JOY JOURNEY – ‘Who am I?’ e-let by

Vanda North

Welcome to the start of the MOST exciting, enjoyable and amazing journey of your life….YOUR Joy Journey!! Being able to share some of these ideas with you is one of MY Joy Journey dreams come true. It is my ardent hope that they will give you some CHOICES in your life, so that you will be able to put more Joy into your own life, and, pass it on to others as well! To start off, a special friend asked me a very good question, “What IS Joy?” So, how would YOU define it? For me it is celebrating living each morning, it is having a lightness of spirit, a spring in the step and a happiness bubble inside me. It is a life with a chosen purpose, a life that humbles and awes me with its beauty and abundance. It is a life I have consciously chosen. And it is an infectious state! By the way the dictionary says, ‘Joy is a vivid emotion of pleasure; extreme gladness; to rejoice’ – that’s good as well! If you wish to add Joy into your life for yourself and others then try out some of these suggestions as the first step of your Joy Journey. The intent of Joy Journey is to be an easy, inviting and practical way for you to increase the Joy Quotient in your life. It’s also to have spiritual thoughts or concepts with what I call, ‘boots on’ so you can wear and use them every day.

Joy Journey is about letting you make a conscious choice to think - as I call it – “realistically positively”, that means to assess the situation and to work from the positive part, no matter how small, to push to increase that, finding the energy in it to overcome the negative aspects. For you to choose to change a life that maybe “Ho hum” or even quite awful to one filled with peace, zest, contentment, happiness, purity, love, fulfilment and unadulterated blissful joys!! Joy Journey is to be applied to ‘real life’ situations, the problems you face, the every day niggles and challenges, from small to large. It’s to present you with a smorgasbord of ideas, insights and inspiration. Some may suit now, some you may need later, return as often as you wish as every time you listen again, you will gain a new level of insights, as it is a new you listening, and I know you’ve heard the expression, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” so you will hear what you need! You may wonder why am I doing this? Well, my story began when I was seven years old and walking one lovely English summers day, along a leaf covered, sun dappled country road. I suddenly had a ‘knowing’ that my reason for being on this planet was to be a “Joy Bringer and Enhancer” – to assist people to remember that Joy is a natural part of their lives. That was it! No bells ringing! No instructions as to how to do it. I just knew that was what I could choose to do. As I grew older I began to look at what would make that happen; I researched, observed, experimented and explored until today – nearly 50 years later – I joyfully present my findings to you, with the enthusiastic hope that they do help you to bring Joy into Your Journey!

There are six topics in the full Joy Journey, they are: Who am I? Why am I here? Change Choice Gifts! Joy! This e-let gives you the first topic, for more information or to receive the full “Joy Journey” audio series, please email info@BuzanCentres.com or visit www.BuzanCentres.com for our on-line shopping catalogue. “WHO AM I?” Joy Journey Questionnaire: This marks the start of your Journey! You have to know where you began, so you can choose where you want to go, and see where and when you get there! For each of these questions reflect for only a moment and mark the square that feels right for you, now. The scale is for 0 to be a low score, or a “no” reply and up to 10 being the highest score or a “yes”! For example, the first question: How Joy-filled are you? Reflect and fill in a box, say under the number 6 column, meaning that you are reasonably Joy-filled, but there is room for improvement. Now complete all the questions. Put the date of your first response in the colour pen you have used. You can return to this Joy Questionnaire during and after the stages of your Joy Journey so you may monitor your progress! Use a different colour pen each time you re-do the Joy Journey Questionnaire, and note the date (and changes) of the future responses.

JOY JOURNEY QUESTIONNAIRE ??s

(SCALE: 0 = LOWEST and 10 =HIGHEST)

Scale

Questions 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1. How Joy-filled are you? 2. How Joy-filled would you LIKE to be? 3. How content are you? 4. Do you have a vision for you life? 5. If yes, are you making it a reality? 6. Do you know your purpose on this planet? 7. If yes, are being / doing it? 8. How positive a person are you?9. How negative a person are you?

