Chasing Joy

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Weekend Guest Lydia: Finding My Joy

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Over the last few weekends I have been pretty busy.  Last weekend was the first weekend that I did not have a blog conference, a social/networking event, or a friends and family event.  Lukily this weekend we have someone to keep us company. We have a Weekend Guest!!!  Whoot!   This weekend I am happy to welcome Lydia.  Lydia is the author of the blog Cluttered Genius. Cluttered Genius is where you go to read about the less than perfect life of a wife, mother, and virtual teacher who is pretty sure she’s a genius (how else could she explain the crazy :-). I am thrilled to have her as our Weekend Guest. I absolutely love her post and have to say it is exactly what I needed to hear right now.   Here is her post: Finding my Joy

In 2004, I was expecting my first baby and was happily married. So I thought. Along with my bundle of joy came a sudden realization that my marriage was over. I worked hard to stay positive for my daughter, but it was extremely hard considering my best friend of ten years had decided he wasn’t happy being married to me anymore.


In the days and months that followed, I found myself searching for happiness. I found myself praying for help and for peace. I tried to make my marriage work and used every ounce of energy I had trying to rebuild a relationship that was mortally wounded.

Somewhere along the way, I began to have epiphany after epiphany about my failed marriage and about myself. There were parts of me that I had “given up” while married, and I was reclaiming them. When my daughter would spend a weekend with her father, I took the opportunity to do something just for me.

I rediscovered my favorite music. I started watching my favorite movies. I returned to church and became involved again.
Most importantly, I rediscovered myself. And I realized I’m pretty cool.

There were moments that I was so sad about my state of affairs. I was alone, and there were no romantic prospects in sight. I wanted to be married and have a family. I had not asked for this situation to happen to me. Quite often, I prayed and asked, “Why?” I never really got an answer – or so I thought.

In 2008, I went on a blind date and met Aaron. We immediately hit it off. Less than two months later, we were engaged. Less than a year later, we were married.

It would seem that I was chasing joy and found it via Aaron. That would be the easy answer. That’s not where I found my joy.

My joy lies within me. I have the power to be happy with myself no matter what my situation. Would I be devastated if Aaron were – for some awful reason – no longer in my life? Of course! He was and is the missing puzzle piece. But would I survive? Would I be able to keep going. Yes.

This is the most powerful part of the journey I’ve been on since before my daughter was born. The joy that I find with my family is one little piece of the joy that I found within.

Connect with Lydia‘s Blog at http://clutteredgenius.blogspot.com/. To find out more about Lydia visit her page on Facebook and follow her @lydsrichon Twitter. You can also grab her button, just copy the code beneth the image.

ClutteredGenius

If you’d like to be a weekend guest email me your post at joychasing@yahoo.com and find additional information on guest posting qualifications here.

Conferences Conferences: Blogging While Brown Recap

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Blogging While Brown Recap

Conferences Conferences and more Conferences, that’s what blogging is all about. Ok. Not really but conferences do make it even cooler.  Here is my Blogging While Brown recap.

When I first started this blog I was not happy and I was bored. While happiness and joy is something I have to decide on and chase/embrace daily the boredom has completely gone away. When I have down time I am all about Chasing Joy, writing blog post, hosting twitter chats, and connecting with people on twitter and Facebook, so, no time to be bored. Actually no time to get to the pile of laundry eternally on my floor but that is for another post.

 

Conferences. The conferences are what bring it all together for me. I love getting to meet people who actually understand how awesome it is to be a blogger. It is amazing to meet someone in person who you have only tweeted and or Facebooked with. It is wonderful to sit in a room with like-minded people and have them share all the secrets to their blogging success while I scribble it illegibly in my notebook and take pictures of their power point slides.

