A Journey Into Joy
Step 11 — Week 2: The Final Exam
Step 11 The Final Exam Now comes the true climax of the journey…the final test, when everything is at stake: the final chance for “evil” (fears, limiting beliefs, etc) to triumph. We are also at the peak of our powers. Joy is within sight…should we succeed. We must draw on everything we have learned and prove once and for all that we have truly internalized the lessons of our quest.
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 11 – week 2: Home
Slow and steady seems to be the best approach…making progress in baby steps seems to work better for us. For instance while Gerry was away for a few days, I adopted a mindset that the kitchen sink (both sides) would be as empty as possible…preferably, completely empty. Thankfully, he’s going along with it. So far we’re able to maintain it.
The spiral/labyrinth is also moving along slowly but surely. With help, we managed to put down around 500 sq ft of yard fabric. I’ve since put brick all around the outer edge and the center lavender plant. I’ve added the cement cylinders and created these wooden wraparounds for the nine “mounds”…made from 1’ cedar planks that Gerry cut for me. They’re temporarily in place…I have to level the ground a bit before I can officially put them into place.
I’ve made some adjustments in my room so that I can more readily switch from working on top of my bed with a bed table to recording video and doing zoom sessions on my high-top table. Both spaces are much easier to maintain, making them more time efficient.
Essentially, the basic plan is to accept that making changes and adhering to them is going to be a slow and steady process…I can live with that.
I still want to incorporate 30-day challenges…maybe that’s something we can set up for 2025. And I still want to apply the Internal Family System with regards to my home and yard along with implementing the “I get to” mindset as a way to inspire all of these changes.
That’s it for now,
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
🌟 bringing peace 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 