A Journey Into Joy
Step 10 — Week 2: The Return
Step 10 The Return With the “reward” in hand (step 9), it’s time to head home. But the journey isn’t over yet. It’s at this stage where we deal with the consequences of everything that has lead us to this point. The ordeal may have given us some version of success, but things have changed now. Perhaps some long-hidden, deeply repressed limiting beliefs or fears are sensing that we’re getting too close for comfort and they may put some added obstacles in our way. Whatever those are, we must face them before our journey is complete.
For me I plan to continue with the areas covered in the weeks of Step 1 (health, home, The Mandala Lady, and my purpose).
Here’s my journal entry for step 10 – week 2: Home
You know that saying “it’s darkest before the dawn”? Well, that’s my experience with my home right now. While I was making great strides over the last couple of months, I’m now experiencing a bit of a relapse…well, not “a bit”, it’s more like a lot. I can feel my defiance about “having to” always keep the kitchen (and other areas) clean/tidy…so I don’t. So much for the “I get to” mindset…it’s still a valid system, I just need it to have more oomph to overpower the “have to” mindset.
And my room? I get so close to it being “perfect” and then I let it go. It’s like that carnival attraction where you whack a sledge hammer onto the base to see if you can ring the bell at the top. I keep hitting the base but the “ringer” thing but it always seems to fall just shy of the bell…never quite enough to hit it, so it goes back down to the bottom again. Futility.
On the plus side though, the patio and dining areas are staying mostly together. Yes there’s more work to be done with both but the patio is presentable enough that we can sit out there and enjoy it. And the dining area is presentable enough that we can actually make use of it for short-term projects.
Also, the yard. We’ve hired someone to help us, 3 hours a week with our yard. Because of that we’ve seen progress with the rose section of our garden and the gravel pathway. Of late we’ve been concentrating our efforts in the front yard where the remnants of the labyrinth are. We’ve been clearing it away of overgrown weeds. I’ve also transplanted a large bunch of ivy geraniums around our three dogwoods. So that area is looking much better. I’m taking this week off from yardwork but plan to start back up again next week. I’d like to keep the momentum going while the weather is still favorable.
I’d still like to do a 30-challenge like I mentioned 2 months ago…it’s going to take some initiative on my part to make it happen. I would also still like to apply the Internal Family System with my home and yard in mind along with implementing the “I get to” mindset. We’ll see how all of that goes.
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 