30 Days of Joy: Day 22/30

Day 22’s Joy – Finding a Camp Chair

As a bigger lady there are a lot of things I see people take for granted that I wish I could take for granted too.  One of those things that most people probably never even think about is sitting in a chair.  Chairs are one of my biggest sources of anxiety because I’m always terrified that when I sit down they are going to break.  I can’t wait for the day when I am light enough not to worry about weight restrictions on anything.  I know that it will be a great joy to be able to take for granted sitting.  With this in mind it is probably not all that surprising that finding a camp chair, that has a high enough weight limit that I will never need to worry, brought me a lot of pure joy yesterday.  It also made me surprisingly emotional and reflective.  Hehe!

I have often avoided things or told myself that I will do that when I’m smaller, lighter, etc.  These thoughts sometimes kept me from looking for ways that I could do things even at my size.  I have come to realize that I felt weirdly like I was giving up on my weight loss goals if I was finding ways to do something.  So for example hunting for a chair with a high weight limit was something I wouldn’t have done a few years ago because if I couldn’t use a regular chair then I wouldn’t use any.  I know it sounds pretty crazy right.  It took a long time to realize that what I was actually doing was punishing myself for not being like everyone else.  Once I started to realize what was going on in my head I started to work to change it.  It is okay to find ways to do what I love, like sitting around a campfire, no matter what size I am because I deserve to be able to live my life doing things I love no matter how I have to do them.

Working on changing my thinking may have helped me find a camping chair yesterday but it has also played a part in many of the other things I have started doing over the last few years.  Everything from taking up running to joining a gym to even just buying myself pretty dresses to wear are all things that have come from reframing how I look at myself.  I have been learning to love myself as I am in this moment, as I was in the past and as the person I’m becoming.  This lesson is quite honestly one of the biggest reasons that I can even attempt to do a 30 day challenge about joy.  This change is probably something that deserves its own blog entry but for now I’ll leave it here in my 30 day challenge.

I truly hope and wish that anyone reading this can find the joy of loving yourself.  Embrace it.  Buy a camping chair or a pretty dress or whatever makes you feel amazing and worthy because you are.  Don’t’ wait for some future version of yourself to embrace yourself.  You are amazing, beautiful and wonderful. 

Yesterday’s entry

Challenge Introduction/Day 1 

30 Days of Joy: Day 21/30

Day 21’s Joy – List Making and Planning

I have learned over the years that planning and list making are not for everyone.  Most people I know would not even think twice about really creating a plan or list for something and tend to wing it.  I however am a planner.  I love an excuse to break out a notepad to create a list or a plan for just about anything.  You may think I’m crazy but planning always brings me a great deal of joy and satisfaction.  I plan a lot of things in my life from my daily routines, to my scrapbooks but the best of all is getting to plan for a trip.  That is what brought my joy yesterday.

I’m getting ready to head off to camp with a friend and her kids.  I love camping but it just isn’t something that is much fun doing solo and the friends I typically travel with are not campers so it’s been a while since I had an excuse to break out my tent.  I actually think that the last time I went camping was about 12 years ago.  So with this upcoming trip I spent a bunch of time yesterday off and on planning and getting ready for it.  It started in the morning with some list making as I created a meal plan (smokies and s’mores baby…hehehe) and wrote out my packing list. 

The fun continued as I went hunting through the house and garage to see what camping supplies I actually have.  The best part of this was actually finding a tent that we thought had gone missing.  It’s a small family tent that is easy to set up and a decent size.  It thrills me to find it.  I wasn’t looking forward to trying to figure out how to set up an unknown tent.  Knowing the tent hadn’t been set up in ages I pulled it out and put it up to make sure it was in good condition.  I think the best part was in seeing the tent set up because it totally amped up my excitement.  Now there really isn’t anything in the way of this camping trip, or any future ones.

In the end, while a day of putting together the pieces needed for a successful trip might not be considered all that joyful by most, to me yesterday was a pretty perfect day.  I went to bed feeling the excitement of the pending trip.  Having all the parts and pieces in place makes my soul sing.  Making lists and planning might not be for everyone but it is one of the things that really fills me up and brings me joy.  Sharing this 30 day challenge reminds me that it’s always best to embrace the things that I love regardless of what other people may think.  Life is better when you follow you heart.

Saturday's Joy

Challenge Introduction/Day 1 

30 Days of Joy: Day 19&20/30

I didn’t have time to write an entry this morning because I had an early start to get to my Weight Watchers meeting and then to the gym.  It worked out for the best though because I’m really excited to write about today’s joy and Friday’s was pretty simple.  So once again I will combine two days together for this entry.

Day 19’s Joy – Homemade Real Iced Tea (Friday Jul 6)

Friday was the hottest day we have had of the year so far.  I don’t do well with heat, it has a tendency to leave me feeling a little cranky.  I knew finding joy was going to be a challenge so I opted for something simple.  When I got home from work I broke out my tea press.  I filled it with one of my favourite teas (watermelon) and a tray of ice.  Once the iced tea was made I headed out to sit on my front step.  I sipped the tea while watching my cat explore the driveway.  It was a pretty low key version of joy but it was an excellent start to my weekend.