Conferences make it real! Conferences remind you that there is indeed another person on the receiving end of your blog post, tweet, pin, or status update. Conferences make blogging cool. I highly recommend if you have a blog to Google blog conferences right now and find one to go to. But for those of you who cannot do that you have me. So book mark this post and my other posts about blog conferences because right now I’m about to break down all the awesome info I absorbed at Blogging While Brown 2012.  Here is my Blogging While Brown recap.

This was my first year (won’t be my last) attending this conference. It was a blessing that this was also the first year where there was a full day devoted to the business side of blogging. This 1st day included a segment on going form blog to book. Tips included:

  • Consider your book a part of your overall brand.
  • Decide what you want people to get out of your book and focus on that.
  • If you are pulling from blog posts for your book find your common theme that fits the book and pull from only those posts.
  • Show publishers that you have a sizable Facebook and twitter following. While there is no rule of thumb regarding the number (1,000) is a good one.
  • Show that you have a plan for marketing your book. The publisher will not do much of that for you. Be ready to hustle!
  • Be able to explain to a publisher why people will pay for content they can get for free online via your blog.
  • A detailed book proposal with as much info as possible is better than just a pitch. Include
    • Info on competitive tittles of similar books that have done well to show there is an audience for your topic.
    • Your marketing plan.
    • Your bio.
    • Sample Chapters
  • You do not have to have an agent to connect to publishers and editors. Use the Internet.
    • Google
    • Twitter
    • Linked In
  •  An Agent can help you make connections with some  publishing companies
  •  An Agent or a Contract Lawyer (well versed in the book world) should be involved when it is time to negotiate your deal
  • A resource mentioned that I plan to check out is “How to write a Book Proposal” by Mike Larsen
  • Most importantly don’t get discouraged if you are initially rejected
  • Even more important than not getting discouraged is JUST START. If you have a book inside, let it out. Make time to write. (this is a note to self)

I’ll stop here as this post is starting to get long.  I will continue with my Blogging While Brown recap in a few days.

In the mean time, tell me have you written or desired to write a book?  If not a book have you or do you desire to produce some other form of expression like music, art work, or photography? If so is there more Joy in the creation or the finished product?

Having a party! A #ChasingJoy Party!

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When I started this blog, started Chasing Joy, over two years ago I did not really have a long term goal. I just wanted to feel better. I figured if I wrote enough about happiness and Joy I’d inevitable feel happiness and joy.

I was right! Writing Chasing Joy has been an amazing experience. I do feel happier. I have better friendships. I have been pleasantly surprised at who in my life is supportive of Chasing Joy. A little disappointed by who has not been supportive, but on the flip side it is good to know where you stand. I have been braver than I would have imagined going to a blog conference alone in another state, trying new activities, and even speaking in public. This overall has been a great experience.

So, what’s next??? The #ChasingJoy Twitter party is what’s next. So many of you have visited this blog on a regular basis and it is really appreciated. Your comments have let me know I am not alone in my struggles and the way that I think. You have helped me with your suggestions and encouragement. This is why I want to throw you a party.

Actually it’s a Twitter Party. A Twitter party is where we all tweet about the same topic using a hashtag. You then search for tweets using the same hashtag so that you can follow the conversation. I like to use tweetchat to make it easy. Some people use hootsuite, tweetdeck and other applications to participate in Twitter Parties.

Our hashtag is #ChasingJoy of course. I want to do the #ChasingJoy twitter party so that I can get to know you all better and to give us an opportunity to have real time conversation about Happiness, wellbeing, gratitude, and anything else that makes us feel Joyful. The #ChasingJoy twitter will take place once a month. NORMALLY it will be the 1st Sunday of every month from 4 to 5 pm EST. HOWEVER the May #ChasingJoy party will be a little early. Join me on Sunday April 29th from 4 to 5 EST on twitter. Use hashtag #ChasingJoy and talk to me.

Now I can’t imagine anything else would be more important than chatting with me on Twitter during the #ChasingJoy twitter party, but if you do have something better to do like get married, meet the president, or receive an award, fear not! There will be many more twitter parties. So you can always join in next month. Be sure to keep up with me on FB and twitter to get the dates.

