizing about it.
  
  
• Letting go of Stuck Grief-You may have been deeply hurt during your childhood. One of your parents may have died abruptly or you may have been abused. If you are having difficulty forming and keeping relationships and if you have had a loss or traumatic event years ago and it seems like it happened yesterday, you may be suffering from stuck grief. Seeking out a psychotherapist or an appropriate self-help group may be very helpful.
  
  
• Giving to the Community-Volunteering to help those less fortunate than you will not only be appreciated by many, it will also reward you spiritually and allow you to connect with others who are helping and receiving assistance. This activity will move you out of the intellectual realm and into your emotional world.
  
  
• Celebrating your Positive Changes-We tend to focus on the negative aspects of our being and the positive parts of us tend to be overlooked or ignored. Tune in to the positive changes you may have recently made such as: "I used to be so reactive and now I am able to stop and think before I blurt out something that will be hurtful." "I can now walk for three miles without getting exhausted."
  
  
• Decide to Break your Addiction-Whether you are addicted to substances, another person, video games or anything else, getting assistance and eventually breaking your addiction will eventually make you a happier, more productive person.
  
  

Starting a regular exercise program will help you physically, emotionally and spiritually. It you are able to stick to a workout routine for a week, you will feel like this is a major accomplishment. You will begin to look and feel better. Your confidence, self-esteem and self-image will improve. Exercise will also drive you to discover the delight of moving your body.

If you have never exercised before, check with you physician to insure that you are cleared to workout. Begin slowly and briefly. For example you can start out by walking once around the block and then slowly increase your distance and your pace. The gift of exercise will open up the world of joy for you.

Psychotherapist Bob Livingstone has helped millions heal their emotional pain during the past twenty years. He has been instrumental in assisting victims of emotional and/or physical violence recover from trauma and no longer be victims. He is a featured contributor to DrLaura.com, Beliefnet.com, Ediets.com, Selfgrowth.com and SheKnows.com. He is the author of the critically acclaimed book The Body-Mind-Soul Solution: Healing Emotional Pain through Exercise (Pegasus Books, Sept. 2007). The first printing has sold out-Now in its second printing! For more emotional healing visit www.boblivingstone.com. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com

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• Approach all text messagesasking for your personal information with a great deal of skepticism
  
  
• Understand that no bank,business or financial institution will EVER ask you to divulge orconfirm your personal banking information over email or SMS textmessage.
  
  
• If you have any question atall that the text is legitimate, contact your bank or financialinstitution directly using a published phone number (on the back ofyour card, for example).

• Tax documents exposed onyour desk (home and work)
• Private information thatsits unprotected in your tax-preparer's office
• Improperly mailed, emailedand digitally transmitted or filed records
• Photocopiers with harddrives that store a digital copy of your tax forms
• Copies of sensitivedocuments that get thrown out without being shredded
• Improperly stored and lockeddocuments once your return is filed
• Tax-time scams that takeadvantage of our propensity to do whatever the IRS says (even if it'snot really the IRS asking)

• Choose your preparer wisely.How well do you know the person and company preparing your taxes? Didthey come personally recommended, or could they be earning cash on theside by selling your personal information. Do they have an establishedrecord and are they recommended by the Better Business Bureau?
• Interview your preparerbefore you turn over sensitive information. Ask them exactly how theyprotect your privacy (do they have a privacy policy?). Are they meetingwith you in a room full of client files, or do they take you to aneutral, data-free, conference room or office? Do they leave files outon their desk for the cleaning service to access at night, or do theylock your documents in a filing cabinet or behind a secure office door?Do they protect their computers with everything listed in the nextsection?
• Asking professional taxpreparers these questions sends them a message that you are watching!Identity thieves tend to stay away from people they know are activelymonitoring for fraud. Remember, losing your identity inside of theiraccounting or bookkeeping business poses a tremendous legal liabilityto their livelihood.

• Strong alpha-numericpasswords that keep strangers out of your system
• Anti-virus and anti-spywaresoftware configured with automatic updates
• Encrypted hard drives orfolders (especially for your tax preparer)
• Automatic operating systemupdates and security patches
• An encrypted wirelessnetwork protection
• A firewall between yourcomputer and the internet
• Remove all file-sharingprograms from your computer (limewire, napster, etc.)

• Make your default answer,"No". When someone asks for your Social Security Number or otheridentifying information, refuse until you are completely comfortablethat they are legitimate. Verify their credentials by calling them backon a published number for the IRS.
• If someone promises you (byphone, fax, mail, or in person) to drastically reduce your tax bill orspeed up your tax return, don't believe them until you have done yourhomework (call the IRS directly if you have to). These schemes flourishwhen the government issues economic stimulus checks and IRS refunds.
• If anyone asks you forinformation in order to send you your check, they are scamming for youridentity. The IRS already knows where you live (and where to send yourrebate)! By the way, the IRS will NEVER email you for any reason (e.g.,promising a refund, requesting information, threatening you).
• To learn more about IRSscams, visit the only legitimate IRS website, which is www.irs.gov. Ifyou are hit by an IRS scam, contact the IRS's Taxpayer Advocate Serviceat www.irs.gov/advocate.

• Walk the envelope inside ofthe post office and hand it to an employee. Too much mail is stolen outof the blue USPS mailboxes and driveway mailboxes that we use foreverything else to make them safe.
• Send your return bycertified mail so that you know it has arrived safely. This sends amessage to each mail carrier that they had better provide extraprotection to the document they are carrying.
• Consider filingelectronically so that you take mail out of the equation. Make surethat you have a well-protected computer (discussed above).

1. Make a list of issues youknow you can compromise on that your partner is displaying. "She's lateall the time, but I can live with that."
2. Make a list of issues thatyou know you can't compromise on. "He says he's going to call me andeither doesn't or calls much later than planned. He always has anexcuse, and I want someone who keeps his word 99% of the time. I can'tsee living with this much inconsistency."
3. Make a list of issues youwould compromise on within yourself for another person. "I know I'mmessy, so I'd either get an organizer to help me with this or bewilling to hire a housekeeper."
4. Make a list of issues youcould not and would not compromise on. "I am an independent woman, andcould not be with a partner who wanted me to give up my work or myfriends for him."
5. If you're not sure whichcategory your red flags falls under, ask yourself this question: If this behavior never changed, could Ilive with it? You have to assume it may never change and thatalone should help you determine if it's a negotiable or non-negotiable.