Day 20’s Joy – Dance Like No One is Watching, Part 2 (Saturday Jul 7)

I had picked today’s activity as a source of my joy when I first started this challenge.  I wasn’t sure when I would squeeze it in but I knew that I wanted to try.  Today’s joy came in the form of an amazing workout doing a Zumba class that my gym offers.  I nearly chickened out of doing it but I’m so glad that I pushed myself to go in spite of my nerves and fears.

Although I have been a part of an exercise class before it is not my favourite thing in the world.  I tend to feel self-conscious and get stuck in my head thinking about all the things other people must think seeing me.  Of course over the years I have learned that the majority of people, if they are even looking at me at all, are actually more willing to cheer me on rather than any of the negative things I assume that they think about me.  Anyway two years ago my then trainer (now friend) convinced me to do this same Zumba class.  I felt brave having someone do it with me so it felt less nerve wracking.  What I remember the most about this first time doing the class was that as tough as it was I had a smile the whole time.  It was the memory that made me want to try it again in hopes of recreating the moment.

I got to the gym early so I hopped on the treadmill and did my usual 30 minutes before the Zumba class was supposed to start.  Knowing that I had already done a work out, added to the fact I was enjoying a conversation with a couple of the trainers, I started to think about not doing the class and just heading home.  From the weight floor you can see into the gym and the class didn’t look very full.  I was worried about standing out.  But in the end I summoned my courage and told myself that as long as I can start the class I will be okay.  I headed down and found a spot in the back.  At first I was super aware of everyone around me but by the time the first song was over I didn’t care.  I spent the next hour attempting to not trip over my feet, move my hips and keep some sort of rhythm.  It was fantastic.

There is a lot to be gained from doing something that is outside of your box.  I’m really trying to embrace the idea of doing things that scare me and push me.  I don’t really have the right words to describe the level of joy, excitement and pure sassy confidence that I felt during the class as well as all day since it.  The smile I found within the gym walls has been plastered on my face all day. 

I hope that everyone can find something that makes them feel as amazing and wonderful as Zumba did for me today.

Yesterday’s entry

Challenge Introduction/Day 1

30 Days of Joy: Day 18/30

Day 18’s Joy – Spending Time Walking with a Friend

It may seem rather obvious that time spent with friends would bring joy into my day and although I have written about it a couple times already in this challenge, I think that I often take it for granted that I actually need time being social.  It’s really easy for me to get caught up in doing things on my own and spending time by myself because I’m incredibly comfortable doing it.  Don’t get me wrong, I love all my friends and spending time with them but it is not always something I go out to my way to seek.  That is part of why I have tried to make reaching out a goal for this year as well as trying to include some friend time in this 30 day challenge.

Yesterday’s joy was some of that friend time.  I went out at lunch for a walk with a friend and coworker who has been off for a month travelling through France.  Getting out and away from my desk at lunch, I’m learning always brings me joy but getting to do it with someone else makes it even better.  It was great to catch up and hear about her trip.  It had me thinking about and remembering my own trip to France.  As a lover of travel there is something very satisfying when I get to think about travelling.    I also love hearing about other people’s adventures.  It was a fabulous way to spend a lunch hour.

It is super easy for me to fall on the excuse that I’m an introvert and prefer my own company to avoid getting out there and being social.  Finding joy in being social is helping me to re-write that way of thinking though.  As I’m getting closer to the end of the challenge, it is a good reminder that I need to make sure I always make time in my crazy life for being social and spending time with the people that matter the most to me.

I will end this blog with a Winnie the Pooh quote that I find rotating in my brain this morning.  “A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.”  My wish is that everyone reading this will always find your pot of honey full.   Happy Friday!

Yesterday’s Joy

Challenge Introduction/Day 1 

30 Days of Joy: Day 15, 16 and 17/30

With this entry I have finally caught myself back up to current again. It makes me so happy to be able to post as I experience my joys.  It’s a great feeling as I slowly make my way through the back half of this 30 day challenge.

Day 15’s Joy – Scrapbooking and Gift Anticipation (Monday Jul 2)

Today was filled with simple pleasures as I settled back into the real world again.  I enjoyed an afternoon nap in my own bed, cuddling with Zoe, who is always extra needy when I’ve been away, and just getting myself ready to head back to work.  My joy for the day though came from something I have written about before…scrapbooking.

I broke out all my Alaska memorabilia, postcards, patches, cruise schedules and all the random stuff I gathered while I was travelling knowing it would be put into two books – one for me and one for mom.  I love this part of the scrapbooking process.  It’s when I start to really get a vision for how the books will look.  It is also when I start to write the stories that go with the photos and extras.  This in itself brings me a lot of joy.  It is pretty amazing to get to lose yourself in memories of a great trip.

There is some added joy though because in this case I know that I will be giving one of the books I create to my mom.  This adds even more importance and meaning to creating the books.  It stretches the joy because not only am I getting a lot of it from using my creative side, but I also get it from imagining mom’s reaction when she finally gets to look through it.  Thinking about that reaction is what is bringing me the most joy today.  It excites me and pushes me to work harder and faster on the books.

Day 16’s Joy – Dance Like No One is Watching (Tuesday Jul 3)

I often find the most joy when I just give in to my whims.  If something makes me feel silly or laugh I often describe it as being ‘pure Jill’ and that was the case for my joy today.  Part of this challenge was to find more ways to bring joy into my life and one area that has been in need of a revamp for a while has been my exercise.  So I used today’s intentional joy to push myself to doing something I haven’t done in ages but that always leaves me feeling amazing…dancing.

