Introduction

Seeing Alysa Liu skate with JOY and win the women’s singles gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics made me stop and ask, “Am I having fun with AI? With my work? With my life? Where is the joy?”

Maybe you are like me — a bit tired of every conversation and every presentation about AI. Yes, the human touch, exemplified in the Olympics, is essential to life, business, and AI.

On the other side, Ilia Malinin, the USA men’s singles skater known as the “Quad God,” skated for redemption at the closing gala exhibition — with a theme of FEAR. Sadly, the world watched as his earlier competitive skate dissolved from gold contention to an 8th-place finish, due in large part to mindset and pressure. He later shared that he realized his purpose in skating is to bring joy and happiness to those who watch him.

Joy vs. Fear

That tension is not limited to Olympic ice rinks. It is alive in boardrooms, classrooms, and Zoom rooms everywhere AI is discussed.

What about you? Are you fearful of AI? People are asking: How will it change my job? Will it eliminate it? How can I stay on top of this fast-changing AI world?

Fear tightens. Joy expands. Fear freezes. Joy fuels. Fear fixates on loss. Joy focuses on possibility. The question is not whether AI is coming. It’s already here. The question is: What posture will you take?

Practical Pointers for Bringing More JOY into Your Life — and Your AI Journey

• SMILE. According to Diana Samuel, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, “Smiling can trick your brain by elevating your mood, lowering your heart rate, and reducing your stress. The smile doesn’t have to be based on real emotion because faking it works as well.

  Before your next AI demo, workshop, or strategy session — smile. It shifts your physiology. And physiology shifts perception.

• BE OPTIMISTIC. Carry a hopeful, upbeat disposition and believe that good prevails. My research study, Pursuit of Passionate Purpose, concluded that passionate pursuers — those who find and fulfill their dreams — strengthen their SUNFLOWER traits. They look to the sunny side. They embody the “O” for Optimism.

  Optimism does not deny risk. It directs energy toward opportunity. AI is not just automation. It is augmentation; It is acceleration; It is amplification of human ingenuity. For a practical mindset shift, read Ethan Mollick’s Co-Intelligence, which frames AI not as a rival, but as a collaborator.

• SET YOUR OWN TERMS AND MINDSET. Think of Alysa Liu, who retired at age 16 because skating was no longer fun. She returned 2.5 years later when she realized she could skate on her terms. She regained joy by regaining agency.

  You can do the same with AI. You choose when to use it. You decide where it adds value. You define ethical boundaries. You determine how it supports — not supplants — your strengths. AI is one tool among many. You are still the strategist. The leader. The creator. Joy increases when control increases.

• SET THE INTENTION. Joy is rarely accidental. It is intentional. Set a goal: I will approach AI with curiosity rather than cynicism; I will experiment before I evaluate; I will learn one new capability each week.

  Research from Stanford University’s Human-Centered AI Institute emphasizes designing AI to augment human potential, not replace it. That begins with leaders who approach it thoughtfully and proactively.

• SHIFT FROM CONSUMER TO CREATOR. Joy increases when we move from passive consumption to active creation. Instead of just listening to AI webinars, try: Building a small prompt library for your team; Piloting AI on one painful process; Using AI to draft, brainstorm, or summarize — and then refining with your human expertise.

  As I often say: Start with pain; Use a process; Pilot for impact; Prove and scale; Manage change. That is not just an AI strategy. It is a JOY strategy.

• CLARIFY YOUR PURPOSE. Ilia Malinin rediscovered that his purpose was to bring joy to others. What is yours?

  If your purpose is to create value, serve clients, improve systems, expand access, solve problems — AI can be a lever for that purpose. Technology without purpose creates anxiety. Technology aligned with purpose creates energy.

Summary

The Olympics reminded me that joy wins. Not naive joy, not uninformed enthusiasm, but grounded, purposeful, optimistic engagement.

AI is reshaping the landscape of work. You get to choose whether you approach it like a fearful competitor, or like a joyful champion. So I ask you again: Are you having fun with AI? And if not, what small shift in mindset, intention, or experimentation could bring the joy back?

Good News

Theresa joins the Board of Directors of MxD. It’s the nation’s Digital Manufacturing & Cybersecurity Institute. See the media release.

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