​As I was taking a break from work, I looked out my office window and saw a half-grown starling perched on the branch of an olive tree. It seemed as if he hadn’t been flying very long and appeared to be excited about his new-found freedom. He hopped from place to place on the branch, each time stopping and moving his head from side to side taking in the sights as if he were seeing them for the very first time. His mouth was open as if he were smiling and marveling at all the beautiful things he saw. This seemed to bring him a great deal of joy. The lesson for us is that we live in same world as that young starling. And, just like that starling, wonderful and beautiful things pass by our eyes on a continual basis, but because we’re so often preoccupied with other things, we fail to take them in. So, if you want to add some joy to your life, start acting like that young bird. Every now and then stop where you are, take a deep breath and look from side to side for the sole purpose of taking in the beauty that’s in front of you. Doing so will bring you a great deal of joy that you would have otherwise missed out on.