Live the Joy
JOY ~ Journey of You September 10, 2010 |
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Past joy droppings feed the soul.
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Express yourself.
I sometimes find it difficult to articulate all that is going on inside me. For a writer to admit that I sometimes can't express myself seems a little odd perhaps, but I'm starting to think it is fear that holds me back.
I fear what people may think if they knew just what a nerd I really am, or just how flighty/ditzy/skittish I can be, or how much I am beginning to tap into my woo-woo spiritual side.
I present different sides of myself at different times, but the truth is that I am a multi-faceted person; we all are. I am indeed a goody two-shoes. I am indeed a smart ass. I can be moved to tears by the painted night sky as the sun sets, and I can bust out laughing at some crude comments on South Park.
We don't always get a grand epiphany that turns our life on a dime. Realization can come in tiny nuggets. The light bulb gets increasingly brighter as we tap into our inner strengths and face up to our weaknesses.
In recent email chit chat with my unseen confidante in the UK, I made an offhand remark how the world needs irreverent angels like us. (I had earlier told him how amazing it is that a devilish boy (he's 60) is also an angel to me.)
My advice to others has been WHO GIVES A FLYING FLIP WHAT OTHERS THINK OF YOU?! What do YOU think of you?
I now apply that to myself. Instead of trying to be someone else's definition of "cool," I am my own version. This is me, baby.
Certainly, there is room for improvement. We always should be learning, growing, evolving. It's a lifelong process. And as we glide along on this life journey, with all its stops and starts, I have learned that I never need be afraid to express myself.
Words to Ponder:
There is freedom in being bold.
(Thank you, MaryJoy; that quote card arrived at just the right moment. Another irreverent angel just earned her margarita.) |
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| Picks this week |
Book Pick - 365 Days ofJoy- How to be Happy Every Single Day by Kelly Epperson
Flick Pick - Something sappy, silly, or serious
Your JOY assignment this week:
EXPRESS YOURSELF.
"Don't look at your feet to see if you are doing it right. Just dance." kobi yamada |
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What brings me JOY lately?
* Beautiful night skies
* Anderson Japanese Gardens, Rockford, IL
* A tiny turtle
* Uplifting feedback
* Invitations
* Slushy margaritas in a sports bottle
* Certain books
* Certain looks
* My fellow word nerds
* Photographs and memories
* Happy mail
* Rounding up people for dance party
* A Devilish Angel in the UK
* A "Crazed Woman" in Arizona
* An Angel Boy right here in Loves Park
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WHAT I LIKE ABOUT ME:
For those new to the JOY letter, every night you are to jot down three things in your joy journal that made you smile/brought you peace/made you laugh/made you glow with appreciation/went your way.
ALSO you need to think of three things you like about yourself. Liking yourself and loving yourself leads to true internal happiness. Happiness has to come from within.
Let's see.... what I like about me...
* I refrain from burping in public.
* I talk to myself.
* I still enjoy questions from strangers about my smart car.
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| Beauty's where you find it | |
Dew on a dandelion  (Thanks, KeilaK, for the forward.) |
| Birthday Love | |
HAPPYHAPPYJOYJOY BIRTHDAY WISHES TO:
KATHY BLUNT
KRISTIN OAKLEY
GLENN CAMPBELL
ELAINE HALBARDIER
LOLA ROBINSON
PATTY RUSS
AIMEE WARD
AND to
ALL who are celebrating this week!
(Send in your birthday. Each month a name is drawn for a JOY prize delivered via snail mail.)
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Someone who has never been afraid to express herself, Vintage Madonna, 1985, Express Yourself
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| Lyrics to love | |
Don't give me fountains, I need waterfalls
And when I cry my tears will fill an ocean
The pain of love I'll accept it all
As long as you join me in that emotion
Give me all the earth and sky
and at the same time add a new dimension
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Kelly's newspaper column -
Kelly's blog for healthyrockford.com -
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| Quote Junkie |
Be curious, not judgmental. ~Walt Whitman
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(Instead of "Judge Judy," how about a show "Judge Mental"?)
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So...tomorrow they will let me park there? |
| WORD NERD |
jubilee \JOO-buh-lee\, noun:
1. Any season or occasion of rejoicing or festivity.
2. The celebration of any of certain anniversaries, as the twenty-fifth (silver jubilee), fiftieth (golden jubilee), or sixtieth or seventy-fifth (diamond jubilee).