What would you like to discuss at the #ChasingJoy twitter party?

Bowl of Joy

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If you have been reading Chasing Joy for a while you know I’m all about happiness, positivity, and gratitude, my combination for Joy. This includes finding ways to turn every day experiences into something more joyful. So, when I heard the good people at Bertolli were looking for bloggers to write about how to turn the routine act of a weekday evening meal of soup into something special I jumped on it. In one of my very first posts I Am Worth The Cheese Dip I wrote “Even something as routine as watching TV on the couch can be fun when you make it special” So here are my top tips for Turning a simple soup dinner into an especially joyful experience.

1. Plan It – Now when I say plan it I don’t mean for you to whip out your to-do list and start making notes. It’s not that serious. What I mean is make it purposeful. Say to yourself or family or significant other, tonight, or tomorrow night, or whatever night you deicide will be special. In other words make it purposeful. That way you are looking forward to it. Anticipation is a main part of the fun of most of the things we enjoy in life.

2. KISS – You know Keep it Simple Stupid (you can drop the last S because all of you Joy Chasers are brilliant). Choose a meal that is easy to prepare. I used the Bertolli Premium Meal Soup Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with Chicken. It was super easy to make. Add the frozen soup to a pot, throw in a cup of water and stir occasionally while simmering.


Soups on!



I paired it with a piece of garlic toast, a spinach bacon salad and wine. Make your salad from things on hand in your fridge. My spinach bacon salad was baby spinach, crumbled turkey bacon and a boiled egg. Good food does not have to take long to cook. Have a meal that will not take you more than an hour. You want to be able to do this on a weeknight and you don’t want to be too tired to enjoy it.
3. Set the mood – Again don’t go over the top. It should not take more than a few minutes to set the mood. If it’s you and your family or a significant other maybe have a picnic on your living room floor. Throw down a blanket and your dishes, utensils, drinks, and some pillows. Grab a few board games and there you have a cool family night that everyone will remember. If it’s you and your significant other clear the junk off your kitchen table grab a couple candles and your favorite bottle of wine. Turn the lights down low, turn the mood music up and turn your meal into a romantic night to remember.

4. Use the good stuff – Pull out your good dishes. No paper plates and plastic spoons with this dinner. You would be surprised at how different it feels to eat on nice plates. We all have these things in our lives that we put aside for special occasions. But if we are not careful the special occasions never come and then these nice things never get used. So when you create your special evening meal make it really special and use your good glasses, dishes, and silverware.

5. Drink up – Have a special drink. Now what is special is different for everyone so pick your poison. I have a special bottle of wine. It was given to me by a friend who was trying to convince me that I could enjoy wine. (she happened to be right). On another night I may decide to go with a non-alcoholic drink, my favorite, but seldom consumed Pepsi. Not the diet stuff either. What is your special drink? Now, if you are doing this special meal with your kids how about smoothies. Have your kids throw in their favorite frozen fruits in a blender with some water and a little sweetener (sugar, honey, etc) and blend. It only takes a few minutes and smoothies are always fun!!!

6. Enjoy your alone time – Now if you are like me you will be treating yourself to an especially joyful dinner. Dinning alone does not make it any less special. I went for a relaxation them. I started by making sure I’d have all the things that make me feel warm and fuzzy.

My dog hurt on my comfy couch
Me and Peanut having a Joyful night in

My nice comfy couch with a couple of soft blankets for snuggling. Gathered my furry friend were to keep me company.

Yummy Dinner

Made sure my DVR was all set for me to indulge in my favorite guilty pleasure the soap opera General Hospital!!! Then I had a nice hot shower to wash the day away. After my shower and dressed in my most comfy PJs I made my dinner. I assembled my salad and browned my garlic bread in the oven while my soup was simmering on the stove. Less than an hour after getting home I was completely relaxed enjoying my show and enjoying my yummy dinner. (For the record the Bertolli soup was really good or else I’d not be writing about it).

