Welcome to the New Joyful Life Blog
The Third Time’s the Charm
Which would you rather believe: "The third time's the charm" or "Three strikes and you're out"? I prefer to focus on possibilities of success, rather than failure. Still, it can be daunting to accept two failed marriages and then be willing to take on a third, hoping...
My Daughter Died of Cancer
My 35-year-old daughter found out in early December 2017 that she had terminal cancer. She has a loving husband and two adorable stepchildren, now ages 10 and 12. She was given one year to live, WITH aggressive chemo. She started that on January 3, 2018. She beat the...
A New House!
Getting a new house is exciting, fun, and, well, challenging! Even when a home is move-in ready, there is all the bustle of packing, unpacking and finding places to put familiar things in unfamiliar places. When the home is NOT move-in ready, that adds another...
Sending the Right Message
Jay and I want success for our upcoming marriage! We appreciate all of the tools and attitude adjustments possible to help us make our adventure together into matrimony one that is joyous throughout our lifetime. We each want to do our part to be accountable for what...
Marital Discrimination
Recently I sat in a small class and the instructor said something disturbing. She said that her organization would not have leaders teaching marriage who "weren't capable" of sustaining a successful marriage. Meaning no divorced people? Immediately red flags went up...
Stuck in Oz
Dorothy was so eager to get home! All she could think about in Oz was getting home to Kansas. While she appreciated the friends and support she found in Oz, her heart was set only on going home. "There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place...
Energy Work Rocks!!!
I Love Energy Work! Recently I hired an energy coach. Just this week she helped me to release issues that still triggered upset feelings from when I was fifteen: the year I crashed on my bike, was humiliated in front of my friends that I lived with when my family...
Forgiving Father
My dad is seventy-six years old. He currently resides in a rehabilitation center, where he's been regaining strength in his arms and legs to hopefully live on his own again. This week the staff there informed us that living on his own is not a viable option for him,...
MY CHILD HAS A TUMOR
Today my daughter gets a biopsy done on a tumor. How does a parent deal with something like this? It isn't the first time she had a tumor, either. A benign tumor in the same spot was successfully removed seven years ago. It peeled miraculously off the nerve to her...
Following My Dreams
Do you ever have dreams? Day dreams? Night dreams? Do they ever come true? I want to share a few of my dreams with you. I'll start with night dreams, and then day dreams. Night Dreams that came true On March 8, 2014, I lived alone in an apartment, and woke from a...
Where Do You Turn for Healing?
Where do you turn for healing? In the last post I mentioned that psychotherapy and personal development helped heal my mind and heart. What about physical dis-ease? Western medicine can’t be beat for putting people back together after an auto accident or a fall, being...
Why I Pursue Personal Development
Why do I pursue Personal Development courses, books, seminars? Why invest the time and money? How do they help me fulfill my mission here on earth? I, like Nephi, “was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father” (1 Nephi 1:1), and then learned in high school...
CONTINUALLY LEARN AND DEVELOP
(Continued from THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUAL LEARNING) God tells us to study things in addition to the scriptures. In Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) Section 90:15, He states: “And...study and learn, and become acquainted with all good books, and with languages,...
The Importance of Continual Learning
NOTE: This is the first of a four-part series answering a question posed to me by a friend. He and I are both members of The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints (LDS), so answers come from scriptures and other LDS sources as noted or linked. Scriptures can be...
Volunteer!
Are you looking for a way to fit in, to feel needed, to make a difference? VOLUNTEER! One of the fastest ways to find like-minded friends is to join a cause you feel strongly about. Use your talents to make the world a better place, and find self respect and self...
Find a Talent!
Are you searching for ways to feel better about yourself? One thing that builds self-esteem is to find a talent! Music is one of my talents. Beginning notes turned into beautiful melodies. I didn’t always enjoy practice, but enjoyed playing songs. Despite no money for...
Healthy Food for Health
Do you connect eating healthy food with feeling good? Healthy eating habits make a big difference in how we feel about ourselves, physically and emotionally. Not only how we look, but mental and physical health. Have you ever pigged out on something you knew wasn't...
Meditation for Healing the Inner Child
Are you looking to feel more peace, less stress, and more self-confidence? Healing meditation may be just the thing to regain balance in thoughts and emotions. This is an imagery meditation for healing the inner child. First, choose a peaceful place where you can be...
Self Esteem Building Activities for Former Victims of Child Domestic Abuse
Are you a former victim of child domestic abuse? Do you struggle to feel good about yourself as an adult? Perhaps you hear voices in your head of names you were called, or discouraging experiences replay in your mind. How can you get past all that to feel good about...
How do you undo verbal child abuse?
Do you feel anxious or depressed? Were you verbally abused as a child? Do negative labels or false ideas about yourself or your abilities limit you? How do you undo verbal child abuse? Long after a person says cruel, untrue things, the effects can live on in our...
Recovering from Emotional Child Abuse
Did you experience emotional child abuse when you were growing up? Do you carry scars from that which affect you today? Do you worry that you are not “normal” because of what you witnessed or experienced? As children, we often internalize guilt for what goes on around...