3. The completion of 50 years of existence, activity, or the like, or its celebration.
4. A yearlong period to be observed by Jews once every 50 years, during which Jewish slaves were to be freed abd alienated lands were to be restored to the original owner.
dictionary.com
On my 50th birthday, we will have the Dance Party JUBILEE! |
| JOY Engagements | |
Keynotes/Presentations/Workshops:
Happiness Club - Sept 2, 6:30 pm Loves Park Library
Speaker U - National Speaker Association, Sept 14 Naperville
Alpine Seniors - September 16, Rockford
OPEN TO ALL:
Happiness Club, Sept 2 6: 30 pm
JOY programs tailored to your staff/group's needs. Fun, informative, uplifting. Positivity breeds productivity. And it just plain feels good to laugh. |
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UPCOMING JOY EVENTS |
On with the dance! Let joy be unconfined! -Lord Byron
JOY Dance Party!
Friday, October 1
8 pm - Midnight
IBEW Banquet Hall, 6820 Mill Road, Rockford
DJ, Cash Bar, Door Prizes
$10
Pay online or PO Box
BRING YOUR FRIENDS/NEIGHBORS/COWORKERS - All ages!
Proceeds to Rosie's Birthday Club
Spread the word!
Hardcopy flyer can be mailed
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9 am - 4pm
$123
The Essence of JOY is finding YOUR inner essence
Fee includes all materials, gourmet lunch, tour of gardens/contemplation time, the brand new JOY GPS, surprises/JOY fun!
Get in touch with your soul, your essence
Find YOUR Joy, YOUR Happiness, YOUR Confidence
Define YOU!
ANDERSON GARDENS, Rockford IL
Space is limited. Sign up now.
Register online or PO Box 2324 Loves Park IL 61131
Come with a friend/mom/sister/daughter
You/someone you know really needs this day
Hardcopy flyer can be mailed
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**Joy: A Luncheon**
Thursday, December 2
A Celebration of Joy, Love, and Life
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| Sage Advice | |
The best way to predict your life is to create it.
~Mark Twain |
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Lago Maggiore, Italy May 4-12, 2011 | |
Contact me and I can mail you a glossy brochure.
Register before December 31 and save $200.
My muse is telling your muse: This trip ain't no ordinary shindig. In the annals of "extraordinary," this will be the defining moment.
Talk to your self. Is this trip for you?
What are you waiting for?
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HAPPINESS CLUB, LOVES PARK, IL
(first Thursday every month)
We laugh, we learn, we eat cookies. It's a good night.
NEXT MEETING:
6:30 - 8:00 pm
North Suburban Library, 6340 N. Second St., Loves Park
Join in the fun. Bring a friend. Bring a stranger. Come alone. If you are at all curious, come check it out.
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THRILL THE WORLD Thousands of people all over the world will dance the Thriller in unison on October 23. Last year folks in 32 countries participated. It's a fundraiser for charity and just plain fun. Local dance studios are giving free lessons to learn the 5 minute dance prior to the across-time-zones event. Join me in learning The Thriller. We'll try it October 1 at the Dance Party, and we'll do it together, globally, October 23. (It's common to Thriller at weddings now. See YouTube for dozens of vids.)
First lesson 1:00 pm, September 11, Evolve Dance Studio, 2615 Mulford Rd, Rockford. There are several more Saturday lessons to come.
Find a place in your area by going to the Thrill the World website. Locals, go to thrilltheworldrockford.com or call 815-544-7440, Ext. 11.
October 23, 6 pm, Rockford College. Proceeds benefit American Cancer Society. My boys and I danced The Thriller a few years back but they are not keen in joining me with this simultaneous swing. I hope you are. Express yourself.
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"I get up. I walk. I fall down. Meanwhile, I keep dancing." Rabbi Hillel
Please forward to anyone you think needs a dose of encouragement.
I've been asked to send reminders about the Dance Party and Anderson Gardens Retreat. Your inbox will be a little busy the next few weeks, so for those who have already registered or have no interest, thanks for your patience!
Some JOY readers from Chicago and suburbia are coming out to dance! YAY! Bring your peeps!
joyfully,
xx kelly
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| SIGN UP FOR WEEKLY JOY AND PASS IT ON
Spread the word! Let's build an army of JOY Spreaders!
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| parting shot...
All life is an experiment.
~Emerson |
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BOOKS FOR SALE:
When Life Stinks, It's Time to Wash the Gym Clothes
365 Days of Joy - How to be Happy Every Single Day
Kelly Epperson
kel_epperson@yahoo.com
PO Box 2324 Loves Park IL 61131
Member AATH - Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor
Member AHA - American Happiness Association
Founder - Happiness Club of Loves Park, IL
Member NSNC - National Society of Newspaper Columnists |
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