There is a little brainstorming tool you can do that will help you learn what brings you joy! Here is my experience with this creative tool.
Give yourself an uninterrupted time frame and let it flow. And it’s easy to do 50. Once you start you are reminded of others as you are writing the current one. And it gives you such a lift!
Here are a few of mine:
- the smell of the ocean
- orange blossom fragrance
- smell of garlic and onions cooking in olive oil
- dolphins frolicking
- waterfalls
- rainbows
Once you have your list done notice how you feel in your heart, notice if you’re smiling and how big your grin is. Maybe you noticed how the smiles began soon after you wrote your first few items. This will open your heart and make you feel so much better! Keep it nearby or make copies. Use when needed!
dark chocolate…purple anything…sheep milk tzatziki…working on my family albums…watching a nearby black squirrel frolic…reading my name in your list of twitter love… just a few of the things that give me joy.
I love it , @184ac9f57ff3818c4e4902be1eb24c2a:disqus ! I agree on the dark chocolate and the purple anything. I’m so glad d you liked the idea. It really is a great mood elevator! Hugs!
I so enjoyed this blog, Julieanne. Nothing like intentionally summoning Joy. I loved hearing what you’ve listed, I’ve always enjoyed doing this exercise (which I began doing and teaching in the 80s, and thought I had “created.” Clearly, great minds think alike!) And most of all I love the quality of wonder and awe that you seem to have in your voice as you describe your joy momentum picking up. today I ‘m thinking: the depth my students go to in the over 50 group, my wife’s laugh, improvising with my theater company, my whole Playback Theater company, practicing qigong in the rain…
I thought you would know you this exercise. I believe she got the exercise from a book by Julia Cameron called The Artist’s Way. I’ve heard of this book more than twice and I keep thinking I should get it.
You touched me deeply with your statement about my energy coming through. That’s the way I talk with people in person and I wanted to be able to talk in the video as if I were sitting right there with each of you. Thank you for your loving energy, your sharings and your insights! Love, light and laughter to you! You definitely made me feel the joy today!
Everything you listed, Julieanne, gave me joy, too! I love the idea of taking the time to focus on what brings us joy rather than all our complaints. My husband and I are in a coaching session right now where one of our assignments is to keep an ongoing list of our dreams, and that too is so revealing about what makes us happy and who we are and what we hold dear and valuable. All of the God’s beauty is around us every day, and it is so rewarding to take the time to recognize it and enjoy it!
I also find that I’m more aware of these and other things when I do think of what brings me joy. And when I smell the orange blossoms I’m aware of the joy rushing within! I’m so glad you enjoyed this exercise! Your dream coaching sounds interesting too!
Julianne I love this! And you are letting your energy shine more in this video more than before. I do my gratitude list when I remember but this exercise sounds wonderful so I’m going to do it!
Louise Edington
Breaking Through Online Frontiers
http://louiseedington.com
Thank you, @LouiseEdington:disqus for the compliment. I’m so glad you like this exercise. It is easy to mentally add to it when you notice the joy within.
This is a great exercise and a different take on a gratitude list. I like it because rather than what we are grateful for it focuses on that feeling inside of joy. I think I may just do that today for my 30 minutes of writing. Not the whole 30 minutes but a part of it!
Susan Berland
A Picture’s Worth
http://susan-berland.com
Yes, a different take. Let me know how it goes for you. I’m happy you like it. I find I notice things that give me joy once I’ve done the list or revisit it or when I share it.
I love this idea, Julieanne. We all need a bag of tricks for lifting our spirits. This one’s great because it doesn’t cost anything and when we focus on these things, the next time we experience them we will be more likely to be grateful for the experience.
I so agree, @ReneeXyngs:disqus . I”m glad everyone is enjoying this exercise.
I think this is a great idea for adults and kids alike. So much of a person’s list would probably be items from his/her memory– a treat to remember the joys of the past!
Yes, it is easy and so much fun to do. Kids just need to be told that it must be something that makes them feel good inside, really good. When I did the list, my grin just kept getting bigger and bigger and sometimes I giggled. Speaking of giggling, the sound of children giggling also brings me joy. I’m grinning just thinking about it!
I have always loved this idea which is something I have invited my client to do. It’s a great way to get out of that rut and into joy. Thanks for reminding me. I especially love the smell of the ocean when the spray of misty salt hits your face. Love to ride the coast and get hypnotised by the ocean. Then to have fresh organic strawberries dipped in dark Ghiradelli Intense Dark Chocolate and if I’m relly bad, some fresh Haagen Daaz vaniilla and mix in the strawberries and chocolate…now that’s a mouthful of joy.
I responded to you once and it disappeared. It’s a great technique to remember. I’m hoping to just find one item of joy each day and if it’s new, add it to the list! You have some great items on your list I agree with!
my kids sleeping at night
the ocean
the lights of las vegas
fresh baked goods
and I can go on and on…
Thanks for making me brainstorm
Rachel
You are quite welcome! It’s so easy to do and the results are shall I say Joyful? LOL!
Ok instead of leaving a meaningful comment, I’m just going to start typing because I’ve been working all day and need to do something fun and I love this! So, here goes – devoting about 45 seconds:
pizza, running, ice cream, sleeping in a cold room, my Snuggie, petting my dogs, napping with my three cats, green tea, going to Target to just walk around, reading a good book before I fall asleep at night, white wine – ice cold, the smell of a new car, brushing my daughter’s hair, warm chocolate chip cookies, a night alone, a nice glass of lemon water, fuzzy socks, a hot bath, a pedicure, a new pen….
I could go on and on but I feel better already!
Great! So spend 30 seconds each day and list what joys you experienced that day! Great way to go to sleep, smiling and filled with joy! I like your warm chocolate chip cookies, the pedicure, the dogs and green tea for starters!
Nice smiling, beautiful face. I like that. Thank you. …and Thank You for this post! I will definitely do this exercise. One thing about it is it can get the journaling and/or writing juices going. Something I need to do.