I decided to put on my favourite tank top, one that I never wear to the gym because it makes me feel naked, but at the same time when I wear it I feel like I could take on the world.  Dressed and ready to go I pulled off my socks, turned on my Wii and played a little Just Dance.  I had my volume up and threw myself into the moves 100%.  I am not very graceful or coordinated but I have so much fun doing it.  It was the perfect way to not only find a little joy but to also get my sweat on for the night.  It was a good reminder to myself that working out doesn’t have to be work.

Day 17’s Joy – Stretch it Out (Wed Jul 4)

Much like my joy from Tuesday, yesterday I also decided to continue to try and bring the joy back to my workouts.  I actually spent much of yesterday trying to decide what I wanted to do for my joy.  I thought about going to the gym, going for a walk but in the end I decided it was time to do something I haven’t done in eons, yoga.  I pulled out my yoga mat and a dvd and got setup in my living room.  It was a workout that made me sweat and smile all at the same time.

I think the most interesting part of doing yoga last night was how wonderful it felt mentally.  I suspect that all the work I have been doing the last 7 or so months working on meditating had something to do with that.  I was able to really zone in to my body and really feel the energy flowing through it.  It was pretty amazing.  Of course my flexibility and balance are lacking after such a big break from yoga but my ability to laugh at myself is definitely still strong.  

The calm and joy I found last night while pushing my body carried over to this morning.  I woke up feeling great.  Yoga will definitely end up on my list of things that bring me joy.  It is something I plan to start regularly practicing again. 

Looking at these couple of days, I’m realizing how much I’m learning that sometimes the best way to find a little joy is to just indulge yourself with the things you love, no matter what they are.  I challenge anyone reading this to go out and do one thing today that you really love.  Drop me a comment and let me know what you do to find a little joy in your day.  I would love to hear what brings other people joy.

Challenge Introduction/Day 1  

30 Days of Joy: Day 12, 13 and 14/30

It is way more fun to write and post my current days of joy then playing catch up so with that in mind I have shortened my entries for the days while I was away in order to share them more quickly.  Happy reading.

Day 12’s Joy – A Fire and a Good Book (Fri Jun 29)

There is something that feels incredibly luxurious and decadent about getting to spend an entire evening sitting in front of a fireplace.  At King’s Fold they have a beautiful library with comfy chairs and a couch and a real wood fireplace.  This has become my favourite evening spots.  After dinner I tend to head down with whatever book I’m reading and start the fire. 

I have learned that one of the things that brings me the most joy is when I can slow down and just enjoy the moment and a fire does that for me every time.  I find I often lose track of time as I can spend hours just watching the fire flicker.  Even if I’m lost in the pages of a good book, the smell and sound of a fire relaxes me.  It is warm, cozy and just feels right.  It was a beautiful way to end my night and a great way to bring some joy into the day.

Day 13’s Joy – A Sunrise (Sat Jun 30)

Often when I’m away I will plan to get up early and set an alarm so that I can watch the sun come up. It is a great way to start a day.  This trip however I wasn’t planning on doing it, mostly because with the damp weather and all the clouds I didn’t expect much from a sunrise.  Well apparently my body had other plans because I woke up early today.  When I looked out the window the fog in the river valley looked amazing.  I decided I wanted to take some pictures so I quickly got dressed and headed outside.

I wandered over to the edge of the valley, dried off a seat and decided to just soak it in.  At 530am even though there were lots of people at the retreat center, not a soul was up or stirring.  It was beautiful, quiet and serene.  The only sounds were the birds calling to each other and the hum of the river flowing by below me.  I just sat and watched the fog flow down the valley.  I was lost in the beauty of it. 

One of the coolest things about the view at King’s Fold is that while the sun actually rises behind you the sunrise is reflected on the mountains in front of you.  The sky this morning took on the faintest shade of pink as the sun rose higher but better than the sky is actually what happens to the mountains.  As the sun comes up you get to watch the mountains turn from grey to a beautiful pink to a wonderful pinky orange colour before turning back to the bright grey.  I have watched this happen many times over the years but it never grows old.  It is a view that inspires me.  With the fog and the mountains this morning it felt like a magical start to my day.  It is the kind of joy that pours into your soul and makes the rest of the day echo it.

Day 14’s Joy – My Favourite Bench & the Sun (Sun Jul 1)

Much like my evening in front of the fireplace, sometimes the simple things bring me the most joy.  Slowing down and just enjoying the moment is one of the pleasures I revel in when I’m away.  After a fairly rainy and cool weekend when the sun came out and warmed things up a bit I knew what I wanted my last joy of my vacation to be.  There is a spot that I love, that is a short walk away from the house.  It’s on top of the ridge near a small chapel that has been built in the woods.  There is a bench that sits right on the edge of the path and it is always surrounded by beautiful wild flowers that attract all the butterflies.

When I first found the spot it was because it had the best cell service, hehe.  It took me a few visits before I was able to go out to King’s Fold and disconnect more completely so this spot felt like a guilty pleasure spot at first.  Now however I love this spot because it is so quiet.  It seems like an area that not many of the guests seem to make use of so rarely is there anyone to distract me.  It has become the place that I go to when I just want to let my mind wander.  I have come up with lots of good ideas in this spot which is probably why it has become associated with joy for me. 