(0 = highly negative; 10 = not negative)

10. Do you feel the World is a better place because you are here? (0=no – 10=yes)

11. Do you think you make a difference? 12. How creative do you feel? 13. How much fear do you feel?

(0 = constant fear; 10 = appropriate fear)

14. How stressed are you? (0 = very stressed; 10 = appropriate stress)

15. How loving are you? 16. How loved do you feel? 17. How much fun do you have? 18. How much energy do you have? 19. How healthy are you? 20. How supported are you? Date: __________________ Date: ____________________ Date: _________________ Date: ________________ © vn 2002

So, who ARE you? Think about what you would say if you had to introduce yourself to a ‘pen pal’ - observe how people introduce or explain who they are – notice how people define their role on this planet. Below is a sketch of an egg about to hatch, it is in the centre of the page with lines coming off it. This is the first stage of a Mind Map® - a brilliant process created by Tony Buzan – it enables you, with ease, to gather your thoughts together. I call this first stage a “BrainBloom” as you let your thoughts “bloom” around a topic. In this case the topic is “I am…” Keep returning to that starting statement and put a different response on each line. For example, if I were to complete it today, I might use: “I am…female; then on another line..travelling: on another line…..happy; …ambitious; …healthy; ….persistent; …creator; …playful; ….friendly; …daughter. Now you fill it in for your self. It may well reflect how you feel today, and that is fine.

IAM......

What did you use to say who you are? Did you speak of your appearance? Such an age; this sex; so high and heavy; This colour of eyes; hair; skin; Your personality and character; Or culture and country. Did you mention your roles in life? A friend with this quality; In the family, a daughter; a father; an aunt; a brother. What about your training? Which school(s) you attended; What college / university you did (did not) graduate from; What apprenticeships: or on-the-job training. Finally, what about your activities? Your hobbies; your faith; Your job or profession; Where and how you live; How you spend your time. Or anything else??? All these ways we have to explain who we are – can change! So it is not really US, as “we” somehow continue, even though the colour of the hair may have changed, you may no longer be a daughter or wife, you may have a different job, or a new hobby. So, the question remains….WHO ARE YOU??

Next take a “Now” snapshot: Imagine that there is a very special camera that can take a snapshot of your whole life as it is “now”. A special slice of the life of ___________ you!. The “NOW” snapshot has grown into a full Mind Map template. The difference from the BrainBloom being that there are ‘chapter headings’ closest to the central image, so that your thoughts are sorted, and categorised. Start by filling in your name on the line in the centre, above “NOW”. Go ahead and write a key word about the topic on the empty line provided, if there is something that doesn’t fit the categories, add it on to the “other” branch. (If you want to draw an image as well as, or instead of a word, that is super!) Take a few minutes to consider how that snapshot would look, paint the home; hobbies; appearance; friends; history; family; feelings; health and work (plus any other aspect not mentioned). Collect it all on this one special “Now” snapshot.

HOME

WORK

FRIENDS

FAMILY

HOBBIES

HEALTH

APPEARANCE

FEEL

HISTORY

OTHER

__________NOW

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Now think about how your ‘slice of life’ would have looked if you had done this activity three years ago? What things have changed? Disappeared? Added? Focus shifted? Was it very different from now? “NOW” – three years ago:

HOME

WORK

FRIENDS

FAMILY

HOBBIES

HEALTH

APPEARANCE

FEEL

HISTORY

OTHER

__________NOW

. .

And how might it be 10 years into your future??!! How old will you be? Where will you live? Who will be with you? What work are you doing? (or not!!?) What family members will have arrived or departed? How will you look? How is your health? What will your hobbies be? What are your feelings? “NOW” – ten years in the future:

HOME

WORK

FRIENDS

FAMILY

HOBBIES

HEALTH

APPEARANCE

FEEL

HISTORY

OTHER

__________NOW

. .

When you ‘look’ from snapshot to snapshot, the past to the future, you realise that appearance; roles; feelings and activities all change. Just the same way you put on and take off your clothes, or try something on, wear it for a while and decide ‘No, thank you!” So, all these things are not really YOU, as YOU stay somewhere in the middle of all this, but this is NOT YOU!! So the big question remains, “Who am I”????

