JOYmail October 2016

Pumpkins Anyone?

We’ve had warm weather and lots of pumpkins in Chicagoland this month. (And it’s good baseball weather. Just saying. As I write this, no goats in sight.)

The leaves are turning, evenings are cool, and each day sundown comes sooner. I love autumn.

It’s been fun to watch the younger children scamper about the pumpkin patch marveling at the hundreds of pumpkins and their many different shapes and sizes. Slowly my freezer fills with ziplock bags of cooked pumpkin that will be used this winter in soups, stews and pies.

What a pleasure it is to savor these golden days of autumn.

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January Retreat

Plans are in the works for a Saturday mini-retreat in the Chicago area this coming January. Details to follow next month!

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Turtle Steps to More Joy

Living with more joy is about small steps. Turtles steadily achieve their goals one small step at a time. Small steps can lead to big results. You are invited to make small changes one month at a time, one turtle step at a time. The journey is about living with more joy.

Here is the Turtle Step for this month:

Take the 30 day Acts of Kindness Challenge. Each day perform an act of kindness. Here are some ideas:

Bring in treats for co-workers
Visit someone who is homebound
Make a charitable donation
Express appreciation to a family member
Volunteer for a good cause
Pay a simple but sincere compliment
Send a greeting card

You might wish to notate your daily act on a calendar. Notice how many different people you were able to touch with kindness.

Acts of kindness originate from a place of joy. When we perform acts of kindness, joy becomes a verb.

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Joy Find

Joyful Reader Maryna shared a couple of her joys:

"One of the things that brings me the most joy every day is my morning journaling practice. It includes burning bright beautiful candles and enjoying my little Buddhas with their smiling laughing postures while I savor my early morning coffee."

"My Joy Boxes. I bought these beautiful boxes to store all sorts of goodies in the interest of pleasing and organized closets. They make me smile every time I see them."

Thanks, Maryna, for sharing. And now, Joy Nation, where do you find joy?

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Reflections among the Pumpkins

Have you noticed that pumpkins and October go hand in hand? Piles of pumpkins add so much beauty to this time of year.

Recently, I was helping out at a pumpkin patch. It was a slow afternoon with very few customers. It was just me and several hundred future jack-o-lanterns.

With nothing else to do, I got curious, pulled out my phone and googled “pumpkins.

I learned a few things...