Today while I was there soaking up the sun, I found myself thinking a lot about this 30 days of joy challenge.  Two weeks in and I’m finding it quite amazing at how much happier I feel but more than that I’m surprised at how much I was taking things for granted before.  There is much more joy in my life and inspiration in my life than I realized.  I’m learning to find joy daily, sometimes all it takes is to stop, soak up the sun, watch the butterflies and just be in the moment.  It’s a pretty amazing thing to learn.

Challenge Introduction/Day 1   

30 Days of Joy: Day 10 & 11/30

I’m back!  After a very relaxing extra-long weekend at one of my favourite places it’s now time to play a little catch up.  Finding joy was pretty easy to come by the last few days but I wanted to make sure that I kept on track for my challenge by being a little more intentional about it.  I tried to decide what would bring me joy each day, although sometimes it was still the unplanned that brought it into my day the most.  I also wanted to make sure that I was keeping up with the challenge of daily blogging so although I wasn’t publishing it I still kept writing the entries each night.  Now that I’m back I will share those entries a couple at a time until I get myself caught back up.  Happy reading!

Day 10’s Joy – Deep Conversations with a Friend (Wed Jun 27)

As I transition to a laidback vacation version of myself I know the next few days finding joy will be a little easier.  Today I found my joy having a discussion with the friend who came with me to King’s Fold this time.  The night we arrive we have created a tradition where we bring our dinner with us and then go and find a room to have our ‘picnic’.  The conversations we have during this shared meal are often quite varied but always a good way to start our retreat.

Today the discussion turned to my Miracle Morning practices because I had recommended that she read the book by Hal Elrod and she had brought it with her to read while we were on retreat.  She was curious about what all I have gotten out of the practice since starting it.  This actually led to a bigger conversation about the concept/idea of the law of attraction. 

Just getting to openly discuss some of the ideas I have been reading about as I continue to learn about myself is special.  I don’t often openly share some of the ideas I have been exploring for fear that people will start to think I’m getting to be a little out there.  When I can find someone who shares some of the same beliefs it feels amazing to talk about it.  I gain so much out of conversations like this.  I get to explore my thoughts and in trying to communicate those thoughts I find that I’m able to gain more clarity around them.  It also just feels good to connect with someone and to find that maybe your ideas aren’t so crazy or out there after all.

One of the things I have been actively working on this year is connecting more with people.  I often keep myself from sharing my thoughts and ideas for fear of the reaction people will have.  This year really pushing against that fear has been showing me that it’s actually okay to let people in and let the true Jill come out.  It has been amazing to experience.  So this conversation was the perfect way to find some joy in the day and in my own growth.  I can’t think of a better way to start what will likely be quite a reflective vacation.

Day 11’s Joy – Enjoying a Silent Lunch (Thurs Jun 28)

My joy today surprised me a lot.  Have you ever shared a meal with other people in silence?  It is an experience that is hard to put into words.  When I woke up this morning I knew that the lunch would be a challenge for me but I also decided that I would try and make it my joy for the day.  In the end it was a beautiful meal and proved that you can find joy in anything if you have the right mindset.

The very first time I did a silent lunch was maybe on my second visit to King’s Fold about 4 years ago.  I can still picture it like it was yesterday.  There was a big thunderstorm outside which was actually pretty amazing but changed things a bit.  I had been told typically people get a tray and go off on their own during a silent lunch but the because of the rain most people seemed to stay in the dining room.  I can’t remember all that we were served that day but I do remember the fresh cut veggies.  It was really hard for me not to giggle as all you could hear was the crunching of carrots.  It was an experience that I will never forget.  I did feel bad though because it felt like I wasn’t giving the experience the proper respect.  Since that first silent lunch I have actively avoided being out at KF on a Thursday so that I could avoid the practice, until this visit.

Leading up to the vacation I was nervous about participating in a silent lunch again. The amazing thing was that I didn’t need to worry.  My experience this time around was completely different.  Going in with the mindset that this would bring me joy helped me to enjoy the meal and the experience.  I was open to whatever was about to happen and in the end I loved the meal today.  Sitting in silence listening to the sounds of the dining room was pretty cool.  The energy in the room was warm and comfortable.  I felt connected to everyone in a way I can’t really describe. 

The amazing part of the experience was realizing that I’m actually a lot more comfortable with silence than I was 4 years ago.  The first time I found myself constantly worrying and feeling self-conscious about how loud I was being.  It’s hard to enjoy something when you are hyper aware of how loud you are and stuck in your head worrying what people are thinking about you.  This time though because of my meditation practices I was able to turn that worry off and just relax into the beauty of silence.  The world looks and sounds different when you stop the spinning thoughts in your brain and just exist in the moment.  It felt like pure joy to me.   

I’m so grateful to get to try a silent lunch again.  It was an amazing experience to teach me how much I’m learning about  myself and what will bring me joy.

Thank you to everyone still reading these entries and asking me about them.  I'm loving this challenge.

Challenge Introduction/Day 1

30 Days of Joy: Day 9/30

Day 9’s Joy – A Conversation with my Neighbour

Yesterday joy found me, I didn’t have to try and create it.  I was not in the best of moods yesterday.  I got up and felt like the minute my feet hit the floor I was just go go go.  Mornings like that always leave me feeling frazzled which then bleeds into being more agitated with things like traffic or work.  By the time I got home I just wanted to crash and zone out, of course the fact that I’m about to go on mini vacation and my lawn desperately needed to be cut argued that I couldn’t do that.

