A Journey to Sparking Joy - Journaling Prompts

Where do we come from, where do we go?

Thus far, I've explored the first two journaling prompts created by Melissa Moffet to previous her upcoming WORTHY course. I've also jumped headfirst into sharing some of my personal love of journaling, and my hope to move from the secret to the sacred. The first journaling prompt focused on the art and practice (yes, practice... consistent, sometimes incremental, walking toward your dreams) of letting go. It starts with naming the thing that's keeping you from starting the journey. It continues as you start experimenting with different ways to actually create your own practice of letting go of whatever it was you identified. And it's not about "pushing it away" or "forgetting it." No, letting go is more about integrating it, realizing it served you for a time, thanking it for it's service, and making room to expand your understanding of the world and increasing you belief in your own resiliency and ability to handle what life throws your way. The second prompt reminded me of the importance of noting my gifts, victories, and lessons. Not as a means of puffing myself up or bragging, but simply as investments in gratitude and generosity. After all, we can't give away what we don't acknowledge we have.

Again, to access the journaling prompts, visit Melissa's site here - https://www.melissamoffet.com.

The third journaling prompt is all about sparking joy through gratitude. It actually reminded me of Marie Kondo when I first read it, how she treasures each item and its contribution to the whole. What is kept is held onto for the simple fact that it sparks joy. What is let go is thanked and honored, through a moment of gratitude.

Marie Kondo it!

"Take time to really focus on and appreciate what you love in this life. Write those things down, bringing your attention to each one, thanking them for their existence in your life, and opening up your heart to welcome more of that goodness."

You know the Marie Kondo method? Where you hold things one at a time and ask yourself if they spark joy in you or not? It's supposed to help you more freely let go of things that no longer fulfill you, and to also appreciate both the things you're moving on from, and the things you're continuing to embrace and keep. When I read this journal prompt, that's kind of what I think of. What things am I bringing front and center to dwell on, to thank, and to admit I love.

Yes, sometimes acknowledging I love something feels like a "confession" of sorts, or at the very least a vulnerable admission. Like, when you don't share what you love with the world, you don't have to admit when people take it from you, dismiss it, trivialize it, neglect it, make fun of it, or simply don't get it. When you keep desire and appreciation locked away, you don't have to admit to yourself how scary it is to walk toward (or away) from it. You don't have to admit how much it aches in the waiting process of hoping but not yet having. Point blank, it's easier. I get it.

So, is it even worth it, to voice the things we love? YES! I made the point last week that we can't really gift away what we don't admit we have, to argue the point that acknowledging and owning our talents and skills doesn't make us selfish, it makes us generous. Similarly, I think we need to get brave about voicing and embracing what we love and desire in our lives. If we don't name it, how will we ever experience it? We can't create an experience or achieve a dream if we refuse to even explore it and spend time with it, if we refuse even to acknowledge its presence. I don't mean we exactly have to "know" beyond the shadow of a doubt what we truly desire, what our exact dreams and passions for life are, or anything like that. I'm just saying it can be helpful to at least be willing to look at it and start trying to make it out, instead of shutting our eyes and pretending if we don't see it, it can't see us. Opportunities have a funny way of finding us even when we're not looking for them, but if we're really closing our eyes, we won't be able to say yes when they arrive (or we'll self-sabotage because we don't yet believe we truly desire and deserve those dreams to come true).

Also, I truly believe that gratitude is the catalyst of joy. Joy and happiness don't come from achieving, but from appreciating. Joy comes more from being present with what is than anxious about what's next. It's the Effect of Reminiscence to look back on life and think they were the "good old days." If we knew how much we were going to enjoy them looking back, don't you think we would have spent more time enjoying them in the moment? We are perpetually in the present moment, the one we'll look back on with fresh perspective, and often accidentally become jealous of the past and the things we "used to have," forgetting that every moment we spend thinking about the past keeps us from enjoying the present, which will soon become the past we'd wished we'd enjoyed.

Sorry, that was kind of complicated, but does that make sense?

Anyway, LIST TIME!

These are a few of my favorite things.

1. Rose (everything: tea, essential oil, the actual flower, the name)
2. My amazing friends and community (srsly, I love you all SO SO much)
3. Singing in the car
4. When the sun is out and the air is crisp and warm
5. When the leaves change color and paint the branches of trees
6. Yoga (I'll get on my mat anytime, anywhere)
7. Coffee, with or without company
8. A good night's sleep (I rarely get these, not even sure I fully understand what they are, haha)
9. Daydreaming (positive daydreaming, there's such a thing as daydreaming nightmarish scenarios)
10. Journaling (obviously)
11. Writing in general
12. Being outside
13. Going for a walk or a run in the gorgeous weather (never treadmill)
14. Goofy dancing (cause y'all know I can't dance)
15. Getting into deep, existential conversations with friends (sometimes unsuspecting friends, haha)
16. The Enneagram (this is a both / and, cause the Enneagram can also really frustrate me at times)
17. Nutella (because let's be honest, you need simple pleasures in life)
18. Traditions (especially at Christmas, but also Lent, Easter, Summer Vacations, birthday cards, etc)
19. Laughing so hard we forgot what the joke even was (This sums up my entire college experience)
20. France (just because)
21. The fact that I have brown eyes and blonde hair
22. My family (did it really take me this long to mention them? Whoops)
23. Jesus (repeat above parenthetical statement)
24. Girl scout cookies (You knew it was coming)
25. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (with avocado inside, super delish)
26. Sunsets
27. Listening to podcasts (I am becoming a podcast person, speak now or forever hold your peace)
28. Gratitude (it's becoming a really important ritual for me, and really helps me feel stable)
29. Mentors and people who answer my endless questions
30. Random encounters with friendly people (at coffee shops, yoga classes, grocery stores, etc)
31. How I can be imperfect on Instagram stories and editing doesn't have to take over everything
32. Warm showers and bath bombs
33. Messy buns
34. THE STARS and how vast the universe is (also, because of the sparkle)
35. Kayaking and canoeing, and paddle boarding, and tubing, and white water rafting
36 Adventure (no wonder my life is so insane, lol)
37. Imagination, and the human capacity for creativity
38. Writing poems and music (for my own entertainment, processing, therapy, amusement, etc)
39. Succulents (can I keep them alive? No. Do I still love them? Forever!)
40. Campfires

I could name more, I think that's the point. Once you get going, you really do understand quite quickly how much there is to love about life. It doesn't take away the hard parts, it's not meant to... but it helps put things in perspective. I'm always in need of that, myself. Especially this past week. I felt kind of off, and this was a great exercise in love and appreciation to get my heart reset on the beauty and intricacies of life.

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