Joy Express

How are you feeling? 

Are you having a Fabulously Fulfilling Friday? 

Are your thoughts all about JOY-ful things?

Is your Mind Chatter Positive?

I’m in a pretty good head space, today.  Haven’t woken up that way much this week.  But, I was just thinking about what it’s like inside my head when I am feeling glum/unhappy/frustrated etc.  It’s GREY.  Sometimes it’s almost BLACK.

If you are an Inverse Paranoid you would be constantly experiencing a world where everyone was out to SUPPORT you (“How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be” p.70). 

So, I am going to Look at Life from a Different Perspective (like the Inverse Paranoid).  Which means that I am going to Turn my crappy thoughts Around … I am going to focus on Happy Thoughts only.  If you find this difficult – and sometimes it is – then stop what you are doing and go to another space: if you are inside, go outside; if you are in your office, go out of your office.  If you are standing, sit down.  Often, something as small as Changing Position can change your whole perspective on life. 

That’s the first step in the JOY Spiral.  It’s like a Spiral Staircase: each step you take up the staircase brings you to a New Space, a New Perspective.  It’s the perspective Jack experienced as he climbed the Beanstalk; or the kids experienced as they climbed the Magic Faraway Tree and found new delights every few branches; it’s like Harry Potter climbing onto his broom and flying for the Very First Time.  Changing views or perspective allows you the opportunity to See Anew … and find the Magic.

Then, the Fun really begins.  That Very First Step or Thought FEELS GOOD.  So, you look around, have a bit of a think, and find another thought or take another step.  Oh, that FEELS EVEN BETTER.  So, on you continue until you are having such a great time that you’ve forgotten to feel poorly, or think crappy thoughts.

All it takes is a small first step.  Stand Up.   Turn Around.   Look around for something which makes you SMILE.  You might have to look hard ’cause some of those amazing JOY-filled moments are Very Small Miracles which you’ll miss if you don’t look carefully. 

When I stand up and turn around, my eyes settle onto my Marigolds outside in the herb garden.  And a SMILE crosses my face.

When I SMILE I feel that Anything is Possible. 

Make a Commitment to step into the JOY Spiral and see what Magic you can experience.

Have a Miracle-filled Day!

Do you know what’s really Cool about attending crops?  Hanging out with a bunch of other people who LOVE scrapbooking as much as you do, who are working on their own projects, and with whom you can have really FABULOUS discussions – about anything and everything.

Next month, I have been scrapbooking for 9 years.  I started just before Creative Memories came to our neighbourhood.  My Lovely Friend, Beverly, signed up as a Demonstrator about 3 months into my CM scrapbooking time (I remember having to cut circles and ovals with scissors!), and that was the beginning of many years of ‘crop’ sessions.

Scrapbooking Crops I go to are always at Bernie’s now.  She runs a Wednesday session (10am-3pm) and a Tuesday, later in the month, also for the same times, but I go at 12pm after Line Dancing.  I like attending both sessions because there are different people at each.  I am especially Blessed on Wednesday because most of the Stamp Camp girls are there. 

The Tuesday girls are a Hoot!  Each time I attend, I laugh and learn so much.  We scrapbook, we share our layouts and photos, and relive memories together.  Last month, we had an AWESOME conversation about ‘Bad Boys’ and how we LOVED them but never wanted to be married to them.  LOL. 

This week, the conversation continued down the same path for a while (do you remember “Spike” from Buffy?!) and then moved to our Indulgence Albums.  I completed my next 2 pages and Jenny has finished her list. 

Sandy shared one of her recent Indulgences … she went to the mail box for her mail, took out all the letters except those with windows (they were the Bills!), and left the others for the next day!

We Laughed and Laughed.

Sandy Indulged in Lovely Mail and decided to ‘enJOY‘ the less appealing mail a day later.

I thought that was Very Cool.

It’s amazing what can be learned when you hang out with a bunch of people for a few hours.  The World Really Is a Most INTERESTING Place.

Have an Indulgent Thursday!

Did you set some goals yesterday?

I had Great Success with my Goals … and I discovered another little Goal to support my Purpose in Life so I am looking forward to reading a bit more of Jack Canfield’s book to consolidate my thoughts.

I Achieved ALL my goals, yesterday.  And, I achieved them by the time I said, other than one of my Household Chores which took a bit longer; that was because I had run out of time and energy!! Woo Hoo!

The most important part of the exercise was that I Felt Inspired.  I had Focus, Direction,  and Determination.  Basically, I was Being Proactive – WOW!  That’s my 3rd Secret to Success!

Well Done and Congratulations to all of you who Set Goals and Achieved them, yesterday!  Thanks, too, to those of you who shared your Goals and thoughts in the Comments Section.  You Rock!

I’m having a bit of an Indulgence start to the day … reading Jack Canfield’s “How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be” while I have coffee.  Years ago, every morning started like that: reading my book over my morning coffee.  It was the only quiet time I had in the day when the kids were small, and reading has always been important to me.

You may have noticed that there is nothing ‘gentle’ about reading this book – I keep getting Inspired!  I keep going off on tangents in my thoughts.  So, 3 mouthfuls into my mug of coffee, here I am back at the computer, to share thoughts about what I just read.

