30 Days of Joy

Since the beginning of this blog, I have been thinking about what it should be when it grows up.  While writing is very fulfilling for me, I want Joy2Day to have meaning and help bring joy to others.  It's always an interesting process of determining what I should write about each time.  I keep a running list as ideas occur to me, but I usually write about what's uppermost in my mind and/or life at the time.  Thinking about the future of Joy2Day has been an intriguing exercise.

A friend who read my blog suggested that I might want to check out The Joy Project which was created by Amanda Gore.  You may want to visit The Joy Project's website sometime.  It is very interesting, and I found many common interests.  The Joy Project encourages everyone to find joy in their lives so that they can change their lives for the better.  People are invited to become part of the joy movement and join a joy tribe.  I thought that this was very much along the lines of what I was thinking about; but then I discovered 2 fundamental differences.

The first difference is that The Joy Project is founded on principles in the Gospel of Joy.  I believe very strongly in spirituality, but I felt that this was too close to Christianity for what I was intending with Joy2Day.  I have too many friends who have been hurt by organized religion, and there is too much going on in our world that ostracizes people based on a particular religious position.  Please don't misunderstand.  I belong to a Christian church.  My brother is a Lutheran pastor.  I think that The Joy Project is a wonderful endeavor.  In fact, I would encourage you to check it out.  It may be a great fit for you.  It is just not what I am striving for in Joy2Day.

The second difference is that The Joy Project is internally focused to help people find joy in their lives.  That is wonderful, but I don't think it goes far enough.  This is what has intrigued me in my struggle to develop an identity for Joy2Day.  I feel very strongly that we need to find joy and then share it with others!  If you are struggling to find joy in your life, The Joy Project is probably a great program for you.  If you are wanting to spread joy to others, I'd like you to join my journey.  

Facebook has been a wonderful experience for me!  I have found so many giving, loving, caring, joyful friends who provide support to each other as we encounter life's difficult times that are inevitable.  It has been incredible to watch as people who have never met reach out to their Facebook friends in times of need.  Why not try to encourage this?  What if everyone reached out to just one person every day that they went on Facebook in order to tell a positive story, send a hug, share a picture, provide encouragement?  Many of us do that a lot already.  I have one friend who sends wonderful pictures with inspirational or funny sayings every single day.  She makes me laugh and sometimes touches me in ways that make me cry.  She is a constant source of joy.  Why not join her in being purposeful about this?

I want to encourage all of you to join this effort.  I think of this as creating Circles of Joy.  Think of yourself as a drop of water.  Your reaching out to someone to spread joy today is like a drop of water in a still pond.  You create a ripple which gets bigger and has a far reaching impact on that still pond.  These ripples, Circles of Joy, can touch a lot of people.  You don't have to post on Facebook more often; you just have to pick one person each day that you post something and do something that spreads joy to them .  We could be a Circle of Joy made up of friends who make a conscious effort to share our joy with each other.  I think that this can be very empowering for those who are starting a new venture; supportive for those who are struggling with a loss in their family; encouraging for those who are trying to solve one of life's many dilemmas.  Just think what we could accomplish!

In an endeavor to get this started, I am going to try to blog every day in June: 30 Days of Joy.  I am going to try to share different examples of joy each day.  I am also going to go on Facebook each day, pick at least one friend to share some joy with in an effort to start my own Circle of Joy.  If this interests you, join me in spreading joy to others, and be sure to check into Joy2Day every day for new ideas for finding and spreading joy.  Better yet: become a member so you don't miss any posts.  I'd love to hear from you!  Let me know what you think by leaving a comment.  And don't forget to take care of yourself.  In other words...

Have you found your joy today?