7. Keep it Going – After you have eaten, dinner is over but your special night does not have to be. Do not immediately jump up and start washing dishes or start working or cleaning or doing anything. Continue to enjoy the mood you have set. Focus on your family or significant other if you are sharing the night with them. Play some more of those board games or switch to video game or even a movie night. Let the mood music you set for your significant other take from dinner to dancing (minus the uncomfortable shoes). If you’re having a solo night, dive in deep with your guilty pleasure. Is it soap operas like me or maybe its reality TV or Romantic comedies, or crime dramas? If TV is not your thing lose yourself in that novel you have not had time to read. Indulge in those issues of your favorite magazine that have been piling up. Or go crazy beating all of your friends online or on your phone with words with friend. Whatever, you did to make dinner special stay with it and stay in that joyful place.

If you are interested in using Bertolli meal soups for your own routine soup dinner a more joyful experience checkout the Bertolli website here. You can also follow Bertolli on Facebook facebook.com/Bertolli and Twitter twitter.com/Bertolli.
Have you ever turned a simply prepared meal into a special joyful experience? What did you have? What tips do you have for turning a routine dinner into a joyful experience?

*I was compensated by Bertolli to participate in the Weeknight Meal Special Challenge. All of the opinions and content above are my own.

Wonderfully Made to Chase Joy

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I came across the word of the year concept on my bloggie friend signingcharity’s blog Our Giggles and Grimaces.  Isn’t it a nice idea?  One word setting the theme for your entire year.  One word to fall back on for focus. One word to draw on for inspiration.  If you have been reading this blog for a while you would have assumed my word of the year would be Joy, or Happiness. Or, maybe I’d get real creative and come up with something good like Bliss.  Wrong!!!  🙂
I like to read inspirational devotional text in the morning.   I used to do it to make up for the fact that I did not go to church.  Now I do it because it is a nice way to start the day on a positive note.  A week or so ago the bible verse for the day was about how we are all Wonderfully Made by God.  Since then I have thought of this often.  So often in fact, that I decided that the word Wonderfully would be my word of the year for 2012. 
So why exactly did I select the word Wonderfully?  It is a happy word. You almost can’t help but to smile when you say it.  Try it.  Say it.  Wonderfully!  You’re smiling aren’t you???  Well in addition to the sound of the word I have selected it because it reminds me of the bible verse.  Ok, well not the actual verse because I can’t remember it word for word, and I can’t remember where it’s located in the Bible, and I’m too lazy to go and get the devotional book to find out.  But it does remind me of the meaning of the verse.
I, we are all Wonderfully made.  We are not accidents or surprises.  We were made on purpose by God to be exactly the wonderful joy chasers that we are.  The verse does not mean that we are perfect or without flaws.  It does mean that our flaws and imperfections come together and combine with all that is awesome about us to create a being that is Wonderfully made. 
I don’t have to have any doubts about my decisions because they will eventually bring about an outcome suitable for someone who is Wonderfully made.
I do not have to be afraid of other’s judgments because regardless of how misguided they may be in their observation of me I know I am Wonderfully made.
I do not have to be perfect because a person such as myself, who is Wonderfully made, finds uniqueness in her imperfections.
I am free to make mistakes because they allow me to grow smarter, stronger, and even give me funny stories that only a person Wonderfully made could appreciate.
I can allow my weaknesses to make me more personable and relatable because I am Wonderfully made.
I am free to go full force ahead Chasing Joy because I am Wonderfully made. 

No Mojo No Joy

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Mojo as defined on one of my favorite online hangout Wikipedia: Mojo – a slang word for self-confidence, self-esteem or sex appeal. Now that I know exactly what it is can someone tell me where I put it??? Hmm… I’ve looked in my closet, in cosmetics bag, heck I’ve looked everywhere and I can’t seem to find it. I have got to get my Mojo back!!!

Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever thought dag where did my confidence go? I used to bring the sexy now I need to have someone bring sexy back to me!!!

Now I have to admit I have not really lost my Mojo. It’s more like we play a game of hot potato. I get warmer, warmer, warmer, and sometimes I even know I’m the hotness. But then I make a wrong turn, make a bad decision, trust the wrong person, have a run in with a box of tasty cakes, make a mistake at work and then it’s cold, cold, cold… Mojo gone again.

I know I’m not the only one. One of my favorite Joy Chasers has recently been telling me she has to get her Mojo back. She lost her Mojo when she became a mom. While she was filling her bag with pacifiers, bottles, and diapers for her lady bug she forgot to pack her confidence, self-esteem, and sex appeal. But she is now aware and making moves to get her Mojo Back. She is making the best of her “mommy-breaks”

Now you don’t have to be a mom to lose your Mojo Sometimes we get caught up with work. I’m blessed with a job that I get to leave behind at 6 o’clock. But not all of you joy chasers are so lucky. It’s more like 9 to 9 plus weekends. And holidays??? What are those again? Is the lack of sleep, high pressure, and boring power suit robbing you of your Mojo? Do you not even know what to do with yourself when you have time off???

Or maybe you are in between jobs. You feel like there is nothing confident or sexy about unemployment. Interview suits and boring responsible hairdos are stifling your Mojo.

There was a time when was playing a losing game of hot potato with my Mojo. I was getting colder and colder and colder as I became less confident, lost self-esteem and felt like a negative 10 on the sexy meter. I not only lost but abandoned my Mojo. I was at a job I hated, in a relationship that was not working, and then I lost my biggest cheerleader, my dad. But I did what my joy chasing friend is doing I became aware and started to make some changes. Specifically I made changes that involved me making my happiness a top priority. I got a new job. I ended that relationship. I have distanced myself from people who do not support me. I have grown closer to those who want to Chase Joy with me. I started making healthy lifestyle changes. I make an effort to where things that make me feel more confident and sexy. I am conscious of my Mojo and immediately start looking for it whenever I think I may have lost it. No Mojo No Joy. We all want Joy!

Have you ever lost your Mojo? If so how and what did you do to get it back? What advice would you give to someone who has lost their Mojo?

Open Position for Joy Chasing Partner

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Picture from Google Images

As I have mentioned in previous posts I am a single girl. I hope to marry and have children in the not to far future. Just got to find the right guy and that is not that simple. Some people are lucky to find there prince right away and others have to kiss a lot of frogs. I am making my way through the frogs.

But wouldn’t it be nice if finding a mate was a simple as finding an employee. Put out a job description. Interested parties apply and you pick the best applicant. If the trial period goes well they are given a permanent status as boyfriend with opportunity to advance to fince and husband.

Here is what my job description for a boyfriend woud say:

Job Title: Boyfriend
Department/Group: Love /Romantic/ Personal Live
Travel Required: Occasionaly for vacations and family events.
Position Type: Full Time: On call 24/7 including weekends and holidays. Regular quality time and date nights (out and at home) required. Attendance is required at all important events.
Will Train Applicant(s): I will advise applicant on all my likes, dislikes, favorites, and deal breakers
Posting Expires: When position is filled by Mr. Right

Job Description: Friend, Partner, Companion, Man to Chase Joy with
Job Purpose: To share in the good and bad of life. To laugh together (and cry together but not too often) To support and encourage each other.

