… ticking yet more things off that To Do List!
… helping your son tick thing of his To Do List!
… learning about effective time management with Brian Tracy!
A few years ago, I went to Adelaide for the weekend with my dear friend, “Angel” Julie. It was spectacular! We loved catching up with each other ~ we live on opposite sides of the continent ~ talking, eating, exploring and having absolutely life-changing experiences.
Yesterday, I was revisiting that weekend away and remembering how I found “Jack Canfield”. I was in a bookshop in Adelaide, having a browse, and a bright red spine caught my eye. Walking over to the shelf, the book almost literally ‘jumped’ out at me … it was called “How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be” by Jack Canfield.
Recently, I bought the book in audio version so I could listen to it in the car … it’s now called “The Success Principles” …
I am loving what ‘Jack’ has shared! I have started on my ‘Motivational Reading’ and am listening to all sorts of fabulously inspiring audiobooks while I walk (not something I normally enJOY unless I am away travelling with NEW things to see 
), learning all sorts of Amazing things.
Most enJOYably, I am Sharing What I Love (a new and upcoming section of The JOYful Warrior!) ~ from Being Inspired by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, I have ‘met’ Robert G. Allen and reconnected with Brian Tracy. I have learned about Enlightened Millionaires, my Life’s Purpose, working with a team, and taking 100% responsibility for my life. And, I have shared what I have learned with people around me. Their response? THEY ARE INSPIRED, TOO!
Thanks, Jack!
Phew! I am so glad that I like making lists. I am even MORE glad (is that even correct grammar?! 
) that I have been steadily completing the chores on the lists.
YAY!
Today, it’s been another visit to Uni for Josh, and a ‘pens & pencils’ shopping trip for Kels. Slowly and steadily the list is shrinking and the things which needed organising are organised.
Most especially, The JOYful Warrior!
It’s done!
The website is up and running and LIVE.
Woo Hoo!
I think I am declaring the Completion of my To Do List! YAY!
Now … I can begin a NEW List! 
Don’t you LOVE the synchronicity of the Universe when it interferes with you doing a blog post because there are other things that are needing your time? That’s what happened, yesterday … after a huge day of website building on Saturday, my site(s) chose to have ‘time out’ for a few hours, yesterday, and forced me to adapt my thoughts and do something else! YAY! So, David and I went out for breakfast and on a photo-taking expedition … a chance for time together and lots of talking. Ahh, wonderful!
Also wonderful is my card for last week. I was challenged by this project (again!) and ended up doing lots more fiddly bits. It actually was fun! I also created it while listening to Denise Linn’s Lesson 2 for the 21 Days to Fabulous, Glorious Abundance online course. PERFECT!
Going back to that thing about synchronicity … I love that I am working on Valentine’s Day stamping projects and at the same time writing Ways to Say I LOVE YOU articles for The JOYful Warrior! And, spending quality time with David, my love. I am absolutely living an abundant life!
I wonder how many times, recently, I have ‘whinged’ about how much is going on in my life? It feels like a LOT! I feel like almost everything I am doing is a full time job and I’m working at about 4 of those at once! Some of the challenge comes from being a bit of a perfectionist – in presentation, and nurturing of others, and communication, especially – and some of it comes from simply committing to do too much!
However, most of the time I love ‘flying by the seat of my pants’! And, today is going to be one of those days to ‘fly’ because I get to be in ‘writing mode’ for the morning.
The JOYful Warrior Editors agreed, at our first Business Meeting, to have a couple of days each month where we share the articles we’ve written and received from other contributors. Our inboxes have been overflowing with fabulous things to read, over the last few months, and I needed a new system! Today’s the 1st day of sharing! Woo Hoo!
That also means today is the day for me to put aside other commitments (like my Oracle Card Readings) for a few hours and concentrate on the newsletter.
I LOVE that!
My writing process seems to be developing a new path … I spent last Friday at a shopping centre coffee shop, indulging in a Latte with my notebook and pen (such a laborious process!! 
