Abundance
For years, Susan Kramer has been my herbolist. She is an amazing healer and has supported me through many
journeys in my life. One of my favorite things about going to see her, is picking a card from her Angelic Messenger Cards. The card I drew always shared the perfect message at the perfect time. I have wanted a deck of my own for a long time. Wishes, big and small, do come true. My deck arrived last week. I gazed at the box for a few days before I dug into the juicy contents.
I picked my first card from the crisp, new deck I opened my eyes to the beauty of the abundance card! Yet another wink from the Universe that I was on the path that leads me all that I desire. The card pointed me to uncover what abundance actually meant to me. I have been sitting with that question - it is fascinating the answers that come when I ponder with an inquiry like that.
I recently experienced the power of intention that led to an abundance of material things. I was invited to a fundraiser for the Winship Patience Assistance Program. One of the things they were doing to raise money was raffling off an IPad. I wanted that IPad and I got that IPad. I savored the joy, abundance and delight–and then it was gone.
Abundance can show up in things. But things are just things. I am curious about sustainable abundance. I trust that I can have all that I desire, yet what is it I really desire. The stuff makes me happy…for a minute.
I am getting a sense that the abundance I desire all stems from the love word…an abundance of love for myself, leads to an abundance of love for others. More love=more connection. More connection brings the opportunity to be in the moment. Being in the moment leads to an abundance of time. I like where this is going. Better than any abundance app on the IPad. Or am I on to something…..
Savor the flavor
Washing dishes has never been a favorite chore, but there is one exception— when I truly love cleaning up after a meal.
Few things are more fun than a small gathering of folks I adore. Now, I’m not a great cook, but I’ve collected simple, failsafe and tasty recipes that require little attention at serving time. But more important than the menu or the wine is the guest list. I’ve learned that people who are interesting are interested, for they inquire and listen as much as they talk. A dinner party for 4 to 6 is the perfect size— having more than six people at a table will almost always splinter into two conversations. Six or fewer and magic can happen: discussions can roam in many directions, banter is easy to follow, ah-has are abundant, and deep connections are seeded.
There is more, though—intention and meaning are my co-hosts, as ritual and history set the tone. The extra three minutes it takes to put out Mama’s silver instead of the stainless. Using my grandmother’s butter dish. Cloth napkins. The wine glasses that fill the hand so perfectly. The delightful salt cellar and tiny silver spoon. China cups and saucers or demitasse for after-dinner coffee. Candles, and dim lighting beyond the table to minimize distraction. Little footstools under the table for more petite guests, for even in straight back chairs, folks linger for two, three or four hours.
Afterward, I savor the evening as I tidy the kitchen, all but the wine glasses. Life lesson #7: always wait until morning to wash the stems.
And en route to the kitchen the next day, I stop to bask in the remnant joy, the energy that lingers in the space. Dear friends and family always leave some laughter and love behind, which fills my heart anew.
Chop Chop
| Chop chop (chŏp’chŏp’) |
adv. Informal
Right away; quickly.
Back when I spent my days chauffeuring willing minds to guitar, piano, soccer and ballet, I would sometimes get in a bit of a hurry to get out the door. To encourage a speedy exit by all, I would clap my hands together twice and say, “Chop, chop!” It was instinctual for me to say this peppy command combined with my mid-air hand clapping. It seemed happy. It was efficient and fun, right? While it was meant to motivate and rally, it would often stop my children right in their tracks so that they could give me their mouth-hanging-open “really?” look. They hated it. For some reason that only a therapist could unearth, this was a tough one for me to give up. I knew it was unpopular. I knew it didn’t work, and yet it would fly right out of my mouth and my hands would whip up before I could stop them. It had the same unpleasant effect, every time. I did eventually learn to let this rally cry go. My kids still tease me about it.
Still, I had the soul of a chopper. Eventually, I learned to satisfy the urge through the kinder, gentler, meditative sound of my knife hitting the chopping block when I prepared a meal for my family. I can provide nourishment instead of negativity. It’s easy for me to lose myself in the repetitive motion and the delicious aromas of fresh herbs and garden vegetables. A little music, a little wine….
I still have to resist the urge to go into “chop chop” mode. It’s not who I want to be. I know now that I can accomplish things and live a pretty fabulous life without marching in and directly the troops. In the end, the things that need to get done will get done. All is well.
Beginning of the Joy Factor Experience
What is it about joy that people want in their lives? Is it a feeling, is it a “something,” a craving? Is it the opposite of feeling sadness or fear? Is it wanting something that you think you can’t have, like straight hair instead of curly, or blue eyes instead of green ones?. I know that joy is something that I wanted all of my life, and still do! There are times that I do find joy in a delicious piece of dark, rich chocolate, but when the chocolate is gone, the joy is gone. If someone could create a chocolate bar that had sustainable, joyful feelings as one of its benefits …hmmmm …it could be the Mounds of Joy Bar, the feeling lasts long after you’re picking the coconut out of your teeth. I would buy it by the case, wouldn’t you?
Over the last 3ish years, I have been on an intentional joy journey. I now realize that I have actually been on it my whole life; I just thought I was out for a good time. And boy, did I have them – lots of them – with friends, family, strangers, clients, employers – you name it. It is about a good time. But some of the main factors of joy for me, pre-January 2006, were filled with lots of things that I found outside of myself. The list was long and I am sure that a few of my items are on your list as well; some of them still are. They are the classic examples of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Those were the early years that lasted until I was in my early 30s. It is all perspective isn’t it?
I then started getting a taste of the finer things in life: nice clothes, shoes, good food, shoes, travel to fun places; did I mention shoes? More things that I thought would bring me joy from the outside in. The funny thing was that I was also a personal development junkie, reading all of the greats: Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Shatki Gawain, etc. I got to see them in person, meet them and tell lots of other people what they could do to live a better life. The challenge was that I was really not walking my talk. The more that I thought I was, the more I was attached to certain things and to being controlling.
I am sure that nobody has any idea what I am talking about here. Wake up everyone, let’s get on the joy journey! What I am trying to express here is that joy is one of those things that lives inside of us, like our heart, kidney, liver and lungs. Breathe in the joy and then breathe it out. As we do our best to take care of these things in our body, it is a good thing to work on taking care of what we can do to raise our joy factor. Imagine a life filled with increased joy, being yourself, expressing yourself authentically and feeling awesome doing it! Being clear on the direction you are going in (for now), having tools to support you in being a strategic optimist – yes, there is a strategy here – don’t you love a good plan? And how about some more self-love in this yummy recipe?
If you are anything like me, and I believe that you are, then you are probably starting to wonder, “Hmmm. . .how do I get some more of this joy thing in my life? Where do I sign up?” Of course. You are in the right place at the right time. Like attracts like, you know.
What is one thing that would bring you joy today? My dog Abbey Road just crawled up on the couch with me—I love when she sticks her nose under my hand and says –“pet me mommy!” The simplicity of giving her a few minutes of my time brings her lots of joy.
What would you like to spend a few minutes doing today that would bring you joy? Is it in the garden, with your journal, kids, or on the phone with a girlfriend that you have not connected with for awhile? Start small … stop long enough to ask yourself if you plan to raise your joy factor and be a part of this joy movement, what is the next right thing to do?
I am going to take a nap.
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The Joy Factor
Welcome fellow Happiness Pioneers! You've come to the right place if you are looking to raise your Joy Factor. My vision is for everyone to live a life aligned with their passions and full of joy. The intention of this site is to offer you juicy nuggets that will increase your experience of joy and delight. Take a look around, grab something yummy and share the joy.
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