Duties:
• Maintain a respectful demeanor in all circumstances
• Study my likes, dislikes, moods, values, and tolerances… i.e. get to know me
• Develop a good rapport with my mom and brother
• Develop a cordial rapport with my friends and extended family
• Willing to open doors, pull out chairs, carry heavy things, take out trash, kill bugs and demonstrate other gentlemanly qualities
• Maintain full time employment that provides sufficient income to cover All of applicant’s living experiences
• Offer assistance during times of difficulty experienced by girlfriend including but not limited to illness or injury, home or car maintenance, and snow removal
• Maintain open and honest communications at all time including and especially during times of stress.
• Other duties as assigned
• All job duties will be compensated with similar or reciprocal duties performed by me (girl friend)

Qualifications:
• Honest, Loyal, Intelligent, Funny, Kind, Believes in God, Willing to attend Christian Church on occasion, Wants children in the future, Stable (Mentally, Emotionally, and Financially), Likes cats and dogs, Responsible, Hardworking, Confident, Open Minded, Affectionate
Benefits:
• Respect
• Kindness
• Affection
• Loyalty
• Support
• Fun
• Great opportunity for Love
• Possibility for advancement to Fiancé and Husband based up happiness and desires of both myself and applicant 🙂

What would your Job Description for love say?

Dear Dad… I’m Chasing Joy

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Dear Dad,

I cannot believe in a few days it will be two years since you went to rest. Time does fly. I still miss you more than is possible to express. Obviously your passing is not a good memory for me and neither is your funeral. But they are not my worst memories. Your passing was peaceful. Your funeral was how I know you wanted it to be and I take pride in that. My worst memory is when the doctors made it clear to us that you were not going to recover. Trying to hold onto my faith and belief in miracles yet surrendering to the reality of what was happening. The sadness. The disappointment. The fear. The pain. The knowledge that I was going to have to be strong. The faith that the strength would come from somewhere… and it did.
I tell you about my feelings not to relive them. Just to acknowledge that this is how I felt. And also to let you know that while I do have this memory, worst then all others, it does not haunt me. It does not haunt me because there is nothing that I could have done differently. But most of all it does not haunt me because you would not want me to let it. And everyone knows I listen to my Dad 🙂
So, while I miss you terribly and have some painful memories of losing you I am not living in sadness, disappointment, fear, or pain. Instead I am living a life in pursuit of happiness. I am Chasing Joy. I remember you telling me “the party aint going to find you, you got to go out and find the party!!!” I have been looking for the party and writing about it. I know you would be proud of me; happy that I have taken up writing (I remember the Christmas story you wrote :-); and excited about the adventures Chasing Joy will give me.
I am doing well and improving all the time (I know you think I’m perfect but there is always room to improve). I still spend more money than you think I should but I also still save. I still have my “good job”. I’m still looking for the right guy. The one you’d secretly like but never admit it. Oh and I ran a 5k.  You would have loved that 🙂
Mom is doing good too. Retired and having fun, but not too much fun, at “The Game”. Things are as you would have predicted with the boys. The grandkids are happy and growing into awesome young people, confident, smart and attractive. And none of them seem short… LOL. The youngest grandson is athletic and loves to dance. I wonder where he got that from 🙂

I don’t see your siblings too much. That is still really painful to see them without you. But thanks to Facebook and Twitter, computer stuff that you wouldn’t really understand, I know they are well.

We are all doing well because you prepared us.
Thank you,

Love me.

PS…  Pinto is getting old but she is still greedy.  Peanut is still bad (you may have been right about that crack cat thing).  I still have Hurt.  He is doing really good for old guy. Mom takes him for walks and everthing now 🙂

Make it Happen Monday – Joy Board

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Happy Monday Joy Chasers!!! It is Monday and we are Making it Happen. No Case of the Mondays for us. We have Reinvented Monday as a day for setting goals both long term and short.

Today I am not just setting some goals but also creating a visual to help me focus on them and quite frankly to make goal setting a little more fun. Melissa, a Joy Chaser, gave us the idea a few weeks ago when we were posting our weekly goals on Facebook. She told us all about her visual, which she called a Goal Board. Melissa said “I look at this daily and make sure that I try to abide by what is written on it. This is a great way to stay focused and keep one’s mind fresh when we get lost or sidetracked.”