), while Kels and Sierra went shopping. I really enJOYed the opportunity to write without anything else getting in my way (like the thoughts of all the other things I needed to do) because I was a bit of a ‘captive audience’ in that I was needed for ‘taxi’ service and therefore HAD to be there! I love those kind of opportunities!! So, I began writing …
Today, is Sharing Day. I have several articles already in my inbox, ready to read. I’ll print them off, read them, then send my comments through to the other Editors. It’s the day we share about Six Sensory Living … The JOY of Love … The JOY of Belgian Beer … and many other fabulous musings.
I Love Writing.
I love how it makes me feel.
I love the opportunity to sit still and connect with my Soul’s Wisdom.
It’s a JOY!
I was thinking about what brings me JOY and realised that when I am working really hard at a bunch of projects I tend to forget to find or tap into the JOY of life and living. Kids being home for school holidays and constantly being challenged for space, both physical and mental, kind of sucks away at the JOYful things I am inclined to do. It’s not that the kids are a problem, it’s just the extra impact on my (normally) quiet space.
So, as I had a wander through my pictures I thought about what brings me JOY …
Jamie Oliver’s Tomato Salsa …
and, Mango & Cucumber Salsa. I love the taste and texture of these foods but I especially enJOY the Visual Pleasure!
Morning Coffee … at home, in the quiet part of the day, before the birds are even awake … and with a dear friend with whom I have semi-regular catch-ups for breakfast and a latte.
Being Creative brings me JOY …
as does being at the clothesline and finding a little bit of magic: a bird’s nest tucked away in the creeper, lined with a sock and a peg, with the partner sock and peg as wall decoration.
JOY is … dear people who are so appreciative of what I do that they send me HUGE accolades which you can feel – even through cyber space!
JOY is … watching the sun rise while I blog.
JOY is … polishing the articles for the newsletter website.
JOY is … listening to the One Minute Millionaire on my iPod while walking along the bank of the river.
JOY is … being committed to working The Success Principles!
JOY is … the people I have met and reconnected with during the process of Sharing My JOY.
… spending time doing things Without Pressure!
I treated myself to a ‘rest’ day, yesterday, which I desperately needed. Sometimes a rest day is just so essential that you have no choice but to do it. They are good and bad days, for me. The good part is that I absolutely HAVE to slow down. The bad part is that I have been ‘over-busy’ and allowed myself to become ‘beyond tired’. Not the greatest of self-management techniques!
The JOY side of it though is I got to indulge in ‘couch time’ and a little bit of catching up on my Christmas DVDs and today, I have woken with more energy and inclination to ‘do’ things. Note to Self: continue to “do things Without Pressure”!
Today, I begin a weekly commitment to sharing an Oracle Card Message with the Motivational Magic Travellers on the Gentle Warriors Forum. It’s a way to keep those who are unable to join our Facebook Community in touch with each other and a way to keep the inspiration and motivation energy flowing.
I was thinking about what keeps me motivated and obviously ‘change’ helps. David and I had some long and kind of soul-searching conversations on Saturday night, as we do each year on our anniversary, about where we are at Now and where we may or may not be heading. Each year, I can see the changes life has brought to us … kids growing up and moving out of home and finishing school, the body needing a little more care, the mind needing more effective management … and each anniversary I find my thoughts wandering towards “What Makes Me Happy?”
It’s also one time David and I are guaranteed to have time together, alone. That’s kind of like being a captive audience for talking time! Once a year, if at no other time, we actually take the time to really discuss what it is we want in our lives.
For me, it’s easy. I love Being Inspired. I love Inspiring Others. That’s why I spend lots of time finding different ways to Share JOY. It’s also part of the reason why I love Oracle Cards. I’m a Visual, Ideas Person. I have HUGE plans for the future and associated challenges for how to achieve them. But, I do know that it’s pretty easy to think and act in an expansive way, and when you do, life is filled with Inspiration and Motivation.
