Animals grace our world not only on this plane, but also in the spirit realm. If we are open to their messages, they can help to guide, protect, inspire, and encourage us. Many people identify strongly with one particular animal, their power animal. I found my power animal several years ago through a guided meditation while taking a class. I still feel a strong connection to that animal, but also happily welcome the help of many animal guides. Read more »
I have decided that January needs a new first name. I don’t remember it ever being my favorite month, but there must have been one because my daughter was born in January many years ago. That would have been a joyful January, and that is the name I shall return to the month. Read more »
Once upon a time, I was reluctant to become involved with Facebook. I originally joined so that I could see pictures of my grandkids. Here I am a few years later, and not only do I have a personal page, but a JoyfulLifeTools group page as well. What began as simply a way to connect with family has blossomed into a way to communicate with people from all over the world. That dawned on me for the first time when JoyfulLifeTools was young. I’d posted my Monday Motivation as usual. I received a response that said something like, “The Monday Motivation is great, even on Tuesday.” I was a bit confused because it wasn’t Tuesday yet…at least not for me. I soon realized, however, that it was Tuesday in Australia, and that’s where the comment came from. It was at that moment that I truly began to appreciate the ease at which we can now communicate with people around the world. Read more »
When we’re driving and the light turns yellow, we make a judgment about whether to stop or go through. Our decision is based upon our past experiences as well as our belief system. Because of our past experiences in driving, we see a yellow light, calculate how far we are from the intersection, how fast we are going and then decide what is safe. Also affecting our decision is our belief system. For some individuals, yellow lights mean speed up because I don’t want to be delayed in my travels. For others, yellow lights mean that we should slow down and stop and that the tiny delay is worth it in order to stay safe. It’s a judgment call. Read more »
Frequency by Penney Peirce is one of those books that sometimes takes you out on a limb. You find yourself asking, “Really?” Despite this, I found myself coming back over and over again to continue reading. It actually was several months before I completed this book. I would put it [...] Read more »
Flow like water. That’s what my Qi Gong/Tai Chi teacher repeats to her students. The words have begun to echo in my head repeatedly even outside of class. When I began this practice a very short time ago, I realized that while the slow, swaying movements looked easy, it took great effort to perform the flowing exercises correctly. It took discipline, strength and concentration to flow like water. Read more »
Who is the one person you spend your whole life with? The answer, “YOU.” Should we waste even a minute not loving our self? Writer, Sara Courter, reminds us that we must celebrate who we are and learn to love our self unconditionally. By learning to love and be comfortable [...] Read more »
When we have a problem to solve, we tend to focus our attention on the problem itself when instead we should be paying attention to the solution. In true storyteller fashion, author, Tiela Garnett, shares a challenging kayak trip that served to remind her of this. As you read this [...] Read more »
Recently I found myself questioning why life feels so difficult at times. Why does it feel like a constant teeter-totter of emotions and moods? Can’t life just flow smoothly along? “I must be doing something wrong,” I lament. So I began to examine this dilemma because after all I read dozens of articles a month about how to keep your life in balance and live joyfully. I should know the answer to this. Read more »
As always I love articles, like this one by Martha Beck, that make you think and examine things in a new way. Beck uses a labyrinth as a metaphor for life. We think of our life as a journey that should be linear. We should always be moving forward, but [...] Read more »
