Happiness List!

Today I feel happy that Raj came back and that I had food to feed him.

I feel happy that I had time and energy to play with Tori and Lissy and Shane on Saturday.

I feel happy that I have the house to myself for most of today.

I feel happy that I have money to pay the post office box bill this week.

I feel happy that three people have already indicated interest in the KSoul Assistant position.

I feel happy that my head cold is on the way OUT.

I feel happy that my Inner Sanctuary inner journeys are so powerful and real.

I feel happy that I am back in my Inner Sanctuary again.

I feel happy that we've had a mild winter so far.

I feel happy that I don't have to be on the Trainers call tomorrow.

I feel happy that there are already 4 people signed up for the Sept. Training.

I feel happy that I am writing and blogging again!

Happiness List (aka Things That Make Me Go YIPPEE!)

I feel happy today that Raj was waiting for breakfast this morning.

I feel happy that I only have two computer tasks to do today.

I feel happy that I am feeling well enough to do errands this afternoon.

I feel happy that Minnie sits on my lap every morning and lets me stroke her.

I feel happy that Minnie sat on my lap yesterday afternoon for 2 whole hours.

I feel happy to be in the same room with Suzy.

I feel happy that I am taking care of my wonky stomach.

I feel happy that Sasha was in my life for 18 years.

I feel happy that Scooter blessed my life for 12 years.

I feel happy about all the lessons I am learning.

Happiness List

Today I am happy that Raj was safe and sound on the porch.

I am happy that I felt well enough to get up and feed Suzy while Jeff slept late.

I am happy that I could put earphones in and listen to music while Jeff and the neighbor were chatting incessantly in the kitchen while I was writing in the living room.

I am happy that my muscles are not achy like they were last night.

I am happy that I don't feel as bad as I have on past Saturday-after-chemo-treatments.

I am happy that I don't have to go anywhere today.

I am happy that I remember E's birthday.

I am happy that I did deep soul writing this a.m.

I am happy that I can have mac and cheese for lunch.

I am happy that I have abundant time and space for solitude.

I am happy that I might get to see Christmas Carol this year.

Connecting Gratitude with Joy

Sanaya Roman said something in her book yesterday that called my soul to attention. She said that whenever we practice gratitude, it cleanses our aura and raises our vibration. How cool is that?

And of course... the clearer our aura becomes and the higher our vibration is, the more joy we can let in and experience. So simple, yet so profound, right?

I have been cultivating a daily practice of gratitude and I do believe it is having an affect on my joy quotient. Time will tell! My gratitude practice is based on Melody Beattie's teaching in her book, Make Miracles in Forty Days. The primary focus is offering gratitude for EVERYTHING in our lives, not just the "good stuff." I highly recommend her book and this practice.

My gratitude blog is here.

I like her practice because it involves saying "I am grateful for..." or "Thank you for..." instead of saying "I feel grateful for..." There is a huge difference. Try it and see. If your car has broken down by the side of the road and you're late for an appointment, you don't have to FEEL grateful in order to say "Thank you for this breakdown."

Of course, there are some things that we are not expected to say "thank you" for. The death of a loved one, for instance. Cruel behavior on the part of another. When my beloved cat Sasha died this past July, I couldn't bring myself to say "I am grateful that Sasha is gone." But I COULD say "I am grateful for the 18 years of love that Sasha gave me" and "I am grateful that the vet was so kind to all of us when he put her to sleep." Etc. Do you see the difference?

Gratitude definitely infuses my life with more joy, sometimes right away, and sometimes it's more of a cumulative thing. Either way, it's always good to allow gratitude to weave its shimmering threads into the fabric of your own life.

Joy in the Present Moment

I've recently come to understand something about joy... it can ONLY be felt and experienced and savored in the present moment.

Think about it...

If your thoughts are mucking it up back in the past, or flying around the future... where is there room for JOY to fit in? It's HERE and NOW, and only here and now. Look around you... what joy is there for you RIGHT NOW?

For me, I am pausing this writing.... I can feel joy in the softening afternoon sunlight, in the scent of warm cinnamon from the candle I lit earlier, in the attentive tilt of my dog's head, in the footsteps of my husband as he approaches from the stairs. I feel joy in the rhythm of my fingers on the keyboard, in the learning of this important lesson down deep in my soul.

I will be trying to focus on this... staying in the present moment... in order to be more and more open to JOY.

Happiness List

Today I feel happy that 4 Pacheco's will be here tomorrow.

I feel happy that my stomach isn't as wonky as it has been the last 5 days.

I feel happy that Jordan and Jason are here with Jeffrey for the holiday.

I feel happy that they hugged me when they saw me yesterday.

I feel happy that the holiday ornaments are DONE.

I feel happy that Scooter was/is a part of my life. Ditto Sasha.

I feel happy that Raj chooses our front porch as a place of safety and nourishment.

I feel happy that Marti and I talked yesterday afternoon.

I feel happy that I am writing today.

I am so grateful for this happiness listing, as a companion to my gratitude listing. There is a subtle yet sweet difference between feeling grateful and feeling happy. My job is to notice the difference, and to include more experiences and activities in my life that invoke HAPPINESS, because happiness is the cornerstone to JOY.

Does This Fit Me?

I've been reading a wonderful book by Sanaya Roman, Living with Joy, and it is giving me pause to think about how I've defined joy and what joy really means. The chapter I've just read is about self-love, and about how being true to ourselves brings about a much deeper joy in our lives.

The challenge of loving yourself is to step aside from everything people tell you and ask, "Does this fit me? Does this bring me joy? Do I feel good when I do it?" Ultimately, your own experience is what counts. (p. 41)

I am gently working with myself these days to follow this "challenge" of loving myself. It's not as simple as it sounds, especially if you've been murking around for a few years (like I have) doing things half the time based on others' perceptions of you.

Last Thursday, I had a beautiful healing session via phone with John Corsa, and when I hung up, I took a bath, reveling in the new energy washing through and around me. When I came downstairs, Jeff wanted to turn on the TV and watch a show we had to catch up on. But I was able to be present with myself and ask, "Does this bring me joy right now, to have the TV on? Does this "fit" who I am in this moment?" And the answer was no. I just wanted to sit and soak in the silence for another little while.

I hesitated though. Usually our pattern is that when I come downstairs, we turn on the TV and that is something I really enjoy, that brings me joy. I didn't want Jeff to think I was undoing our pattern. I didn't want him to be bored (he's legally blind). But I remembered this challenge, to determine what "fits" me and what doesn't, and to be absolutely true to what does fit me.

So I said, "I'd kindof like to leave the TV off for 15 minutes, is that okay with you?" And of course it was! Jeff is very easy-going that way.

I had my 15 minutes extra of quiet time, during which I wrote in my journal and further absorbed the affirmations that John had given me during our time together.

And then we watched whatever show it was that was in our DVR queue and had a relaxing evening of laughter and chatting during our favorite shows (Thursday is Big Bang Theory night!).