According to the dictionary, JOY is a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.
How do we fill ourselves up with joy when we find ourselves caught up in the to-do’s, need-to’s and don’t have’s during this extra-busy time of the year, when so many holidays converge at once?
“I have drunken deep of JOY, and I will taste no other wine tonight.” ~Perey Bysshe Shelley
Oh, if joy were a libation it would be so easy to be inebriated with the bliss of life. But, it isn’t. So, how can you find and BE in JOY? You do a JOY Challenge, of course!
Officially, I hereby invite you to Challenge yourself to see the joy & find the joy in both the small and big things. The hidden joys and the joys unacknowledged will blow you away!
Now, now, to quote an unknown author of my newest favorite saying, “Don’t get your tinsel in tangle.” This is not meant to be a chore, but a challenge. I promise you will come through this lighter and brighter! (Yes, puns are for SURE implied here!). The JOY’s you find and uncover will stay with you beyond the convergence of the holiday season and everything else that adds to the hustle and bustle at the year’s end.
Just like when you make a shift for the better with anything else, it will take a bit of effort on your part. (I did say it was a challenge, after all.)
Here is how the challenge works: many, if not most of you, already journal on nearly a daily or even a multiple-times-per-day basis already, so you could consider this a journaling exercise.
- Make a list of 100 things that bring you JOY. No JOY is too big or too small, it all counts here!
- Go through the list and divide them into the following categories: Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, & Spiritual.
- Ask yourself: Do you allow these things to occur; Regularly, Sporadically, or Hardly never? Go ahead ad label them as such if you choose, you may be surprised once you look back a month or two down the road at how much more JOY you are engaging in.
- Make a plan over the next month to do at least one item from your list every day, trying to cover something from each category every week.
- On the days you found that your day brought you JOY, reflect on how good it felt!
- On the days you found that your day and its activities didn’t bring you joy, reflect on why.
- Is this showing you a pattern that you can change?
- Where did this pattern come from?
- Do you just need to change how you perceive things? etc.,
- As the month progresses and again at the end, how evenly are your joyful moments spread amongst the Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, & Spiritual categories?
- What does this show you?
- Do you make more time for physical joy and zero time for spiritual joy? Why is this?
- Are any of these acts of joy directed towards you or are they mainly focused on service to others?
I know, this may seem like a huge task, just take it one step at a time. It will be sooo worth it at the end because YOU ARE WORTH THE EFFORT!
When I did a similar challenge several months back, I realized and uncovered hidden gems in my life everywhere! That is my wish for you and better my dears! Stay tuned on social media where I will be posting quotes and affirmations/mantras to help keep you active in your JOY Challenge!
I can’t wait to hear how your JOY challenge goes!
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Ana S.P. Coffey
Very cool journaling idea. I like the long term aspect of it and I love the idea of committing to finding, feeling and reflecting on joy!
Crystal Cockerham
Thank you for that Ana. Yes, when I did this challenge there were a few things that showed up on my list that I had disconnected from being in JOY around and didn’t realize how much JOY they gave me. Cheers to JOYous journaling!
Vatsala Shukla
I love the exercise you’ve shared, Crystal, and delighted to see Shelley’s quote after so many years!
Definitely worth doing the JOY Challenge, joyfully.
Crystal Cockerham
I am overjoyed that you will joyfully take on the JOY Challenge Vatsala! I hope you find the exercises as eye-opening as I did!
Barb Parcells
This is a great idea! Making my list now!
Crystal Cockerham
OH yay Barb! Glad to hear it, let me know how it goes for you!
CK Kochis
I love it! A Joy Challenge! I’ve not heard of this one yet. I will actually do this. Often times challenges seem so daunting and, well…challenging. This one, however, will be a lot of fun. I also like that you suggest breaking the ‘joys’ into the four categories. This will certainly show me where I am off balance and what needs a little more tender care in my life. Oh, Crystal! I love this post! Thanks for motivating me to acknowledge more JOY ~ big ones and little ones.
Crystal Cockerham
You are so welcome Cindy! I am happy that it resonates with you. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Heather
Love the idea of putting it into categories!!
Crystal Cockerham
Let me know how it goes for you, Heather!