The Joyfulicity Blog

When we act with kindness, and forgive the failings of those around us, we ourselves are more at peace, healthier and happier. So don't do it for them. Do it for you!!

Life's little (and sometimes big) trials and annoyances can't entirely be avoided. They must be dealt with, both physically and emotionally. Cultivating a spirit of gratitude, however, can help us manage those stressful realities by giving us the perspective of our blessings to offset them.

BURNOUT!! When you hear that phrase what thoughts and feelings come up for you? Work starting to feel like a grind? Kids and housework seem like a never ending whirlwind of need? Wash, rinse, repeat!!When in this mode we need to hit the pause button on all major decisions, and simply take a day off.

I adore butterflies. Their whole story fascinates me. The images of metamorphosis and positive change are embodied in them. I love that they are both delicate and resilient. They are beautiful, but far more than just a pretty face.

Only the courage to reach beyond the shallow will lead us to lasting love and friendship. To a life of true passion and purpose. To spiritual centering and peace. There is potential for pain in these areas of course. In fact, suffering is almost guaranteed. But also the most exquisite joy.

Recently I feel myself changing inside. Softening. Slowing down. Refocusing my priorities. I must confess that there are some games I no longer have the will to win.

We have many limiting beliefs that are holding us back from peace and progress. They can make us feel inferior, afraid and simply stuck. What if you could wake up in the morning free of these distractions and live your life with joy? Believing in infinite possibilities? Guess what? You can!!

I believe in urging ourselves to strive for goals even when they are really hard. I believe that to be successful in this life you have to be resilient. To be willing to do what others won’t. To be able to feel the burn and keep moving forward. However, (and this is a HUGE however) sometimes you also need to be wise enough not to. Sometimes it takes even greater strength to know when to stop. So are you tough enough? 

I'd like to think that most people that know me would consider me a pretty nice person. Kindness is something I deeply value and try hard to embody and demonstrate in my life. The unfortunate truth is, however, that sometimes that desire to be perpetually "nice" can end up having some decidedly "not nice" consequences. It can even be skillfully used against you by those with selfish motives.

I'm not saying to go crazy and follow every whim or fancy that strikes you. I'm just saying that is is OK to say YES sometimes too. And when we do choose to say NO, to be careful of the internal narrative surrounding that. Are we saying no because we honestly don't want to do something? Or because, considering our health and other factors, we determine that saying no is the best decision? Awesome!! Well done.

Have you ever felt like you, yourself, are the weakest link in your very own life?

Thankfully there are 3 simple secrets to increasing and sustaining your happiness level, regardless of your circumstances. They are all completely free and easy to implement. All that's required is a willingness to make some subtle, yet profound, shifts in mindset and habit patterns.

Writing about joy is my way of personally remaining aware and open-minded, so that I keep noticing and embracing it myself. It is also my meager offering of love, and my effort to possibly lift up someone else who is struggling to stand. To convey that there is reason to hope. To smile. To breathe.

There is great peace to be found in being truly present in the choices of today. Really living with them, in them and through them for awhile. Counting the things that went right, and living in gratitude for the bounty we possess, whatever form that is taking in our lives at the moment. We don’t need to have it all. ALL would be way too heavy a burden to carry. So let that go, put on your favorite jeans and remember that today is a beautiful day - just as it is. 

I want to leave some space for peace. Reading and travel. Walks in nature. Long talks with friends and family. Listening to the rain on the roof while drinking chamomile tea. Even space for doing absolutely nothing sometimes. Time to just be myself. Ahhhh...letting go feels awfully good. 

You know...there’s a lot of times that adulting feels an awful lot like crashing into a mailbox. Things just don’t always go the way we plan. Life is full of so many heartbreaks, failures and disappointments. The older you get the bigger your problems seem to get as well. It can be enough at times to make you just want to stay in bed with the covers pulled up over your head.