The Power of Three Little Words
I have long been a student of quantum mechanics and understand well enough that everything is energy. I have seen What the @*#&$^ Do We Know? and Dr. Emoto’s studies on waters physical responses to certain phrases and pictures. I have read Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life and regularly practice the Script from Karol Truman’s book Feelings Buried Alive Never Die. I have taken an energy Psychology class called Psych-K and done some self work utilizing the technique. I have had an energy healing performed on me by an Energy practitioner and more! I wholeheartedly believe that our Thoughts Create Things and that ultimately anytime we are not at-ease, that is to say “dis-eased”, there is simply a disruption of our energy.
Even though I have had all of these teachings and experiences, I must say I don’t know if I have ever had as moving of an experience as a video I watched this morning put together by Sivan Garr.
Watching the video this morning was pure pleasure. It was a truly remarkable experience. It was something that was so “simple”, but at the same time was such a profoundly JOYOUS experience that I have to share it with you too. It is the Joy Factor personified!!!
There is no doubt in my mind about our Universal Connection to one another after watching this video. And I firmly believe that the deepest of wounds in our society and in our world could be actually and truly be healed with these three little words. My fellow brothers and sisters, “I Love You!”
bubblicious – spreading the yum one bubble at a time
Ten years ago I went to a wedding where they gave out little bottles of soap bubbles in place of rice or birdseed. When the bride and groom arrived at the reception, we greeted them outside in a shower of bubbles. It was delightful.
I became rather attached to my party favor, and so blew bubbles out the window of my car on the way home when I was stopped at a red light. I did it kind of absently … I just blew and watched as bubbles floated on the breeze. I followed one sparkly bubble over the roof of the car next to me and caught the eye of the man inside. He was grinning from ear to ear … laughing as bubbles swirled around his car.
It was so much fun that I did it the next day. And again and again. I began looking forward to the back-up I’d usually encounter at the tolls I went through en-route to work (back in the olden days before ez-pass, etc.). I loved how people responded to the bubbles. Kids waved. A guy on a Harley honked. Teenaged girls in a Beetle cheered and waved. A man pulled up beside me and called out: “Will you marry me?” (how I responded is another story entirely … perhaps I’ll tell that another time, joy factor peeps …)
One day I arrived at the toll booth and the woman inside waved me on … “He paid for you,” she said, indicating the car that sped on ahead of me. “He said thanks.”
Fast forward 10 years, and I’m still blowing bubbles out my car’s window. I’ve seen cranky faces stuck in 5 mile back-ups turn to smiles; I’ve watched notoriously merge-adverse New York and New Jersey drivers open up and give way with ease; and now I even keep small bottles of bubbles in my car to pass out to the happiest responders when I’m in particularly slow traffic.
Blowing bubbles out of the window of my car has an almost (forgive the pun) effervescent effect on the world. And what an easy and delightful way to make a difference … spreading a little fun and adding my bit to the cosmic joy-factor.
Give it a try; I highly recommend it. 
Plan for Positivity!
I love food! When I am not eating, I am thinking about eating. If I did not exercise, I could easily weigh twice the amount I do now. Eating brings me joy. I am a lucky girl - my husband Matt does most of the cooking for us. We are a perfect match, because cooking brings him joy. When I do cook something, I use a recipe so I am assured to get the results I am looking for.
Strategic Optimism is the next ingredient to raise your Joy Factor. It is a strategy; a plan that will make sure that if you want to be optimistic, you will be. Being optimistic is easier said than done. With all of the negativity out there, you have to be confident in your belief that things will turn out well. Are you seeing the world through rose colored glasses or really dark sunglasses?
It begins with choosing to be optimistic. Each day you wake up with a clean slate. You determine what kind of day you are going to have. Life will give you rotten tomatoes at times, yet when you have a plan for your optimism, you have something to fall back on.
Kahlil Gibran says, “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens to you.”
