Exhale

I’ve made it a point not to watch those home video-type shows where an audience is laughing at other people’s pain. You know the type: someone goes plummeting down some stairs on a bike, slams into something and flips over their handlebars; or some unsuspecting man gets hit in his private area by a bat-swinging kid. Something just seems very wrong about laughing at their pain, so I usually don’t join in.

Perhaps this doesn’t apply to you and your perfect life, but metaphorically speaking, those videos remind me too much of my own life! If I rewind the video of my journey on this earth thus far, there are scores of things I could’ve, should’ve and would’ve done differently to avoid past trips, stumbles and downright crashes!

Do you remember your first box of ginormous crayons?

The excitement you felt as you clinched the crayon in your fist and scribbled out of the lines. The thrill of watching your parents feature your art on the refrigerator under a magnet. Each year you graduated to thinner crayons and more colors from which to choose. Who would have guessed that those very crayons would be the tools to empower you to create the person that you desire to be?

Become a member of the Joy Club. The benefits are life changing. Enrollment is open to all and acceptance is automatic. Simply, decide to pursue peace of mind. Living a joyful life is not based on situations, circumstances, or emotions. You are in control of how things, good or not so good, affect you. The art of joyful living requires that you:

As a ghostwriter of many years, I’ve assisted numerous book authors who have overcome grief, despair and other challenges in the most graceful and admirable ways. Their published stories proved more therapeutic for themselves than perhaps they ever imagined.

I began asking myself, are these authors really any stronger than the next person sitting at home alone waddling in a personal storm? No, but I do believe they have discovered a valuable key to winning in life that anyone can adopt. They’ve learned that an amazing connection occurs between the heart and the mind when a person journals. That connection taps into a spiritual strength that transcends them to a level far above their problems or issues. On that level, there is resolve without regret; there is joy unspeakable; and there is wisdom beyond measure.