Hello My Friend,

Let’s suppose… a burglar came banging on your door (perhaps because he could see you and knew the telephone was out – I don’t know, just roll with the ‘suppose’ for a moment.)

So there is this banging and you know it is trouble, NOT a friendly visitor.

Hello there!

I’ve been thinking and writing a lot about self-discipline.  It’s a habit or a mindset that leads to intense satisfaction and lasting joy.

The joy comes when a mountain of work is accomplished and the reward is reserved for when it is done.  Then upon completion, several deep exhales of held breath eases out as you slip into a state of “Wow, I can’t believe I did that!”   Pure JOY! 

The joy also comes when you see how sticking to a process positively impacts many people.  It’s a sweet feeling of satisfaction to see other people’s joy or need fulfilled.   

People who practice for hours every day to perform a few minutes of their craft know this sensation of joy.  

But it’s not just reserved for the musical and athletic stars of our times. We can get in on this sweet joy.

 Here are 7 Surefire Sources of Joy:

1)      Go after the extraordinary – this kind of joy is not felt unless it took some effort to get there and it challenged you along the way. Achieving goals you know are easy brings a certain level of satisfaction but JOY comes from accomplishing those things you weren’t sure was possible when you first thought about it! Go beyond the ordinary.

2)      Particularly when the feeling is to STOP, KEEP GOING. Those are the moments when joy is sowed. When you press forward IN SPITE of some negative sensations, joy is down the road waiting for you!

3)      Set other-centered goals; serving others is a sure bet to produce sweet joy. EVERY TIME! This simply never fails. Set out to be kind to others and/or achieve goals that will help others, and you WILL experience the sweetest joy. (Be sure you’re doing it from your heart though)

4)      Along the way, pray; prayer takes many forms…you can be still and…well, just be still or, go into a meditative state of focus on one uplifting thought/scripture or you can say thank-you for the joy you anticipate.

5)      Build the anticipation by imagining the completion of the project or activity. (Much like when a loved one is away and you spend glorious moments thinking of their return, anticipation builds…) This will help you to remain in your path with more joy in your heart. 

6)      Imagine and visualize the benefits of completing this particular set of action steps…what’s the WHY behind the actions?  Keep your why in sharp focus. Our imagination is POWERFUL; use it daily! By imagining the benefits being received, you build the joy in your heart for the work at hand. 

7)      DO THE WORK! There is no substitute for just getting it done. The joy can only be felt, deeply and sincerely if you gave it your all. Not just enough to get it barely done, but done at your highest and best level. Productivity brings JOY. You may feel wiped out, exhausted and unable to move a single muscle but the joy in your heart will always trump all of those physical aspects.
Get busy daily, doing the work, being self-disciplined and your joy will simply be off the chart.

Now if this not work you enjoy and not resulting in any benefits to others, joy will probably not flow. So see how you can direct your life’s work in the direction of your joy. Consider your passions, your talents and skills and do your best to connect these to your daily work. 

If this is simply not possible at the moment, create a plan, get into action and use your powerful imagination to keep you on the path to your purpose and a life filled with joy.

So, go after your joy. It’s there for every single one of us.  If we would just produce the cause the effect is sure to follow. Sow it to reap it.

Wishing you an abundance of sweet and lasting joy,

Julette Millien

∞∞

Hello My Friend,

I won’t take too much of your time on this — if you could stop wasting time how much would your life improve? Just visualize how your creativity, productivity, joy and peace of mind can be IF you used more of your time to actually live the life you dream of and deserve – instead of wasting time every day!

Visualize that.

Then reflect on how you waste time. Review the list below.. be accountable for your preferred time wasters and then…COMMIT to stopping.  That simple!
I know it’s not easy but it is doable – so just commit to the work if you want what you visualized above.

If you hear/see yourself in any of these – stay still for a bit and reflect on why that is… then COMMIT to this: start doing something else instead! (suggestions in blue)

1. Excessive TV and other mind-numbing entertainment – Read instead… about a hobby or skill you’d love to learn more about… OR, DO the hobby or skill!
2. On-line activities – same as #1… OR exercise or play a sport with friends instead
3. Talking/hanging with other folks who are not getting things done – Pick one friend who wants to do more in life and become accountability partners…
4. Looking for misplaced things – get ORGANIZED; spend some time putting things where they belong and keep it that way. (may need to throw or give away some things in this process!)
5. Feeling badly about not getting more done – FORGIVE yourself and MOVE ON!
6. Not forgiving yourself and moving on! – yep, had to mention twice it’s SUCH a huge problem for folks. – really, FORGIVE yourself, and move on (or you’ll be here next week and next month, even next year with the same issue!)
7. Feeling pained about people’s behavior – Keep your vision clear in your mind and make a decision, do you want to still be visualizing this better life next week, next month and next year or do you want to actually be there – more creative, more productive, more joyous and more peace of mind? If you want that badly enough you will decide to put pain in perspective, forgive these folks (basically, release the weight from your heart and their ability to continue hurting you by remote) and MOVE ON. 

Too much to take on all at once? Replace one time-waster at a time… just get started!

Wishing you an abundance of peace, creativity, productivity and lasting joy.

Julette Millien

∞∞

Some folks think when they’re forgiven they are free from consequences… NOT TRUE!

And others withhold forgiveness because they believe the person will not be held accountable…or, hold themselves accountable. (This happens but is not your business – forgiveness is for YOU whether people are held accountable or not!)

There is a BIG difference between forgiving and pardoning; One is for you forgiving, of course) and the other is for the person who did the wrong thing (pardoning).

Here’s to an abundance of inner peace through the power of forgiveness!

Love,

Julette Millien

∞∞

 

“I just did something I’ve been putting off for God knows how long and I CANNOT express the joy of action…especially when I know it’s coming from a place of BEing and not just doing for the sake of doing.

