A Journey Into Joy
Step 8 — Week 3: The Ordeal
Step 8 The Ordeal This marks the greatest test thus far. We may face a major hurdle or obstacle which causes us to hit rock bottom. It’s a pivotal moment in our journey. It’s time to face our greatest fear, it’s time to overcome our weaknesses and step into the title of hero.
Translating this to our journey into joy, this is the moment where we go into the “belly of the beast” of that which is blocking our joy, to face it directly, and challenge its hold on our joy. We have the skills, we know what to do, now is the time to put it all into action…it’s time to put down the self-help books and apply what we’ve learned.For me I plan to continue with the areas covered in the weeks of Step 1 (health, home, The Mandala Lady, and my purpose).
For me I plan to continue with the areas covered in the weeks of Step 1 (health, home, The Mandala Lady, and my purpose). To join in on the journey, visit the MandalaoftheMonth.com to download the mandala to color and learn more about this step.
Here’s my journal entry for step 8–week 3: The Mandala Lady
For the longest time I thought my biggest fear about my art and my art business was a combination of fear of failure and fear of success. The fear of failure is pretty standard. The fear of success was that if I was successful then someone or something would take it all away and also that I wouldn’t be able to handle it and maintain it.
In the last week I’ve been seeing the phrase “fear of being seen” and also “fear of being visible”. On some level it’s somewhat like “fear of success” because when you’re successful you’re exposed to more people. However, the “fear of being seen” seems more in alignment with what I’m truly feeling.
Why? Because being seen puts me in a more visible position, more vulnerable to attacks, criticisms, judgments, and so on. I’ve seen what happens to people who are “seen” and how one bad move (by accident or on purpose) destroys their lives…setting them back sometimes worse than before they were “seen”.
I realize I’m only focusing on the negative side of being “seen”. I know that there’s definitely a major upliftment when “seen” positively. Right now, I’m wanting to give that “fear of being seen” part of myself a chance to speak up…since I usually shut it down.
So some of what this part’s fears are that there could be more and greater opportunities for: being laughed at, ridiculed, denigrated, made to feel less than, judged, put down, criticized, along with being a disappointment, a let down, and otherwise a failure. Whew! That’s a tough list. Where does that come from? Pretty much most of it came from my childhood and early adult years.
Intellectually I know it wasn’t my total reality, at least not all the time…but I was definitely made to feel that way and that “part” of me definitely took on the job of trying to protect me from all of “that”.
My “Ordeal” for this week’s MotW is to engage with this part of myself, to understand her better, to comfort her, and to lighten her load so that she becomes an adult version of that part…as an advisor rather than a shutter-downer.
That’s it for now.
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
🌟bringing sanity to an insane world 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 