Grudgingly I headed out to mow the lawn.  This is by far my least favourite chore, largely due to allergies, so it’s hard to find joy in it.  The universe had my back though.  When I was about halfway done with my backyard my little old lady neighbour came out and to our shared fence.  I have known her for most of my life because we moved to this house when I was 5.  She is a wonderful lady.  Anyway seeing her wander over I stopped mowing and went over to chat with her.

As she often does each summer, she had an envelope for me to thank me for shovelling her sidewalk all winter.  I keep trying to tell her she doesn’t need to give me anything but she always insists.  She always tells me how much she appreciates that I’m willing to shovel her sidewalk and that it’s just a little something so I can do something fun on my vacation when I go.  I always tell her the same thing – ‘thank you so much, you honestly don’t have to do this.  I shovel your sidewalk because I couldn’t get over and do my grandma’s sidewalk.  It makes me feel good to put that into the world.’  It doesn’t matter that Nan isn’t around anymore I still feel very strongly about being able to do it to keep her memory alive.  If I can help by doing something like shovelling a sidewalk so someone can stay independent and in their own home I will do my best to help.

The sense of joy and satisfaction I get from this yearly discussion and in fact from actually shovelling her sidewalk is the only thing I need.  Hearing from her how much she appreciates it, fills me with so much gratitude that I’m physically able to do it for her.  There is just something really special about knowing that I can help make her life a little easier.  My time in this house is coming to an end and she is definitely one of the parts that I will miss the most when I leave.  It makes me appreciate the conversation all the more. 

After the 15 minute conversation with her, she wandered back into her house and I went on to finish my lawn.  The mood and internal dialogue had shifted though.  Doing something good for someone will always come back to you and is never wasted.  It is a form of joy that will always lift you up, even months after you do it. 

I suspect the next few days will be much easier to find joy as I’m about to head off to one of my favourite places in the world.  I will still be writing and seeking joy each day but I won’t be able to share it until I get back.  I am determined to keep going with this daily challenge.  I look forward to playing catch up when I return.  Much love and gratitude to anyone reading this.

Yesterday’s Joy

Challenge Introduction/Day 1  

30 Days of Joy: Day 8/30

Day 8’s Joy – Snailmail

When I started this challenge I created a list of things that I know bring me joy, so that if I was struggling on a day to find something I could just go to my list.  One of the first things I wrote on that list was sending and receiving real letters and postcards.  Yesterday’s joy was all about both of these.

At the start of 2018 I made a goal to send something in the mail every week.  The plan has been to send notes, cards, or whatever else I can think of, out to friends and family.  By the end of the year I want to have mailed at least 52 items.  Once this goal was known, one of my friends suggested that I also checkout the website postcrossing.com.  Now between these two things, sending and receiving real letters and postcards have become a very important part of my world and always bring me joy.  Yesterday I got to enjoy both sides of this hobby, the sending and receiving. 

In order to keep addresses safer on postcrossing they limit your access to getting addresses.  There are limits around how many postcards you can have travelling at a time but as your postcards are received you are able to request new addresses.  Yesterday I was lucky enough to have had three cards received over the weekend so I got to sit down in the morning and write three new ones. I love the whole process, everything from picking out the perfect postcard to send to trying to decide what to write to picking out some fun stickers to add.  It makes me feel amazing to know I’m sending some smiles and love out into the world.  I might not know the people I’m sending postcards to but I know (hope) I will be responsible for bringing a smile to their face and that is pretty special.

The flipside of sending postcards is that I also get postcards back.  Every day as I drive home from work I start to wonder if I will find anything in my mailbox.  Most days the answer is no but usually at least once a week or so I will have postcards waiting for me.  Yesterday I was blessed enough not only to have two new postcrossing postcards but I also a real letter from a friend that has now become a pen pal thanks to my 2018 goal.  Just opening the mailbox and pulling those out is enough to make any day better.

In a desire to extend the joy I get from mail, early on I started a bit of a ritual around reading them.  They get put on my computer in my living while I get settled for the evening.  I will usually make a cup of tea (or if it’s hot something cold) to drink and then I settle on the couch to read the notes and relax after a day of work.  It is always interesting to read and hear about the different things people want to share.  After reading the notes I spend a little time really looking at the postcards.  I will often do a little google searching to learn more about the images or the countries the postcards have come from.  Then finally I will register the postcards as being received which is also my chance to send a little note thanking the sender for the card.

I didn’t know how much I would love this new hobby but it thrills me. I have been blessed to be able to have had 29 of my postcards so far reach their intended recipients.  I have also been lucky enough to have received 33 cards from all over the world.  That is already a lot of smiles and joy being put out into our universe.  In a world full of email and text messages, I feel like we are losing the special connection that comes from having a letter or note that you can physically touch.  Maybe I’m crazy but I know for me I will always find joy in getting to send out and receiving real mail.

Find something you love and throw yourself in to it, you won’t be disappointed.