So, on day 2 of my 24th year of marriage, I trust that the changes I want will flow easily. The connections that David and I have will be strengthened. The passion I feel for US will flow to and from the passion I have for my life’s path. The motivation I enJOY will flow into the courses, workshops and readings I share with others.
Keeping things dynamic is my attitude, this ‘marriage’ year. Change. Flow. Inspiration. Motivation. Success.
JOY!
I am definitely challenged in the creative area, this year. Thank goodness I have set some achieveable goals! In years gone by I have boasted time spent creating stamped projects, every day. In fact, back in the ‘old days’ I use to set an annual goal of 800 pages of scrapbooking! Now, my intention is to create one stamped project per week … if for no other reason, I have committed to bringing Simply Angels ~ Pay It Forward back into being.
My first ‘summer’ themed Top Note Die card was this creation, for my niece’s birthday. I am amazed at how I can set challenges for myself then find I am literally ‘challenged’ by the process! My perception of ‘summer’ theme was more about beach images … but I don’t have any current stamps with beach themes so I went for ‘summer’ colours, instead: Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo and Tempting Turquoise. I also used my Cupcake Punch which was lots of fun (kind of a ‘summery’ feeling ) if very fiddly!
I’m not sure if this card is more for the ‘summer’ theme or the ‘love’ theme (this week’s challenge) but I was inspired by a little gift card I had in my stash, which I included in a recent parcel for a friend, and thought I’d have a play with the cute 3D Scalloped Flower. The challenge in this card was to making the background more interesting. Again, Melon Mambo was the colour of choice (that’s because I cut a piece of cardstock in half to make 2 cards and, of course, I need to use BOTH pieces, then and there!) with Pretty in Pink … hmm, I think this card kind of links into the next Top Note Die Challenge theme: LOVE.
All product is from Stampin’ Up!
It’s funny how the minute I even glance at my blog post about JOY and Writing I get the urge to write! It’s not like I spend a HUGE amount of time on the computer, already writing. LOL. The fantasy and mystery keep putting up their hands and waving about to catch my attention. A bit like the Cockatoos in my front garden – they actually hang upside down from the framework outside my window, waiting for me to feed them.
This week has been filled with JOY – literally!
I have spent much of the week focused on my Soul Coaching (R) Oracle Card Readings homework ~ which I totally, totally LOVE!! ~ and in a 24 hour period, three readings (out of 5) had the JOY card!
Another group of readings had the INSPIRATION card!
This is what my life is filled with … when I am Doing What I LOVE and LOVING What I Do, signs appear from everywhere!
More JOY, this week, has come from Food. I actually made up a dinner menu plan for the week ~ what a Blessing! ~ and we’ve eaten wonderful meals All Week!
Kels was inspired to create her own cake and spent most of one afternoon working through a process which involved LOTS of chocolate – dark and white – and lots of creativity …
That was just ONE of the desserts which brought us JOY, throughout the week. We did eat fabulous pasta dishes, too (we also indulged in a little bit of junk food, which was fun, but nowhere near as satisfying).
I created Jamie Oliver’s “Lovely Stewed Fruit” and shared it with my Fabulous Co-Editors from The JOYful Warrior, on Wednesday Night. Peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots with vanilla, orange, cinnamon and brandy. Divine!
I have also indulged in Coffee JOY ~ Breakfast with a Dear Friend, early in the week, and a Latte Moment with another Dear Friend, yesterday. Lunch JOY was on Monday and Birthday Dinner JOY, last night.
Today, I am having another Latte JOY Moment and creating some LOVE JOY with this week’s Stampin’ Challenge. Throw into the mix lots of fabulous conversations with many people, the daily visitations from the Cockatoos, hanging out with “Lilly & Mark & Bob”, and beginning the “21 Days to Fabulous, Glorious Abundance” Course, and the week really has been filled with Magic.
My Life is filled with JOYful Moments and I am Grateful.
