Joy Thieves

December 13, 2009 By 3 Comments

As the Christmas Season is upon us and the hustle & bustle of everyday life picks up – let me remind you not to give into those thieves that will try and steal your joy this Christmas Season.
Christmas is the one time we all come together with a heart for giving to others. It is during this time of year that our minds and hearts are truly focused on others, but sometimes our emotions will get the best of us and in an instant, our tempers are flaring, our hearts are sad and our joy is gone! Don’t let thieves come in and steal your joy.
Let me introduce you to some thieves to keep an eye out for. They are sneaky, so watch for them closely!

Thief #1 Extremely Busy – OH, we are so busy and then you throw the holidays into the everyday routine. Being busy, not slowing down to enjoy the music, lights, smell, taste of the season can rob you of your joy. Take some time to dwell on the blessings that surround you. Sit at the mall and just watch the laughter of children that go by. Listen to the never ending supply of Christmas music that is playing. Gaze at the millions of twinkling lights that brighten our days and light up our nights! Don’t let the busyness of the Christmas season rob you of the true joy of Christmas.

Thief #2 Things – Little or big, “things” can steal your joy. Little thing that needle at you. Poking you in the stomach, screaming “pick me, pay attention to me.” So many little details will be magnified to such a degree that our joy will be stolen and we will not even realize it. Big things that press for your time. Now, there’s a thief! Our days are already filled with high priority items that we feel like we can’t possibly squeeze one more thing in – but we must. Set priorities, go with it and what you don’t get done today will wait for you till tomorrow. Guard against this thief closely.

Thief #3 Household Chores – As you plan your Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, don’t worry about perfection. People are happy to receive an invite, to spend some time with you, talking, laughing, remembering and simply having an amazing time with you. Spend time getting things in order, but if a plate breaks, or the skin on the turkey is burned, or the smashed potatoes are a little lumpy don’t sweat it. Smile and enjoy the spirit of the gathering! Enjoy the hugs that you’ll receive and soak up the laughter and joy that is radiating through out the room.

Thief #4 People – One of the greatest things about Christmas is being surrounded by the people you love. You still have work and other commitments that are demanding your time and attention, but don’t let the needs of others sneak in and rob you of the true joy of Christmas. Don’t let the hustle and bustle of shopping on the day after Thanksgiving steal your joy. Let’s face it, shopping for others should be a time of great giving but in reality many people will send Black Friday grumbling, complaining about long lines and hating the experience. As you stand in the long lines on Black Friday, start looking for ways of spreading joy. Smile at the cashier, speak to those in line around you, say thank you and have a fantabulous day to as many people as you can. You’ll have an amazing opportunity to make a difference this Christmas Season, as long as you guard against this sneaky thief!

Guard your Joy these next few weeks.

Don’t let the joy thieves come in and rob you of the true happiness that spreading joy, giving and doing for others can bring you.
So, tell me – how are you spreading joy this Thanksgiving and Christmas season

“Joy is not in things; it is in us.” ~ Richard Wagner

 

 

 

Luke 2:10 – And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 

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The Good, The Bad and the Crazy

June 25, 2009 By 4 Comments

I love twitter. I love that I have met so many wonderful people there. The other day 2 of my favorite tweeple were tweeting back and forth and it caught my attention. After being asked how things were – @coffeesister replied saying ” @HappyLotus has actually been a really rough coupla days yet w/great things in the midst, hope your busyness was a goodness but YAY for calm”

I knew exactly what she was talking about – except for me it has been a rough couple of weeks. Normally we handle problems and move on but sometimes, every once in a while, a problem creeps up and you have to stay with it longer than you desire. The question then becomes, how do you keep focused on the good things going on around you while you concentrate on the bad and the crazy

I won’t bore you with all the bad that has been in my life since the first of May, but so that you get the picture, I have to share a little bit of what has happened. Late April I issued a challenge to my twitter friends to do an act of joy a day so that they may see that “there’s no joy like spreading joy” and I would join in myself. I’m personally (not including the things I do through Spreading Joy Corporation – but as an individual) trying to reach 1,000 acts of joy and set a goal of 3 acts of joy a day! I’m a giver, love to give and therefore that shouldn’t be a problem – right? W-R-O-N-G! Another twitter friend @dr_uw commented “I like your page, very encouraging to risk exposure and share.”

I remembered that comment when my phone rang at 7:15 at work on that first Friday morning in May. My husband who had been only working 32 hours a week for months had been given the news the day before that they were only going to be able to work every other week. Not totally laid off, but not making 40 hours a week either. My daughter, Megan, had been dealing with vomiting for most of April and we were taking her to test after test after test. My son, Todd, was graduating in a few weeks and would be heading off to college at the end of the summer and then there is the normal, usual stuff that just goes on. In May the washer broke. That same week, while I was at the laundry mat my husband had a flat tire on the way home and that very night my son’s car had a flat tire. (Great a washer and 2 tires) The next week my breaks were going out on the car and when my husband went to change them he noticed that 2 of the lug nut BOLTS were off – yep….gone. He went to take the tire off and what do you know – the OTHER TWO broke off. I could not believe it. I just knew we’d have to pay a tow truck to take my vehicle a mile down the road to get fixed. This is all in the middle of dealing with Doctors and Nurses phone calls and trying to keep Spreading Joy Corporation going. I’m not telling you all of this for your pity – I will take your prayers – but I want to share how in the world we made it through the month of May without totally losing our sanity.

I did not make my personal goal of 3 acts of joy a day in the month of May, but I did continue to do something everyday – just as I have done since April of 2008. While I was focusing on Megan and trying to help her and dealing with the crazy things that were going on around me I knew that no matter what, things would be ok because of the support we had.

The support during this trying time has been unbelievable! So many people are praying for Megan and while it is so hard watching her be so sick sometimes, knowing that she is being prayed for around the world has provided me with great peace. The tweets, the emails, the phone calls, the card and especially the prayers. I love giving and doing, but sometimes you have to let people support you, that is all there is to it. If someone wants to know how you are – tell them. You don’t have to be whiney about it, but say that its hard if you need to. Say that you are concerned. Don’t carry the burden alone. Take the help that is offered.

I had to remember – this too shall pass. This is only a small piece of the journey. You will not be on this road forever. Things will look up. Things will get better – count on it! Don’t dwell on this state that things are in…look to the future as it is a bright one!
I have made sure that I remain a source of motivation for others as well as giving others. I know you’ll probably tire of me say “There’s no joy like spreading joy” but it is true! When you give, do or encourage others YOU will get so much more back. The joy you receive when you are focusing on others is truly unspeakable. Your heart is warmed, your soul is thankful and the joy that is there because of the difference you’ve made is unwavering. You can have joy through the journey! You can have joy through the trials.

Take it one day at a time. If you have to, take it one hour at a time! Don’t hurry through your day. Don’t try to tackle everything all at once. Focus on what is important and let the rest wait. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Stay in the now..the right here and make it work.
Don’t remain so focused on the “crazy” that you miss the blessings that happen in between. While all this was going on in May – good things were going on too. My son was getting ready to graduate, Spreading Joy received a $10,000 matching grant and little did I know that a $500.00 grant to Wal-Mart was being approved. New friendships were being formed and thank goodness School was almost over! Great things were happening and I was noticing it. I could have easily missed it – had I been focused on the “crazy”.

Remember, we are all going to go through the good days, the bad days and most certainly the crazy days. Keep your chin up. Things will be good again. I promise!

“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me. “~ Ayn Rand
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