  

Yesterday’s Joy

Challenge Introduction/Day 1   

30 Days of Joy: Day 7/30

Day 7’s Joy – Scrapbooking with Friends

Wow I can hardly believe it has already been a week of trying to seek out intentional joy each day.  It has been a pretty great week.  Overall I’m feeling happier and more fulfilled with the things in my world.  It’s kind of crazy because I’m not really doing anything that I wouldn’t normally do in a week but in paying attention to how it brings me joy, it has shifted how I look at each day.  It’s been pretty amazing.  I’m also learning a lot about myself which is always a good thing.

Anyway, day number 7 was a pretty great day.  My joy came from spending 10 hours with a couple friends working on our scrapbooks.  I think it was even more special for me because I was scrapbooking the photos from my 10K race. 

Time spent scrapbooking for me is guaranteed joy.  It doesn’t matter when I do it or where I do it or even how long I can devote to it, scrapbooking will always relax me, inspire me and remind me of all the great things in my life.  If you want to increase your joy I highly recommend giving scrapbooking a chance, especially with events or things that brought you joy to start with.  Going back and looking at the photos will bring back the memories and feelings that you experienced at the time of the event.  You can increase that feeling by writing about it.  Then anytime you need a boost to your mood you can flip open the book and continue to relive the most important moments of your life.

Yesterday as I mentioned I was scrapbooking my 10k race photos.  It has only been 4 weeks since I did the race, so not really that long ago, but working with the photos did put me back into that moment.  I got to relive the pride, the struggle and all the love and support I experienced that Sunday.  The photos and pages I worked on yesterday will be add to a scrapbook that I have been keeping to document my weight loss journey and let me tell you, anytime when I feel like I’m struggling I pick up that book.  It has become a powerful tool to keep me going and to remind me where I have come from. 

Scrapbooking may not bring joy for everyone.  In fact one of the friends that was scrapbooking with me yesterday will probably never do a second book, but even she admits that she loves that she will have a book to capture a trip that we all took together last year.  Ultimately though what yesterday really boils down to for me and why it got added to my days of joy is because it was about doing something I love and throwing myself in to it with both feet.

Happy Monday world.   I can’t wait to see what you have in store for me this week.

Yesterday’s Joy 

Challenge Introduction/Day 1

30 Days of Joy: Day 6/30

Day 6’s Joy – Realizing I Love My Legs

Day 6 was an easy day to find joy.  I got to see a couple movies, hang out with one of my favourite families and spend time getting to know my brother’s fiancé, but when I sat down to write this entry I realized that the thing that brought me the most joy happened before any of that.  It started while I was at the gym but the joy grew for the rest of the day and I suspect will continue to grow. 

The last few weeks when I’ve been getting to the gym (which sadly hasn’t been as regularly as I would like) I have been getting back into jogging intervals.  I have missed running.  As I was getting ready to finish my first 10k I stopped working on my running and turned my attention to just training walking the distance because my only goal was to get across that finish line.  So it has been pretty great getting back to run training.  Yesterday I decided it was time to test myself and see just how long I could jog for and I was thrilled to hit 2 minutes.  This might not seem like a lot but considering a few weeks ago it was only 30 seconds this was a big improvement for me.  Of course when I was training regularly and at my best I was able to do 7 minutes so I still have a long way to go but seeing the improvement already made me feel amazing. 

After the gym it was time for my Weight Watchers meeting and the joy that started at the gym was magnified.  The topic this week body image.  As we were talking one of the questions asked was ‘what is your best feature?’ and the answers were pretty typical - eyes, hair, feet but nothing in between.  As everyone was talking I thought about the question.  My easy quick answer is always my eyes but yesterday I realized that the part I like most about myself right now is actually my legs.  They may not be the definition of beautiful but they are strong and powerful which is pretty beautiful to me.  I’m strangely proud of my legs.

Since doing my 10k I have been thinking a lot about my legs.  I have started to become incredibly grateful for them.  They carry me around and have to deal with more weight than they should to do it.  They also put up with me pushing them in ways most people my size wouldn’t.  They let me jog, walk big distances, climb and even squat for long periods to get perfect photos.  Yesterday taking time to really recognize how much my legs do for me was truly a joyful experience.  I was filled with love and gratitude not only for my legs but also my whole body.  It was a powerful feeling that is sticking with me.

Today I want to end my blog with a wish of joy for all who are reading this.  My wish is that I hope you can find a few minutes of joy by spending a little time appreciating and loving your body.  No matter what you might think its flaws are, the reality is our bodies are pretty amazing and special just as they are in this moment.  No matter what journey you are on send a little love and gratitude to all yourself.

Yesterday's Joy 

Challenge Introduction/Day 1

30 Days of Joy: Day 5/30

Day 5’s Joy – A Low Key Night at Home

There is a Brene Brown quote that I have written in my book that sums up yesterday’s joy.  “Joy comes to us in ordinary moments.  We risk missing out when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary.”  My world is often crazy and even when I first thought about this challenge it was to bring more of the extraordinary moments into my life (the whole idea of Expo mashed up with 10k finishes) but I have to say that in the last 5 days what I have started to realized is how much of what I do really brings me joy.

Last night I had a plan in place for what I was going to do to find my joy; I had a vision of my book and my bathtub all day.  However as I had to clean my house first and have dinner I turned on the television.  I came across the movie Bridget Jones Baby, which I love.  That movie led to watching another movie Home Again, which I hadn’t seen before but it was sweet.  There is something great about movies but last night it was more than just tuning out and watching movies.  The best part of the night end up being that I got to spend all of Home Again and most of Bridge Jones on the couch with Zoe (my cat for those who don’t know) cuddled on me. 

