A Journey Into Joy
Step 1 — Week 4: You Are Here
Step 1 is about taking an honest assessment—just the facts, without judgment—of where we are right now in the different areas of our life (health, personal life, work life, retirement, home, leisure, play, education, family, community, and so on). In order to move into joy, we must know where we are right now.
To join in on the journey, visit the MandalaoftheMonth.com to download the mandala and learn more about this step.
Here’s my journal entry for week 4: My Purpose
In general I know what my (everyone’s) purpose is:
1) do what you love to do, and
2) help other people by doing what you love to do.
My challenge is (has been) figuring out how best to help others by doing what I love to do. My other challenge is determining what I love to do. I realize as I write this that all my life I’ve loved doing art-related things (painting, sewing, crafts, crocheting, drawing, making stuff, and so on). As a child I loved doing it for the sake of doing it, or learning how to do it, and/or trying new things.
As an adult it all became tainted, over shadowed, because it was instilled in me (early in life) that I need to make money…and that I should only do things that make money. So artsy stuff was something I did as a hobby whenever I had the time for it…because I was told “you can’t make a living as an artist.” (ouch)
But then one day, Mandalas came into my life and become a passion. As soon as I turned it into a business, some money did come my way but then it became distorted a bit because I was focused on making art to sell…versus making art for the sake of making art.
Over the last few years, I’ve become more conscious of what art to make and what to forego. If I catch myself saying something like “maybe someone will want to buy this”…then I know I need to stop right there and re-evaluate my “why”.
Fortunately, I’m blessed that I don’t have to make a living selling art…however there’s a part of me that thinks that I need to sell my art in order to be considered valid or successful. And now with social media, there’s a part of me that thinks I need validation by getting lots of “likes”. If I don’t, then I mustn’t be very good at what I do.
Intellectually, I know I want to uplift (help) people through the art of the mandalas that I create. I feel that until I work through these “veils”, I’ll always be putting pressure on myself to make stuff so that other people will like it…or probably more likely…so that other people will like me. (whoa…that just came out of some deep, dark place)
Where Do I Go From Here
I want to work through my limiting belief that I’m only valid or successful if I sell my art of get lots of likes on social media.
I want to work through my ‘people-pleasing’ issues that tend to limit me from creating art for the art’s sake…and in doing so, allow the art to help other people…whether like it or not…or whether they like me or not.
That’s it for now,
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
inspiring and encouraging creativity, curiosity, and play through the art of mandalas
ABOUT “A JOURNEY INTO JOY”
With all the anxiety and stress in the world right now, focusing on joy may seem a bit counterintuitive. Mais contraire mes amis. We actually need more joy in our lives…now more than ever. And it starts within each of us. It’s been my experience that when in that higher vibrational state of joy, it helps raise the vibration of those around us as well.
Brené Brown defines joy as “an intense feeling of deep spiritual connection, pleasure, and appreciation”. Of late, I mostly experience only moments of happiness and on a rare occasion, joy…thus my desire to journey into joy.
My quest throughout this year is to explore, experience, and express this state in a variety of ways, including following a variation of the hero’s journey, as professed by Jospeh Campbell.
Care to join me? Here’s how…
MandalaoftheMonth.com: On the first of the month, I’ll create and post a mandala for coloring. Each month we’ll take another step along the “journey into joy” by following a modified version Joseph Campbell’s a hero’s journey. Included in each step will be a description of the step and prompts for coloring and/or journaling for the month. You’re welcome to color them as well…they’re free to download.
MandalaoftheWeek.com: Each Monday I’ll be posting my coloring of that month’s Mandala of the Month, which will produce 4-5 colorings of that design. With each one, I intend to dig deeper into the message of that month’s mandala. You’re welcome to color along as well.
Mandala of the Week 