The J Words

The J Words

Give thanks for everything,
my Bubby would say.
I used to disagree with her,
especially when I felt jealous.
Jealousy, has always been like one of those guests
I never invited,
but always seemed to show up.
Jealousy, when I gave thanks for it,
became the pathway to joy.
It became a gift from the Ultimate.
Jealousy, went from being something I tried to hide,
even when it refused to be hid,
to something which
helped me celebrate in myself
what I saw in others.
Jealousy became a gift
when I began honoring
my talents and abilities.
when I gave thanks for the opportunities
in my life.
Jealousy has been a guide
on my spiritual journey
helping me to grow, evolve,
celebrate my blessings,
and leading me to feelings of
joy.
Joy which freed me from being jealous of others
to a place of feeling nothing
but joy
for your blessings and mine.

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That One Memory

That One Memory

Do you have one?
Do you have that one memory
that you store in your heart and soul?
A memory that brings you joy,
happiness, and
makes you feel connected to the Ultimate.
It is that memory you wrap yourself in
during those times you need to feel loved
because no matter what else is going on
this one memory wraps you in peace and happiness.
We all have one,
at least one,
that we store away for those moments
we need to feel loved.
This memory
is what I hold on to
in the roughest of times
because it reminds me who will see me through.
It makes me feel connected to the one,
to the Ultimate,
and sets me up on a cloud of peace
like it did when I was three
and protected me while it
removed all the obstacles
and filled my world with new beginnings.
Sixty five years later,
this memory
still sustains me.
Hold on to yours
it is still there where you left it.

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I Celebrate Myself

I Celebrate Myself

"I celebrate myself,"
Walt Whitman wrote.
What is it like?
What does it take
to be able to celebrate one’s self.
This morning I shared a nomination with friends
and there was joy in doing that with them.
What would our lives be like if celebrated ourselves,
every aspect of our selves -
our achievements,
our experiences,
our relationships,
our very existence.
What would it be like
if we looked at our selves
in the mirror and
told ourselves
this is good
or if we could hear our selves say
like the Ultimate,
this is my child
and I am well pleased.
We are experts at pointing out our flaws and weaknesses,
but what if we stopped saying
I criticize myself and
like Whitman began with
I celebrate myself.

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Remembering My Jyo

Remembering My Joy

Joy
have you ever thought about
what brings you joy.
I have come to realize that each day
is filled with moments of joy.
It is not ongoing,
but it is there.
It pops in and out of my life
at random moments
reminding me to celebrate it
and give thanks for that which
balances out the pain.
It is what I keep my joy journal
to remind me of those moments.
Like when I wake up and realize
I am still alive.
Or the joy in knowing that after 22 years
Zoe still loves me unconditionally.
Or the joy that comes from holding a warm cup of tea
on a cold wintry day.
Joy is the feeling that keeps me balanced
on the seesaw of life,
it is what reminds to smile and lifts me up
during those moments that losing a dear friend is bringing me down.
Joy is what makes me smile,
and makes me laugh like St Nick.
Joy is what I find in my heart
Sometimes joy finds its way to me
like when I am drinking my chai
and sometimes I have to seek it
by remembering all I have to be
grateful for in life.
Regardless of how I feel it,
I take time to remember my joy.

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difficult Teachers

Difficult Teachers

I would love to say
all my teachers have been amazing
and a pleasure to work with.
I can’t.
Some of the most amazing teachers
have been difficult people to work with
and to learn from.
However, often times they are the ones
who teach me the most valuable
and hardest to learn lessons.
Those lessons I need to learn,
but do not want to learn.
Those lessons that require me
to explore my beliefs, experiences and expectations.
Those lessons that challenge me to become aware,
to take responsibility for my reactions,
forgive myself and others
and evolve to a space of peace and joy.
Often we find out we are their teachers as well.
We not only learn from them,
but teach them in how we work with them.
We are each teachers in peoples lives
and others are teachers in ours.
Sometimes we are the easy ones
and sometimes we are not.

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Finding my Hallelujah

Finding my Hallelujah

I remember hearing Andy Grammar sing about
finding your hallelujah
and thinking about all the times
I found my hallelujah
and how good it felt to be alive at that moment.
It is in those moments, that I feel
filled with this so much joy that I feel as if I am going to explode
and all I can do is give thanks
because I am alive
Every part of my being is so delighted
that all I can do is celebrate and sing.
I am not concerned about anyone else
just celebrating my life and singing
my Hallelujah
with every part of my being.

If you feel my energy and want to join me,
tap into your own Hallelujah
and together let’s celebrate how
great it is to be alive right now.