The current principle is all about Goal Setting, something which I have done for many years and find very successful.  Jack has just shared that it’s important to write goals, revisit them at least twice per day, and take them with you (in written form) wherever you go.  The next part of the chapter is called “One Goal is Not Enough” and opens with a quote:

If you are bored with life, if you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things – you don’t have enough goals.

Lou Holtz

I’m not bored with life, but I have got up this morning feeling a bit ‘blurry-eyed’ and heavy in my heart.  That’s why I decided to read with coffee rather than stamp, so I could have a change to my routine, because often starting the day in a different way allows a whole different  energy into your life … and I want to feel ‘clear-headed’ and happy. 

Jack and Lou have ‘provoked’ me to set some small goals just for today. 

Firstly, it’s Tuesday.  That means Line Dancing – YAY!  Check out this Awesome You Tube video of Travis Tritt’s song “Trashy Women” … we LOVE this song at Line Dancing!   Oh, the video shows some scenes from a TV soapie … the music is the important part!

Secondly, in keeping with the Line Dancing theme, check out this short clip of folks doing “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” – WOW!  I LOVE Line Dancing!!   (This link really is just to show you what Line Dancing is like … for those of you who were wondering.)

Thirdly, today is also Bernie’s 2nd Scrapbooking Crop for the month … a GREAT way to continue my Wonderful Day is to start with Line Dancing (did I mention how much FUN it is??!) then rock up to scrapbooking in time for lunch!  My Goal for the crop is to work on my Indulgence Album.   You may remember the title page  was the first page I created, using some stamping and scrapbooking ideas.  The only other page I’ve done is the “Stamp Camp” layout  which I was Very Happy with.  So … at scrapbooking today, I will complete 2 more pages and power layout the rest of my photos, by 3pm (the end of the crop).

Jack Canfield says that it’s Very Important to set Specific goals that can be measured, hence the number of pages I want to complete and a time by which I want to complete them.  He shared his goal for “Chicken Soup for the Soul“, which he set with co-author, Mark Victor Hansen,  of selling 1.5 million copies by December 30, 1994.  Although the publisher laughed at them, they did sell 1.3 million copies by that date, and went on to sell over 8 million copies in more than 30 languages around the world.

In summary, my goals for today are:

•     To post a blog entry about GOALS
•     To participate in my Line Dancing class
•     To complete 2 pages in my Indulgence Album
•     To Power Layout the rest of the photos in my Indulgence Album
•     To post 2 parcels
•     To send 1 handmade card to someone
•     To pass on 2 compliments to 2 people I cross paths with today
•     To achieve all my house chores and mother duties with ease and grace

… all by 5.45pm tonight.  And, I will report back tomorrow with the results (that’s to keep me accountable).

By the way, this is the card I am going to send out today (because, as my Lovely Friend Jenny says ‘we are making cards so we need to post them, too’)   In keeping with my Spreading JOY commitment, I am going to open my address book randomly and pick someone to post the card to. 

Make a Goal to Spread Some JOY or pass on a compliment today.  You will feel Fantastic!

Do you remember Terry Starbucker’s “10 Secrets to Success” that I shared recently? 

Common Sense

Intellectual Curiosity

Passion

Relentless Optimism

Influential Mentor/Parent

Love

Good Moral Grounding

Luck

Integrity

Belief in Yourself

As I revist Terry’s list I am intrigued that my mental list has evolved quite differently … actually, I am glad that it’s evolved at all!

Today, I have my 5th Secret, kind of inspired by Jack Canfield but also something I feel Really Strongly about … and something I may not have thought about in relation to Success if it wasn’t for Terry Starbucker.

My 5th Secret to Success is COMMITMENT.  In my experience, Commitment is one of those things which a lot of people really struggle with.  It’s connected to being Accountable – accountable for your choices and actions.

The latest Principle (number 3) of Jack Canfield’s “25 Principles for Success” is about PURPOSE.  And, the key thing which Really stands out for me is to connect with your Purpose – make a COMMITMENT to do whatever it takes to achieve your Purpose – and live your life according to whatever it takes to achieve that Purpose.  In other words, COMMIT to making your Dreams Come True. 

It takes a lot of energy to Commit to something.  It’s a lot easier to drift around with the ebb and flow of life which is ok if your purpose is to Go With the Flow of Life and enJOY the Adventure. 

As I read just recently, it’s really easy to Go to War with someone, but it’s Much Harder to Be at Peace.

I am COMMITTED to being Happy.  It is a constant job to keep positive and not fall back into bad habits – negative mind chatter being my biggest challenge!   In Business, I’d imagine that Success comes from Making the COMMITMENT to provide a Good Product, Great Customer Service and Evolve as Necessary.  I have a Good Product – Happiness; I give Great Customer Service – Happy, Upbeat, Full of Smiles Communication to all around me; and I Evolve as Necessary – reading LOTS of fabulous books and blogs and learning MORE about Being Happy.

Yep.  I am enJOYing discovering my “10 Secrets to Success” and I am enJOYing being Purposeful in Sharing the JOY with YOU.