What are you putting off that YOU KNOW is significant and powerfully connected to your purpose in life? Or maybe it’s not so deep…what are you putting off that once done will create the space …for you to BE your best self?
 

Ok, so that’s still a bit deep…lol. Here it is…What do you need to get done simply because it needs to get done and you are putting it off for no good reason? There! 

Are you denying yourself the joy of living your best life and BEing your best self by clogging up your life with the negativity and “stuck-ness” of procrastination? 

Take a step and you will be instantly transported to the land of joy.  :-)”

The real joy comes from Being and when we “be,” the doing just flows. And so does the joy.

∞∞

Hello My Friend,

If you are busy every day, tired every night but yet there is no steady smile in your life, you need to find your joy spot.

I know, I could just hear some critics now – “but with the condition of this world, WHAT is there to be joyous about?” Especially in the midst of major world disasters, it does seem somewhat off the mark to be talking about finding your joy spot. But it isn’t. Really.

I am so very tuned into the massive pain in our communities and around our world.

It’s actually this awareness of pain that brought me to this topic. Joy IS NEEDED! With all that is happening and tends to happen regularly – disaster, wars, lies, corruptions, cover-ups, conspiracies, betrayals and so on  —

We MUST actively seek our joy. It will not find us.

Here’s why this is important: To be an effective solution finder, we must be clear-minded and focused on finding creative solutions: We can not be if we are consumed with either despair or frustration. We simply can’t let the bad and evil in the world snuff out our light.

Living from our joy will lighten our spirit and we will then be more likely to find solutions for the problems of the world… and for our personal life as well.

The “bad” side wins when we loose our light. To hold on to your joy and your light in the midst of all the drama of the world here are three steps to take.

Finding Your Joy:

1. KNOW that it is there…hold onto your belief that peace and joy is your birthright and that having joy in your life is a daily choice YOU make. KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW regardless of the “feelings of the moment”

2. Spend time daily DOING something (music, prayer, meditate, exercise, laugh, read, etc) that brings you joy – as early as possible in the day

3. ACTIVELY seek out and TAKE ACTION with your passion, gift or talent. If you could create your most perfect month, what would you do….no, don’t just think about what you wouldn’t do…how would you spend your time? After a few days or even weeks of leisure activity, you will want to do something, what would that something be? How would you like to spend your time, if you could create your most perfect work day and week?

Do THAT thing as often as you can to find and grow your joy.

Finding your joy spot is essential to creating habits that help the world. To help the world you must have confidence in what you believe, take action daily and actively pursue your passions.

If you do these 3 things consistently, you will not only find that joy spot, you will nurture it and grow it.

The first tip – KNOWING…is about having faith. When you believe something you have to believe it even when your emotions – like fear, doubt, anxiety – are telling you otherwise. THAT is what faith and knowing is all about. It doesn’t evaporate when the going gets rough.

So find your joy spot and create short cuts to it…getting there fast is best. In our world of intense external dramas we need all the internal joy and peace we can find.
Create your ‘plan for joy’ today and be prepared for the next round of doubt or anxiety. We’re human, it will come.

Wishing you an abundance of peace, joy and light,

Julette

∞∞

1. Make a list of all the things you have forgiven yourself or someone else for over the years
2. Make a list of the things you have not forgiven – self and others
3. Reflect on any patterns you see with both lists ( for example: certain things get forgiven easily (or not) or, forgiving others but not yourself…)
4. Make a list of all the things you have been forgiven for by others
5. Make a list of all the things you have not been forgiven for by others
6. Reflect on any patterns you see with both lists
7. Once a day, sit in quiet meditation/reflection/stillness, with as few thoughts as possible
8. Decide on and speak a powerful affirmation about yourself, at least 10x per day
9. Make a list of all the things you are deeply grateful for – add to that list daily
10. Every day, do something kind for another person (Loved ones, strangers, children – yours or not, elders, service providers, staff, challenging people – anyone, anytime, for no reason other than it’s a very good thing to be kind AND, it doesn’t matter how small an act of kindness it is. )
11. Read and reflect on scripture or spiritual teachings on love and forgiveness
12. Ask for guidance, seek wisdom, surrender to a higher power

Hello there!

When I read this article about Serena Williams and her attempts to become “superfit”  my mouth hung open. This super athlete – in my humble opinion, thinks she is not and has “never really been fit, you know.” 

Huh?! How can that be? I know she has had her ups and downs, her injuries and her full life…but not fit? Ever? (all I could think about as I read this incredible statement was her super cut arms!)

She explained and it made more sense. She hasn’t been as fit as she knew she COULD be.  And here’s what she said about why that is:  “I’m still not super-fit, because I always have cream sodas at night.”

She believes that one little thing has stopped her from being her most fit. Amazing how one “small” action or daily habit can separate us from our highest and best self.

So what is your cream soda?

What one thing can you stop doing today and your life would be on a higher and better path by tomorrow? What one thing is holding you back, the most?

Is it a weakness for a particular food item?

Or a wake-up time that has you starting the day in a huff and puff each morning?

Or how about a recurring negative thought…is there some constant thought that is always popping up and into your emotions – taking you into a negative tail-spin?

When you thing about what your “cream soda” is don’t stop at the things you actually, physically do, consider the things you think, feel and believe as well.

Now when you decide what your cream soda is, forgive yourself for having the bad habit, make a plan to replace it with something positive…and get to it!

Even if it’s a very small step, take it TODAY!

Devote 21 days to creating a new habit in its place and live your best possible life. You and all your loved ones deserve nothing less; you, at your very best! What better gift can you give the world?

Wishing you an abundance of love, joy and prosperity,

Julette Millien

∞∞