Last week I got some materials and started making my Goal Board. I invited you all to join me by making your own Goal Board for Chasing Joy’s first craft project. Did you make one? If you did not do you plan too? It’s not too late. If you email me a picture I’ll include your Goal Board on Chasing Joy’s Facebook page. Or you can upload your own if you have already “liked” the page.

Above is a picture of my Goal Board. I decided to call mine a Joy Board. You know I’m all about JOY. Believe it or not setting goals and accomplishing them can make you feel really good. As does making the Goal Board – playing with stickers, glue, and maybe a little glitter (think back to arts and crafts class).

My Joy Bored is made of inexpensive poster board attached to a cork board. I have decorated it with stickers that say things like JOY, DREAM, GOALS, and HAPPINESS. I also found several rhinestone stickers because everything is better with a little Bling. I added dry erase white board on which I listed my short term goals which include AM workouts, packing for vacation, purchasing a new battery charger, some home maintenance, and visiting my brother. I added a small cork board as well. On the cork board I have attached Post It notes that describe my longer term goals which include my ultimate goal weight, running a 5k, cutting sugar, getting some plumbing work done, and paying of my credit cards.

I have also attached other Post It notesto the bottom of the board. One set of Post It notes has my current weight on it and I get to throw away the top sheet, revealing my new lower weight as I drop pounds. The other group of Post It notes has my running minutes goals. I get to throw away the top sheet as I build my endurance up and complete the minutes goal, revealing my new longer minutes goal. I am excited to start tearing post it’s off. I also have included several other clips and push pins to the board so that I can add new goals, pictures, or anything inspirational that will help me reaching my goals.

Tell me about your Goal Board. What do you or will you call it? What kinds of goals do you/ will you have listed on it? Do you think having a visual representation of your Goals will make you more focused and likely to achieve them?

I hope your Goal Board will bring you Joy. I think mine will.

Breaking Free to Chase Joy

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This past Sunday I went to church. This is the second time this year!!! In
100 things about me # 75 was I don’t like going to church and #76 was I
hope that changes. So twice in a year is great for me.

It being Independence/4th of July weekend and all, the pastor’s sermon
was about Freedom. He went through several Bible verses that detail all
of the things that we are free from: sin, death, fear, guilt, etc, etc,
etc… I’m not going to cover those verses here. I’ll leave that to
someone more qualified like my brother who studied at the seminary and who
has talked about starting his very own blog.

Anyway, the sermon did leave me thinking about my (our) own freedom to
Chase Joy. On July 4th 1776 it was declared one of our unalienable
Rights. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the PURSUIT
OF HAPPINESS.”

So if it is my (our) legal right to Chase Joy, and my spirituality/faith
grants me (us) the freedom to Chase Joy. Why haven’t I (we) caught
it???? Am I not Chasing it as rigorously as I think? Am I only barley
grasping at Joy as it whizzes by lapping me on the track of life? Am I not
giving it my all? Or am I giving it all I’ve got but still being held
back by invisible shackles of fear that deny me the Freedom to Chase Joy
with all my might??? Shackles that keep me chained in a cell we often
misleadingly call our comfort zone?

How do I get these chains off me? God has told me I’m free. My country
has told me It is my unalienable right. So the only thing holding me
back is myself, (and maybe a few Joy Thieves but I know what to do with
them), specifically my FEARS. I am afraid of embarrassment. I am afraid of disappointing others. I am afraid of being disappointed. I fear the changes that come with success. I fear the consequences of failure. I am afraid of opening my heart. I am afraid of loneliness. The good thing about fear is the more you talk (or blog) about it the less power it has over
you. When you put them out there you see how silly they are.

So start picking that lock on the invisible shackles that hold you back. What are you afraid of? What Fears do you need to become independent of to Freely Chase Joy???

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