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Joyous

Joyous

Rather then being jealous of others,
I am spending my time being joyous.
Joyous for them and their blessings.
joyous for their gifts and talents.
Joyous for all that is going well with them.
My being joyous is not just about them,
but me.
Being joyous for others
gives me joy in my hard times.
Celebrating others
helps me celebrate myself.
Judy’s passion for advocacy reminds me
I am a fighter and can slay the storms.
Eileen’s going to concerts and loving music
reminds me I can go places virtually and enjoy life
even when I can’t go physically.
So many of my friends make me joyous.
I would much rather be joyous with them
then jealous of them.

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Celebrate Yourself

Celebrate Yourself

When you look in the mirror
what do you see?
Perhaps more importantly
what do you say?
Do you speak
affirmations to yourself
and tell yourself you are amazing just as you are.
Do you give yourself a high five
for something amazing you have done
in your life.
Do we do as Walt Whitman did
and say “I celebrate myself.”
What if we celebrated the beauty
in which we were created?
What if we celebrated our achievements,
no matter how tiny?
What if we found a reason each day to celebrate
our life, our experiences, and our friends.
What if we took a moment,
like now,
to celebrate something
amazing in our lives.
Just stop for a moment
and say
I celebrate myself.

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Unexpected

unexpected

It is always amazing
when we find things in
unexpected spaces.
Like hope in the middle of disaster,
love in the middle of loss,
joy in the midst of grief.
We tend to look for things,
as the song says,
in all the wrong places,
because they seem like the right place,
but they are not always.
I found friendship
in the midst of stress, grief and a stranger.
I wasn’t looking for it,
but in the midst of the pain and the stress,
I found a friend.
We knew of each other,
but didn’t know each other.
It was one of those moments
that only the Ultimate can create.
So strangers came together
for a reason which had nothing to do
with their bonding or camaraderie.
It was all about finding caring
in an unexpected space, place, and person.
God works
in the unexpected.

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Where is the Joy

Sometimes we work
so hard
we feel exhausted.

How many times
have I heard
or even said
I need a nap.

Sometimes we are so busy
we think we are tired
but perhaps we should be asking
where is the joy

Where is the time
in the midst of it all
that we stop and
do something which energizes us,
and brings us joy.

In the midst of
the busyness
may we remember
what brings us joy,
what energizes us
what makes us feel
as if we have napped.

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An Apple a Day

An apple a day, they say,
keeps the doctor away.
That is fine and great,
but what about the non medical struggles
An acquaintance of mine used to say,
a good heart
keeps away the farts.
Those people who smell
up your life

My gratitude journal
keeps me humble.
My inspiration journal
keeps me open.
My intention journal
keeps me focused.
My joy journal
keeps me balanced
My writing
keeps me growing

What are the apples
in your life?
Is your heart
keeping away the farts?
What do you practice
to keep you healthy?

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Simple Things

Sometimes it is the simple things in life
that bring us joy.
like the smell of freshly mowed grass,
or waking up to a pot of freshly brewed coffee,
or when a friend surprises me with one of my favorite treats
or when I get a paratransit reservation

it is not just the big things that bring us joy;
it’s also the simple things.
It’s the smells, sounds, tastes, textures, and experiences
which put a smile in our hearts and souls.

It’s the little things which bring us joy.
So today focus on doing something simple for yourself
and others
and do something simple
to bring joy in to your life and theirs.

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Smiling

Smiling

Have you ever watched someone smile,
but it does not feel
like joy, peace, or happiness.
Sometimes you can watch them smile,
but it feels sarcastic.
Sometimes their smile reminds
you of how politicians and diplomats
smile at each other.
Sometimes their smile makes you want to leave
and avoid them .

Then there are those smiles
that brighten up a room.
There is something about their smile which is like
a breath of fresh air.
It may leave you feeling hope
fill you with their overflowing joy
make you share their happiness
or experience their piece

A smile is not just a smile.
It is a way of communicating
what is in our heart,
soul,
and mind.
It is how we share
the one who lives within us
and who wants others
to experience the love and warmth
all through a simple, but genuine
smile.

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Celebrate Yourself

"I celebrate myself,"
The poet Walt Whitman wrote.
Are you celebrating yourself?
What if you celebrated
all of you,
your achievements,
your experiences, and
your existence.

How would you look at yourself
if you were celebrating
all of who you are?

Would you be saying
I am God’s beloved
I know God is pleased with me
Would you know you are good?
Would you stand in front of yourself and say
“I celebrate myself.”

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