A Journey Into Joy
Step 12 — Week 2: Home
Step 12 Home We return home before continuing onto the next journey, bearing the treasure that has the power to transform the world as we have been transformed. We are not the same as we were when we began this journey 12 months ago. It’s time to embrace it, celebrate it, and acknowledge how much we’ve grown…bringing us that much closer on our quest into Joy.
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 12 – week 2: Home
Miracles of miracles, we’ve been able to maintain a mostly empty sink in the kitchen for over a month now. The table top in the main room stays clear unless one of us is working on a short-term project. Right now I’ve taken over the space, prepping my papers for the 2025 Mandalas of the Day. As soon as I’m finished, though, the table will be clear again!
Just today I asked Gerry if he’s open to doing 30-day challenges as it relates to organizing and decluttering our home. I’ve asked him to select the areas we’re to work on each month…hopefully it will give him more ownership in the process. Personally, I don’t care what areas we work on each month, just as long as we’re doing something.
The spiral/labyrinth has been in limbo due to weather. I finished the wooden wraparounds so now it’s ready for gravel. Just today, Gerry let me know that I can use the gravel that was intended for the backyard walkway…which means I can move forward with this project. I’m thrilled! Now we just have to wait for some decent weather.
The changes I made in my room last month are working out beautifully. I’ve since purchased a lab stool which takes up a lot less floor space than my other stool AND I can fit this new one under the high top table…giving me even more floor space. However, I still need to come up with a better system of putting things away. Mostly what I need to do is…take the time to do it!
I’m optimistic about our slow and steady decluttering, organizing, and maintenance of our home as we head into 2025. My goal by next December is to have systems in place that will help us to continually bless our home.
That’s it for now,
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
🏵️ creating mandalas — awakening inner harmony
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 