Saturday, January 01, 2011

Joy Journaling

Happy 2011!  Joy to you in the new year. Joy, that is my journey this year...to know more joy, to claim it for myself, to hold it in the midst of other sorrows or concerns. 
Taking joy in the sight of the Cascade Mountains, from an airplane

I'm joining the popular blogging trend and choosing a word for myself to focus on in 2011.  My word is JOY.  This word has been making itself known to me for some time now, and I think I'm finally ready to give it the attention it deserves. 

It all became clear to me when the DH (dear hubby) relayed a conversation he had with a credit card rep.  He had called about a discrepancy with the bill, and after several transfers and holds, finally got to the right gal/angel.  These two hit it off, and had a nice conversation in which she shared this great nugget, "Honey - don't let them steal your joy!"  Wow.  That one hit home, reminding me that I could claim joy for myself and not let it go.

And then my friend Marilyn introduced me to the phrase (from Tasha Tudor) of "take joy."  Wow.  That one also hit home.  I liked the active verb - take joy. 

So in 2011, I'm on a joy journey.  I don't mean to imply that I'll be doing pirouettes and singing Alleluia all day.  Joy, for me, can be big and expressive but can also be quiet and centering.  The key thing, for me, is that I choose joy each day.  I choose it, I claim it, I honor it, and I hold it tight even when I'm also feeling sorrow or fear or worry.  I hope you'll join me and share your wisdom about leading a joyful life.

Here's to a joyous 2011 for all of us!

15 comments:

parTea lady said...

What a great photo. Hope you will find lots of JOY in 2011.

Linda Jennings said...

Happy New Year! I look forward to your JOYful posts in 2011.

La Tea Dah said...

I have enjoyed "joy" all throughout 2010 with Marilyn and her blog. I was sad to have her "joy" year end, so I am very glad that you are taking up the word this year.

This will be a "joy" & "believe" year now --- perfect!

I wish you the most JOYFUL year ahead!

I love, love, love the beautiful snowy view of the Cascade Mountains!
Thank you for sharing it!

LaTeaDah

TeaMasters said...

Thanks for sharing your Joy with us! Happy New Year!

Allison said...

Happy New Year Steph! I love your word choice. :-)

MQ said...

Happy, Joyful New Year, Steph. Your photo of the mountains is really something! One of my thoughts about Joy is that it is our natural state and through conscious contact with the Divine, we remember who we are. I like to do this through meditation, listening to a classical stringed quartet, or getting my groove on while dancing . . . quiet moments in Nature.

Cheers!

Marlena said...

Oh yes, take joy! There are so many,mnay things to gives you joy, large and small. It will carry you through the bad times and add an extra measure to the good. I remember a particularly awful time in my life when I made and effort to find joy in at least one thing every day and it made the difference.

I wish you a particularly good and joyous year

gypsygsoul said...

Finding joy in little things gets me through the day so often. I look forward to more postings on the joy you are finding in your life. You may find that you're manifesting hummingbirds as they embody joy in the Native American Medicine Cards. You are one of the great joys in my life.

Marilyn Miller said...

Yes, JOY will give you a wild ride that is for sure. Just choosing it and paying attention causes more JOY. I will look forward to your JOY this year. I do BELIEVE it is a good word.

massagematters said...

Joy is a great word for you...and I like this concept of focusing on a word! :)

Kas said...

Hi Steph, I received a subscription to the mag "Ready Made" as a holiday present and I get to give a subscription away to a friend -- sending it to you & Tom knowing you'll enjoy it as much as I do! Happy New Year and lots of love from J & me :)

Denise said...

What a wonderful word to focus on:) I find that stopping to observe my surroundings fills me with peace, gratefulness, and joy! Singing also helps me focus on those things.
Happy Sunday

Steph said...

Dear Kas - We love that magazine! Thank you!

mep said...

Oh I can't wait to join you for your joy journey!

And "take joy" -- that truly is a wonderful phrase because we can't just wait for joy to fall in our laps, right? Best to seek it out!

Angela McRae said...

Beautifully said! I was going to miss having Marilyn emphasizing "joy" this year, so now I can count on you to bring even more joy into my life. Yay -- and Happy New Year!