Joy Tanksley's Blog » Being Joy

[Monday Morning Spark] Delving into Desire

Joy Tanksley — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:00:59 +0000

A new month is here, and that means a new focus for the weekly Sparks! For February, we'll be delving into DESIRE. In today's video, I'm sharing two common hang-ups I've noticed most folks run into when it comes to exploring and following desires.

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[Monday Morning Spark] They Should = I Want

Joy Tanksley — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:00:32 +0000

I'm wrapping up our exploration of curiosity in the month of January by sharing a juicy self coaching tool with you. Enjoy!

Click here to grab the worksheet for this tool!

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My Discovery Board: A New Approach

Joy Tanksley — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:00:06 +0000

The past two Januarys, I've started the new year by selecting a word of the year and creating a vision board. There are many different takes on what a vision board actually is, how to create one, and what the purpose is. I've always tried my best to keep my vision boards fairly abstract and based on desired feeling states rather than specific objects and outcomes I think I need/want in my life. I've never been into the whole idea of posting a picture of a shiny new car on my board, for example, and expecting to magically have a new car enter my life in the coming year. Somehow, that approach doesn't sing to my soul. (If this approach works for you, by all means, rock it out.)

The open approach I've taken has served me well overall, but this year I felt the need to go even deeper into the energy of openness and discovery. As 2011 wrapped up, I noticed a little theme in my life: the call to move away from the energy of control and to step into my authentic power. I spent a good deal of time reflecting on what this really means, and I even created a free audio class on the subject.

As January 2012 began, I felt really good about my intention word for the year: TRUTH. I was excited about releasing my expectations of what that word would mean and what it would create in my life. I felt ready to dive into the wide open spaces of what TRUTH might teach me this year. But whenever I thought about creating a vision board to go with my word, I felt stuck. Even the open, abstract style of vision boarding I've used in the past felt too rigid. Too controlling. Too presumptuous. So I started getting curious about ways to create a visual representation of my my word that would fit with my desires to open myself wide to new discoveries.

And the discovery board was born! Let me tell you, I love what I've created for myself this year. It feels so fresh and exciting. It feels just right. So, I'm sharing my process with you, and maybe you'll decide to create your own discovery board. Or maybe it will give you ideas for creating something totally unique that fits with whatever you are steering toward in your life this year.

How I Created My Discovery Board:

1. I started with the same basic process I've used in the past for vision boards. I gathered a selection of magazines, lit some candles, played some soft music, and thumbed through each magazine looking for any pictures that felt like a YES in my body.

A little side note: For me, the YES sensation has become almost instantly recognizable, and that's come from a great deal of practice. It feels open, light, and free, and manifests primarily in my chest. Knowing my YES sensation is an incredibly powerful tool for decision making. It's brought so many wonderful things my way, and has helped me avoid some seriously icky stuff. Your YES sensation will be unique to you. You can discover it by recalling a specific memory where everything felt really right for you. Then check in to see how your body feels - what specific sensations are present. Want help? I love coaching people through this process, and it only takes about 30 minutes. Email me at joytanksley@gmail.com for details.

2. I wanted to gather 24 images (more on why later) but after my first sitting I only had 12. So, I selected a few more magazines and went through the process a second time to get to my desired number of pictures.

3. I pasted each of my 24 images to an individual piece of card stock. Then I punched a hole in the top of each piece of card stock.

4. For my board, I used a piece of canvas because that's what I had available. Poster board, foam board, cardboard, etc. would work just fine. I attached two hooks to my canvas. (I used the type that have a sticky backing and are used to hang things on walls.)

5. I wrote my intention word for the year across the top of my canvas in large letters.

6. I shuffled all my images and randomly selected two to slide onto the hooks for the month of January. Each month, I will remove the current two images and randomly select two new ones. (This is why I needed 24 pictures.)

Why I Created My Discovery Board:

As I stated previously, I am feeling a deep soul call to lean away from control and toward my authentic power. For me, that means dropping assumptions and expectations, and creating opportunities for discovery and insight. Selecting two images randomly each month is an exercise in letting go, giving in, and allowing myself to be surprised.

Each month, I'll take some time for a bit of curiosity about the new images. Here are types of questions I will be asking myself:

- What do I notice about each picture individually? What stands out to me the most? What appeals to me the most?

- How are these two images connected? Is there a theme for me to discover for this month?

- How are these two images different? What discoveries are available to me in those differences?

- When I look more closely at the pictures, do I notice anything I hadn't noticed when I originally selected them in early January?

- What can these pictures teach me about myself and my intention for the year?

I must say, one of things I'm most excited about is the aspect of interacting with my board in a very deliberate way each and every month. While I have loved the vision boards I've created in the past, I've noticed they very quickly blend into the background. It's easy to take them for granted or even forget about them entirely, even if I place them in a prominent place. But this year, I'm essentially recreating my board every month. I think that's going to be pretty powerful.

So, there you have it. My new approach. The discovery board!

Here's a picture of my board with the images I randomly pulled from my stack for January:

If you decide to create your own discovery board, I'd love to hear all about it!

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[Monday Morning Spark] About Those Things You Know For Sure

Joy Tanksley — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:00:51 +0000

At any given time in life, we all have a small (or not so small) handful of things we are pretty certain about. Maybe we're absolutely certain that jogging is the best form of exercise and everyone should seriously start a running regimen. Maybe we're sure that a particular political candidate is the answer to our country's problems. Maybe we wholeheartedly believe that high fructose corn syrup is destroying lives and needs to be banned. Admit it, you hold at least a few of these types of passionate beliefs. I know I do. And I say, these are great places to invite some curiosity.

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[Monday Morning Spark] Curious Questions

Joy Tanksley — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:00:17 +0000

I'm sure it will come as no surprise that asking questions is one of the best ways to bring more curiosity to your life. However, not all questions are equal when it comes to creating openness for discovery in your life. In fact, some questions can totally shut down the possibility for new insights. Check out this week's video for the full scoop!

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[Monday Morning Spark] Gifts of Curiosity

Joy Tanksley — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:00:58 +0000

Today I'm sharing the biggest gifts of curiosity in my life. What has curiosity done for you? What might it bring you this year?

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[Monday Morning Spark] New for 2012

Joy Tanksley — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:00:50 +0000

Happy New Year! Today, I'm excited to share a little change to the structure of the weekly Sparks for this year.

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[Monday Morning Spark] Thoughts from 2011

Joy Tanksley — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:00:11 +0000

This time of year, I tend to get very reflective. I like to do things like scan through my sent email folder for the past 12 months, flip back through my journal pages for the year, look through the pictures I've taken.

So I thought it might be neat to review the Monday Morning Sparks for 2011, and do a bit of reflection. I decided to pull out key thoughts from the past year and share them in a special presentation today. These are all ideas I plan to carry with me into the new year. I hope this gives you an opportunity for your own reflection. I hope you find a few ideas that inspire you. And I hope you grab at least one thought to tuck into your heart for the beautiful new year ahead.

(Note: you'll probably want to view this presentation in full screen mode to make the text easier to read.)

Would you like today's video presentation in a printable booklet form? Here you go!

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Birthday Boogie

Joy Tanksley — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 11:00:54 +0000

Today, I am celebrating life - my own life and the new life I'm growing. I am 33 years old today... and fourteen weeks pregnant. Will you celebrate with me? Let's dance!

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[Monday Morning Spark] Control vs Power

Joy Tanksley — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:00:44 +0000

It's totally natural and normal to desire a sense of control in life. But when we chase after control, we usually end up feeling really out of control. I think there's a better way...

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