Sometimes joy comes from the simplest things.  Zoe is the world’s biggest suck.  She is unlike any cat I have ever known.  If I’m sitting down she is on me or lying beside me with her paws reaching out to touch me.  She has always just wanted to be attached to me.  Lots of times though I don’t sit still long enough to really enjoy this.  Lots of times it drives me nuts because it is hard to do much when you have a cat demanding your attention.  Last night though I just revelled in it.  I was just grateful to be able to pet her and have her curled up on me.  It was pretty much the perfect night.

I have to say that even though I’m only five days in to this challenge I’m learning a lot.  I’ve started a list of lessons that are coming out of it that I will share at the end but one thing I wanted to share now is how amazing it is to be able to find joy each day.  Now that I’m watching and checking in with myself to notice those little moments that fill me up, I’m realizing how much of them are there.  Being more aware has made me more grateful which in turn has showed me that maybe I had more joy in my world than I thought. 

My wish for everyone today is that you can all find the luxury of time spent doing something that brings you joy no matter how simple it may seem.

Yesterday’s joy 

Challenge Introduction/Day 1 

30 Days of Joy: Day 4/30

Day 4’s Joy – Catching Up with Old Friends

Day 4 was a pretty easy day to find my joy.  I didn’t even have to set an intention to find it. Time spent with friends and kids is instant joy for me.  One of my goals this year is to reconnect with people.  I have a tendency to spend a lot of time on my own which I think is okay except that last year I noticed that I was starting to feel disconnected from the people I care about and that’s not cool with me.  So this year I have been trying hard to fix that feeling by reaching out more. 

I have a few friends that I have known since junior high and high school (20+ years…wow where does the time go).  We may not spend a lot of time together but when I do get to see them it always just feels easy.  There is something special about the people that have known you forever.  It is hard for me to even put into words how much these few oldest friends mean to me but between the flood of memories and the ease of conversation, I know I’m always going to leave a visit with one of them feeling more joyous and lifted up.  These people became friends at a time when it felt like the whole world was making fun of me and judging me for my weight and I’m sure that is part of why they have such an effect on me. 

Of course added to catching up with my friend was also getting to spend some time with her son.  I haven’t seen him in a couple years.  He is full of kid energy that is just contagious.  I suspect it might be a bit different if I was around kids all the time but because I don’t, I can’t help but love that energy.  To see the world as kids do and spend time with them is fantastic.  It reminds me not to take myself or life to seriously.  It also challenges my imagination to try and connect and play on their level.  it is just a great way to spend some time.

I might only be four days into this challenge but I have to say that of all the random challenges I have tried this has been my favourite.  I’m amazed at how much more I’m already smiling.  As content and happy as I always am bringing joy in daily has raised the bar.  Happy Friday to everyone, may the day go fast and the weekend start soon for everyone.

Yesterday’s Joy 

Challenge Introduction/Day 1 

30 Days of Joy: Day 3/30

Day 3’s Joy – A Finished Task and Memories Relived

Day 3 reinforced the realization that I had yesterday about joy and intention.  Anything can bring you fulfillment and joy if you set that as the intention.  I was struggling yesterday with a headache in the evening, so I wasn’t at my most cheerful and without a plan for what I would do to bring me joy it was hard to try and come up with something.  I needed something low key and easy, so I decided that finally finishing sorting the last of my Alaska photos would be a good thing and maybe with the right mindset it would bring me the joy I was hunting for the day.

I love travelling, taking photos and scrapbooking but I do not love sorting through thousands of photos to pick and choose the ones I need to print.  It is a tedious task that if I don’t do right after the vacation often gets put off, which is what happened with my Alaska trip.  I have been slowly sorting and printing over the last few weeks.  It has felt like a chore but last night, after deciding it would bring me joy, I jumped in to finish my last few days off.  I turned the television off and then took my time going through the photos.  I focused less on the actual sorting and more on remembering the vacation.  It helps that the photos I was sorting were from some of my favourite parts of the trip. 

Setting the intention of making a tedious task into my joy really helped.  Not only did it push me to get it done, knowing that if I crossed it off my to do list, it would at least make me happy but in setting the intention to make it joyful it gave me the permission to take my time and really reconnect with the photos and memories from the trip.  This is not something I usually get to do until I’m scrapbooking the photos and writing the stories.  Of course in actually finishing the sorting, there is a fair amount of excitement that floods my system know that it means I actually get to start working on creating that album.

I have to say that by the time I was done sorting my mood and energy had changed.  I still had the headache but I went to bed with a smile on my face.  I felt accomplished and excited.  I was also reminded of how much gratitude I have for having had the opportunity to share another amazing trip with my mom.  Sorting photos may not have been on my list of things I would expect to bring me joy but I found it anyway which at least in some part is what this challenge is about.

Happy first day of summer, may the new season bring much joy.

Yesterday's Blog
Challenge Introduction/Day 1

30 Days of Joy: Day 2/30

Day 2's Joy - A Lunch Date with Myself and a Book

I have to say I think this idea of trying to find joy each day is going to be really good for me (shocking I know…heheh).  The world feels different when you set your intention to be joyful.  Day #2 of this challenge reminded me of this idea.