Choosing joy is a practice. The first time you make a soufflé, it may fall. The second time it will get a little easier. As you continue to practice being optimistic, it will get easier and you will start to reap the benefits of putting your attention on something positive. Which is more appealing to you, thinking about the best thing that can happen or the worst thing that can happen? Try both ways and see which leaves a better taste in your mouth. You can then decide which you want seconds of. Let the tasting begin……
Passionate Breadcrumbs
If passions are the breadcrumbs that lead to a fulfilling life, where do you find the breadcrumbs? I am not talking about the ones you find on Aisle 3 at the grocery store. You’ll find these breadcrumbs when you stop long enough to answer the question, “What does living my best life really look like?” When you determine that and start to align your life around your passions, you are using one of the core ingredients to raise your Joy Factor- Connecting To Your Passion.
Passion can be expressed as a feeling of unusual excitement, enthusiasm, or compelling emotion towards a subject, idea, person, or object. When you have a passion for something you have a strong positive affinity for it. It is amazing what happens when you put your attention to the things that are most important in your life.
As a certified facilitator of The Passion Test, I have watched magic happen again and again. One of my clients here in Atlanta took the test in October of 2009. I saw him at a meeting on Tuesday and he told me that since he took the Passion Test his income has doubled. That made my heart sing. Did I mention that The Passion Test is a test that you will never fail?
Imagine what your life will be like when you are clear about what your best life is. As Janet Bray Attwood, co-author of the New York Times bestselling book The Passion Test states, “Clarity is power.” Once you gain clarity on your passions, you can use them as a compass, moving you in the direction that brings you the most fulfillment. Doesn’t that sound delightful?
Tomorrow’s ingredient du jour: Authentic Expression
Shoes!
Don’t you just love this time of the year? Everyone is in a festive mood, catching up with old friends and making new ones. It seems like there is something to do almost every night! I was at a gathering on Sunday and met a woman that was sitting down amidst all the people that were standing When the people that were talking to her walked off, I asked her if she was holding court. We laughed and she said, “girl, these shoes are killing my feet and I have to sit down.” I looked down at her gorgeous black stilettos and could see why she was sitting immediately.
Just as there are a variety of shoes that people like to wear to parties, there are a variety of ways to take care of yourself during the holiday season. Here is my top 10 list of ways to take care of yourself and raise your Joy Factor:
1. Be comfortable-not just in what you wear, also in who you are being. Be authentic and real.
2. Everything in moderation! You all know how much I love to eat. If I had to deny myself of anything, I would not be happy. My rule of thumb is the sweets that I eat this time of year have to be home made-yum!
3. Take time for you-even if it is 30 minutes a day, find the time to take a walk, go to the gym, meditate or stretch-you are so worth it!
4. Acknowledge yourself for all that you have done today, rather than all that you need to do–what a concept!
5. Remember your gratitude attitude!
6. Choose joy–get that scarf out!
7. Do a random act of kindness. My favorite is to pay the toll on GA 400 for the car behind me.
8. Let go of your emotional baggage. If you are upset, scream in the car for a few minutes. If you are sad, go watch Seven Pounds with Will Smith. Move through the emotion-you will feel much better.
9. Do something that you have been procrastinating about. Call and make that dentist appointment or better yet, call your mother.
10. Wear comfortable shoes
If there is one thing that I know for sure about raising your Joy Factor, it’s that it is easier to do in comfortable shoes.
Take care of you this time of year. It will make you feel better than finding the best pair of comfortable shoes–on sale!
Crash!
Last week I was driving past a bunch of kids playing in a playground. They were having so much fun! As I was passing them, I watched a little boy, about 4 or 5 years old, crash his tricycle into the fence. It was hard to tell if he couldn’t stop, or if he was intentionally looking to bounce off of the fence. When I looked back, from the red light that stopped me, I saw that he got up, dusted himself off and got right back on his tricycle.