What is under all these roles and activities? What is MORE that the labels? (Which, by the way, in many ways limit us, and we live DOWN to the label, for example, “I am just a housewife!” “I am only a teacher”). What is the one constant, that continues throughout all the other, surface activity? Who is the ‘driver’? Who holds the reins? Who is in control? It is interesting that an answer is right before us, and we say it many times every day – however, may not have stopped to think about it. Most of what we have used to explain who we are, are our “doings” – yet we are called ‘human BE-ings’ NOT human DO-ings!!! So what and where is our BE-ingness? Consider that it could be your soul (you may prefer the term spirit, your God spark or any other name you choose). Try on the thought that it is YOU* the soul, that is the constant. YOU* - (the soul) – HAS a body…..it is how you express and partake on this planet. YOU* the soul – has feelings…….. but YOU* are NOT those feelings, they may come and go. YOU* the soul – has roles that you play at times in your life, however, YOU* are not those roles. YOU* are at the heart of all. YOU* are the constant. YOU* are in charge of all feelings and responses. YOU* are the driver. YOU* sit in the forehead, using the body costume, to see, hear and respond to other human BE-ings. Now this is a simple concept to say, however the important question is, “Does it make my life better?” and “Does it bring me increased Joy?” Try on the thought of YOU* - the soul, and see how it can assist you in your everyday activities.

“The Difference” So now consider what would be the: Advantages; dis-advantages and interesting aspects to living life as if YOU* are a SOUL, rather that a ROLE?! What things would be easier if you responded as a soul? What problems diminished? What would happen if you responded from YOU* the soul, rather than the ego part of you? What are the dis-advantages if YOU* are a soul? And what aspects are neither really negative nor positive, but just interesting? Next you will see a Mind Map with “ADVANTAGES” and then a lot of lines (you may notice that there are many more lines here than on the other two branches, that is because when this activity is done in workshops, people always give MANY more advantages than DIS-advantages!). Then another branch with “DIS-ADVANTAGES” to explore what the DIS-advantages to being a soul may be and finally a third branch of “INTERESTING” this captures any remaining thoughts that are neither advantages or disadvantages, but just interesting!. Please consider each branch deeply before moving on to the next one.

DIS-ADVANTAGES

INTERESTING!!

ADVANTAGES

The DIFFERENCE

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Another thought is that YOU* could be eternal, the costume and roles may change (or not), yet YOU* remain… however, if eternity is not a comfortable thought for you, then at least you can rest in knowing there is ONE constant throughout your whole life, and that is YOU* the soul. I’ll tell you a story of how this belief of YOU* the soul helped a friend of mine who had a very rare type of brain tumour. It was well developed, with only a few operations on such a tumour performed in a year – and even fewer successes! She told me of the moment when she was lying in the room, just before going in to the operation. Several others were also waiting in the same room. She said that all the others were so afraid, she wished that she could tell them what she knew – they are souls, and the operation they were doing was to their costumes, like mending a tear in a shirt – they were fine! She said she had such calmness and peace; what ever happened to her body costume, she knew that she would be unaffected. As it was her costume did have a difficult time, however, her strength of spirit and maybe her detachment from an outcome, meant that today she has 98% recovered. Her biggest delight is in knowing the power and peace that comes from knowing YOU* are a soul. This may appear very simple, and in many ways it IS! However, it is also amazingly profound when you are really able to put it into your life. You may find that you “Get it” in layers, something will happen, and you say “AHHH! NOW, I get it!” and maybe a month or a year later something else happens, and you say, “HMMM, now I REALLY get it!” and that may happen several times – it is still delightfully happening to me, richer and richer; simpler and simpler.

Remember always, that we are looking for ways for you to put greater JOY in your life….. So ask yourself, “Does it do it??” Does choosing to think of yourself as a soul bring you more Joy? For the next week, take time to observe how people respond to different situations and other people, and what difference it would have made if you or they were to have acted from the SOUL instead of the ROLE? Try it on!! Be a soul for today!!