Happy Monday,
It's possible to find joy after challenging, crappy, life-changing shit. It's not always easy, but it's possible.
I spent yesterday in the ER. I'm healthy and all will be okay, but it was a traumatic day of crying, sadness, and fear. My brain kept going to the worst case scenario: “What if this horrible thing happens…? What if that horrendous situation unfolds…?” And then Josh helped me realize that I was making myself feel WORSE! So your SPARK for the week is: Find JOY Even in the Crap.
(Note: I will be teaching you how to do this tomorrow, June 16, in the free Purpose Power Hour webinar, but more details on that later.)
We're all handed crap in life. We can't control it, but we can control how we handle it. Yesterday, Josh reminded me that I have a choice. Whenever my brain went into fear mode, he helped me take deep breaths, look into his beautiful eyes, and find the joy in life. Instead of the worries, we decided to list everything that we're grateful for in life. Instead of the fears, we played a game called, “How this situation is a blessing.” As crazy as it sounds, we found some blessings, including that it already brought us closer! We found some joy – even in the ER!
And then we decided to spend today in self-care. This morning we took a long walk, picked up coffee and my favorite blueberry scone, and then sat in the park. We talked about everything that we are hoping for in life and it was fun. This afternoon, I'm going to take a bath, and we're going to spend the night snuggling, kissing, eating our favorite takeout, and maybe even laughing.
You can find joy even in the crappiest of crappy crap. No matter what shit life has handed you, I promise that you can find some hope, some joy, and that doing so will help you better handle the situation.
This isn't to say that you should bypass sadness, grief, and realistic concerns that lead to good decisions. If you're sad, let yourself cry for a week with Ben & Jerry's – AND call friends to give you some lovin'. If you are grieving a loss, process it – AND be tender with your heart. Then, find the joy. Notice what's good in life, feel proud of how strong you are, make a list of everything you're hoping for, and reach out to a friend and ask for support. Many people even find purpose from the crap. Researchers call this “Post Traumatic Growth” and it can occur simultaneously with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
I'm going to talk more about this tomorrow in my complimentary teleseminar series: Purpose Power Hour. Every month on this 100% free teleseminar, I teach you how to live your purpose. Tomorrow's topic is Joy; other topics include Self-Love, Using Your Strengths, and Resilience. Click here to register.Also, please use this link to invite your family and friends to register. Again, this is totally free. It is my way of saying thanks, giving back and living on purpose. I hope to see you there!
We all have moments of wonderful joy, and situations of horrendous crap. I've learned that when I use my crap for purpose, when I serve others, and share my gifts, then I receive more joy in life. You, too, can find joy in the shit.
With so much love,
Carin
ps: Remember that tomorrow's totally free Purpose Power Hour is at Noon ET, June 16, 2015. Register here!
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