That kid inspired me and reminded me that there are times in our lives that we are going to “crash”. At that point, we have a choice. Do we get up, dust our knees off and keep going? Or, do we stop a minute, access the damage and make choices accordingly?
The key to raising your Joy Factor, so that you are living a life that you are madly in love with, is to be conscious about your choices. There is no right or wrong-only what is. If you can bounce back up like one of those weebles, remember them? Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down. Take what you can from the experience and move on.
Everytime we are stopped on our paths, it is for a reason. Opportunities to make sure we are going in the right direction are presented to us again and again. When these choices arise, I invite you to use the components of the Joy Factor to support you in deciding what your next steps are. Is it in alignment with your Passions and Purpose, your Authentic Self? Does it support your commitment to Self Care and Strategic Optimism? Look there and then choose what your next steps are. In the meantime, look out for fences and remember to use your brakes-sometimes slowing down will prevent that crash! That is a another conversation for another day.
With conscious joyful awareness,
Wendy
Thoughts Do Create Reality!
Last week I had the opportunity to speak to 350 amazing people at the Prosperity Expo in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Not only did I have a chance to speak, it was my “coming out party”. This was the first time I shared my story and the Joy Factor concepts with a group–besides all of you.
It was all that I wanted it to be. I was grounded, present; sharing my story and message from my heart. I was connected with the audience. We laughed and cried and I believe I made the impact that I intended to.
My intention was 2 fold. First, was to have them walk away with at least 1 thing that they would do different in their life to increase their Joy Factor. Dozens of people talked to me through the weekend and shared the gifts they received from my presentation. Those conversations made my heart sing and confirmed why I do what I do.
My other intention was to enroll people to join me for my Connect with your Passion workshop that I will be doing in South Florida at the end of January. Guess how many people enrolled? Zero!
As much as I was disappointed that no one chose to come to the workshop, in Wendy fashion, I stepped back and took a look at what my learning was.
In the back of my mind, you know, my subconcious thoughts, I was not thrilled with having to sell from the front of the room. I knew I could do it and felt comfortable sharing the opportunity, yet it really was not me. Yes, I now see that I could have offered a different price and different bonuses that could have been more compelling. What is really clear to me is that our thoughts truly do create our reality.
I invite you take a look at the thoughts that are hanging out in the back of your mind. Notice if they are in alignment with you, your authentic self. If so, think on. If not, shift the thought so you can create more of what you want in your life.
By the way, I am still planning on teaching the workshop in FL. I will now look at sharing it from the Wendy Way, which includes shifting my beliefs and receiving all the best.
Here is to you receiving all the best from your concious, joyous thoughts.
Funky or Dressy?
There are times when we think our connection to our purpose has to look or feel a certain way Some days I feel like it has to look very dressy; buttoned-up and prim and proper. Those days feel like they are going less with the flow; days that I feel like I have to make things happen. I am working on my projects and with my clients and it feels like work. The “shoulds” show up and I may do things that I really do not want to do, but feel like I should. No fun, less joy!
Other days, I feel like my connection to my purpose of supporting others in being the best they can be looks more funky and eclectic. Those days, I feel more creative, more juicy, as author Sark would say. Things seem to flow more. Those are the days that my Joy Factor is way up there and amazing things happen.
What is different about those days than the buttoned-up days? Those are the days that I let go of wondering about what other people think. That is one of my personal challenges; I let that get in the way of staying connected to my purpose and my authentic self. On this journey of increasing my Joy Factor, I like wearing my funky clothes and allowing magic to happen, in connection to my purpose. You?
The Joy Factor
Welcome fellow Happiness Pioneers! You've come to the right place if you are looking to raise your Joy Factor and create a life you are madly in love with. My vision is for everyone to live a life aligned with their passions and full of joy. Visit often to read what the Joy Posse has to say, watch uplifting videos and gather other delightful resources that will make you smile. This is also a place to share what raises your Joy Factor - do tell! Let’s have the ripple effect of joy change the world!
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