As JOY Intelligence™ gains momentum, more and more people are asking deeper questions. What is JOY, really? Is it constant in our lives? And how are JOY Intelligence and the JQ Emotions Map rooted in safety?

The JOY Intelligence™ framework was created as a solution—so that emotional processing could be accessible and actionable for anyone. We needed a way to help people move through emotions, not just name them. Something real. Something that works.

JOY Intelligence™ is the ability to navigate emotions with awareness, presence, and choice. It’s not about avoiding discomfort or chasing positivity. It’s about moving through any emotional state by knowing ourselves better, taking time to understand who we are, what we care about, and what shows up each day that either helps us or stops us—so we can show up grounded, present, and true to ourselves.

At the heart of this work are our three pillars:

• Safety – The conditions that determine how freely authenticity can be expressed.
  
  
• Presence – The ability to harness and direct energy with focus, intention, and impact.
  
  
• JOY – The resonance of meaning, vitality, and connection that elevates expression and deepens experience.
  
  

While all three pillars matter, today we take a closer look at Presence—and the powerful role that energy plays in our ability to stay grounded, responsive, and aware.

Presence is the ability to notice your energy and direct it with intention. It involves both how much energy you have and how effectively you can focus or channel it. These two dimensions work together—and both matter.

If your energy is low, presence might look like slowing down, breathing, resting, or simply staying grounded in the moment. If your energy is high but scattered or overwhelming, presence is what helps you pause, re-center, and bring that energy into alignment—through movement, breath, or intentional focus.

Presence isn’t something you “get.” It’s something you practice—especially when your energy is dysregulated. You build it over time, through awareness, reflection, and self-regulation.

At JOYELY, we use our emotional mapping system to recognize when our energy is out of sync. That recognition doesn’t mean something is wrong—it simply signals an opportunity to direct energy back toward presence. And that shift is what opens the door to emotional clarity, growth, and expression.

Helpful reflection questions:

• What is the quality of my energy right now?
  
  
• What is it doing—rising, falling, scattered, still?
  
  
• What small shift can I make to come back to presence?

Example – A Child
A child might come home from school saying they’re tired—and they might be. But it’s also possible their energy isn’t gone, just scattered. Thoughts about their morning, their friends, their homework, and everything else from the day might still be spinning. Gaining awareness of that scattered presence, even just noticing the mental noise, can help them figure out what they need. Maybe it’s journaling, jumping on the trampoline, or taking a few breaths to settle back into themselves.

Example – An Adult
An adult might go through the day feeling distant, negative, or just a little off and assume it’s fatigue. But often, it’s not a lack of energy. It’s a lack of presence. When energy is unfocused or spread thin, jumping between thoughts and tasks, often fueled by caffeine, it can leave you feeling disconnected. Even small moments of pause, movement, or mental reset can help you return to yourself and shift the tone of your day.

And This Is Where the Chair of JOY® Fits Beautifully
The simplicity of Sit. Breathe. Think. Feel.™ offers an immediate, accessible practice that anyone—child or adult—can use to shift their energy and return to presence. Whether it’s a quiet moment at home or a reset between meetings, the Chair of JOY® creates a safe space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what’s real.

It doesn’t require perfection—just a willingness to sit, take a few deep breaths, think about one thing that brings ease, and feel the emotion as it moves through your body. That’s how you find your way to presence—and maybe even your next right step.