It is probably not surprising that I love food and eating out.  Lately between working on saving a down payment for a house and trying to lose weight, eating out is something I don’t do as much anymore.  Yesterday I decided that my joy was going to be taking myself out on a lunch date.  I grabbed my book and left the office at lunch time so I could go visit a nearby restaurant.  I followed lunch by a visit to Starbucks for a frappuccino before heading back to work because for an hour I didn’t want to worry about calories. 

Now a lunch break probably doesn’t seem that special but the crazy thing that I realized is because I set the intention that it would be my joy for the day it actually was.  As soon as I left the office I was more grateful for the sun warming my face, the light breeze keeping me from getting too hot and even the hint of the scent of flowers because they all were noticed and lifted my spirit.  Lunch itself was probably nothing amazing or special but it was tasty.  I took my time enjoying the flavours of the food and reading my book.  It was relaxing and refreshing.  By the time I got back to the office after this break I felt lighter and refreshed.  I was also way more productive in the afternoon.  This is also not surprising, there are lots of studies out there that say this very thing. 

The effects from lunch followed me the rest of the day.  Lately as soon as I get home from work I want to snack and I have found more and more lately I have been giving in to that.  Logically I know it is a reaction to my day more than true hunger but logic doesn’t always make things change.  Yesterday when I got home there was no nagging desire to snack.  I’m sure some would argue that it’s because my lunch was probably bigger than normal (it wasn’t) but honestly the fact that I could focus on making dinner without snacking was simply because I was in a better frame of mind.  That feeling has actually last through the night and is in fat carrying me as I write this.  I’m excited to see how this feeling grows over the next 30 days because I know it will.

Sending all who are reading this much love and wishes for finding your own joy.

Day 1's Blog Entry

30 Days of Joy: Day 1/30

This blog entry and challenge might seem a little strange coming from me.  I generally consider myself to be a fairly happy and content person but I have decided that I need to bring more joy into my life.  I think that although similar, joy and happiness are actually two different things, although both definitely feed on each other.  To me joy is the stuff that really fills my soul.  It makes me happy to my very core and leaves me feeling lighter and more fulfilled.  In a world where we are inundated with images of negativity it is easy to forget and take for granted the things that fill your soul and bring you joy.  I want more joy in my life so why not spend some time focused on it.

About 7 months ago I started on a journey of self-development and learning.  It has been amazing and I will write more about it specifically in another entry at some point but for now I mention it because that is what has ultimately led me to this entry and the challenge I’m about to undertake.  As I have been working on growing myself I have come to realize that somewhere along the way I have lost touch with the things that really bring me joy.  I have moments where I glimpse it and feel it but I want to find more of it.  I want to not only find more joy but really appreciate the things that bring me that feeling.  I want to really embrace all the things that make me feel the most like myself.

With all of this in mind I have decided to set myself a 30 day challenge.  For the next 30 days I’m going to do something each day that brings me true joy.  I have come up with a list of things that include everything from a bubble bath to cuddling with my cat to trying something new and a bunch of things in between.  I also figured that as a way to get my blogging and writing going again regularly, I would post each day about what brought my joy (well most days anyway as there are some where I won’t have internet access).  The days I miss I will go old school and write the entries by hand and just post them after.  The plan is to post my daily joy the following morning, so for example today (Tuesday) I’m writing about Monday.

I am super excited for this challenge.  I suspect like most challenges that I set for myself I will learn a lot.  I also suspect that the list of things that bring me joy will also grow and change.  It is my hope that by the end of the month I will have a pretty good handle on the things I need and want to do that will bring more joy in my life.  I hope to feel the way I did when I finished that 10k race last month or the way I feel every year during the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.  Basically I’m going for a 30 ay mashup of all the things that make me feel on top of the world.

“The body heals with play, the mind heals with laughter and the spirit heals with joy.” a proverb

Day 1’s Joy – A Movie Night Double Feature with a Friend

Yesterday I went for an easy win to get me started on this challenge.  I have always loved movies.  They inspire me and entertain me and I love them all.  Not only that there is something that always feels a little decadent and self-indulgent and joyful about going to back to back movies especially on a work night.  hehehe

So yesterday, day of this challenge, I went with a friend and saw two movies after work.  The first was one I had seen before, Book Club, but I knew she really wanted to see it and I loved it the first time.  So we went and laughed our way through it.  It is a super cute movie that not only makes me laugh but triggers my sappy side as well.  Laughing for an hour and a half was a good start to finding joy.  We followed it up with the movie Hotel Artemis.  It was weird and quirky and super interesting.

I’m sure there are some who would say that a movie can make you happy while you are watching it but would question if it can actually bring you real joy.  Well for me the answer is yes it can bring joy.  Movies have always been something I love.  There is something special about being able to lose yourself in a movie.  For me especially when it comes to going to a theatre it is a chance for me to turn on my imagination and just let the emotions of the movie really flow through me.  When I leave a movie I always feel more creative and inspired.  I need that energy to support my writing.  So for me movies definitely bring me joy.  They fill my soul and my creative tank and when they are really good they stay with me for days and weeks and sometimes even months after.

I have to say day 1 was a success.  I’m super excited to see what day 2 has in store for me. 

May all who are reading this find your own little joy.