Musings Archives < Arwen, Professional Joy Seeker

The Arwen Remodeling Project (2/12/2008)

Some may blink at the date above. I am republishing this from 2/12/2008. I have edited it ONLY to remove two memes. The rest stands exactly as it was offered in 2008 when I was on LiveJournal. It has passed the test of time. I still believe this. It’s a struggle to live this way. I fail. But when I succeed? Oh. Yeah. Baby. It’s like one of those mind-blowing orgasms where you know everything is perfect in your world.

————-From 2/12/2008————–

What is your truth? guaranteed to be not about BF! lol

Sharks, Joy & J. Campbell

Sharks, Joy & Joseph Campbell: what do they have in common?

Today I live in joy.

I was following sharks on Twitter (no really…see @MaryLeeShark and @Shark_Katherine) when I saw this quote.

Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy. – Joseph Campbell

It spoke beautifully to my own thoughts on this. Sorrow happens. Pain happens. I cannot control those things in my world.

I can control my reaction to it.

I can cry but still seek joy.
I can live with pain but still seek joy.

Is it a Pollyanna mentality? I’ve discussed that before (way back in 2011 in fact). What do you think?

What does it mean to you to live in joy?

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Three of Air, Gaian Tarot

Thanks for sharing.

Wrens + Bumps

I negotiate life’s bumps by screaming WHEEE as I fling my hands up in the air.

[Tweet ” I negotiate life’s bumps by screaming WHEEE as I fling my hands up in the air.”]

So today, our challenge was to write about fun and finding fun. Turns out that’s a hard subject for your joy seeker today.

This weekend has not been a grand one. Oh, I found joy, but I had to work at it. Hard. Then I get up this morning only to receive some more bad news. Not “someone is dying” bad news, but damned close to that for me.

I’m scrambling right now to find my happy. I know it’s here. I can generate a bit of it by watching birds at my feeder. A little wren scolded me as I filled the feeder. Seems he or she felt that I was lax in my duties. Apparently I should have the feeder hooked up to an auto dispenser. 😀

So what do you do to find joy when the least bad thing in your day is your A/C going out on a Texas summer day?

This photo is by my friend Julie Olsen. It’s of a dahlia from her own yard. I love the pink and yellow bloom. The way all those petals spread out? That’s joy right there. Thank you for letting me use your photo, Julie. It’s nearly as pretty as you are.

Today’s affirmation:

Joy finds me. I am healthy. I am creative. I negotiate life’s bumps by screaming WHEEE as I fling my hands up in the air. I am a joy-seeking missile meeting joy halfway. I breathe in love. I exhale joy. I am connected to the web. Loved and loving I love each of you. Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Dahlia, Julie Olsen 2014

Firm Trouble + Panic

Then comes the email from our editor that says, “Firm Trouble has a publish date of 8/22. Now while that is exciting, it also translates into a lot of work.

Today is a big day in the Arwen world. I just got word that book twelve will be out August 22.

Now while that is exciting, it also translates into a lot of work. Because writing the book is only half the battle. In fact, in some ways, writing the book is the easy part. Well, I can say that once the darn thing has been written, submitted, accepted, edited and put into the publish queue.

[Tweet “The email from our editor says, “Firm Trouble has a publish date of 8/22.” #amwriting”]

DEFCON 4!
Scramble the jets!
Call out GI JOE!
GO! GO! GO!

Ahem.

That’s pretty much my internal reaction. My external is less dramatic. I think.

Folks always ask me if I’m excited to write a book. Yes and no. It’s very fulfilling to be able to tell my stories (our stories, since I write with the world’s best writing partner, Cai. She also happens to be my life-long best friend.) I write as Marilu Mann

The real pay-off for me is when people read my book. I love reading reviews. Even the bad ones give me a charge because someone took the time to express their opinion. Okay, so sometimes I stick my tongue out at the bad reviews. Hey! I’m human.

So here’s a list of just my shifter series books. They are all available for Kindle, Nook, and PC as well as other reading devices.

1. Changing Times (Lusting Wild 1) Antique shop owner, Tony Pantera, falls for Dr. Carly Chambers. This sexy panther shifter resists his primal need for the human doctor, but a shifter war means he has to protect her.

2. Changing Hearts (Lusting Wild 2) Malcolm has abandoned his Pack. Joie finds an injured wolf in the swamp. Little does she know that her healing touch is going to have to soothe not only a wolf but also a man. When she finds out the man is a wolf, can she love both?

3. Changing Focus (Lusting Wild 3)Micah doesn’t want to be Alpha. He also doesn’t know what to do with the photojournalist at his Wisconsin lodge. There’s something different about Olivia. Can he convince her to embrace her wild side?

4. Changing Paths (Lusting Wild 4) Harmony returns to her Pack. She can’t answer the call of the moon but her daughter shows all the signs of being Moon-Called. When Gareth shows up, Harmony has to deal with her own hormones. The scarred handyman is everything she wants as well as everything she can’t have–a Moon-Called male.

You can see all the books available from Marilu Mann here. You can also visit our Amazon author page or find us at Goodreads. And thanks so much for taking the time to read, rate and review.

Today’s affirmation!

I am creative. I am whole in my self. I am beautiful, strong and kind. Compassion is my first reaction. Loved and loving, I love each of you. Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Firm Trouble, Marilu Mann, created by Ellora’s Cave art department

Blow It Away

Blow it away. Sounds easy, right? Simple? Or maybe simplistic. Maybe ridiculous.

[Tweet “Blow it away. Sounds easy, right? Simple? Or maybe simplistic. Maybe ridiculous.”]

Blow it away. Sounds easy, right? Simple? Or maybe simplistic. Maybe ridiculous.

Bear with me. I want you to try something. If you have a dandelion handy, fabulous. If not, use your imagination, darling.

Look at the dandelion. See all those little seeds ready to take off at a moment’s notice? What if each one of them was a game changer? A fate changer? A reality changer?

What if you blew into that center of seeds while making, not a wish, but a statement of purpose. A statement that defined your own desires to create space for joy in your life–whatever that joy might look like?

See, dandelions are weeds. Those seeds represent so many weeds. But change your perspective. Change your point of view. Change your attitude.

See them as the happy yellow flowers they will become. See them as the green leaves that can be used for medicine. See them as the white puffballs children delight in blowing away.

Blow it away. Change your fate.
Blow it away. Create space for joy.

Seek joy, y’all! Pass it on.

Dandelion MeMe, Arwen Lynch, 2014
Original Image Purchased From Art of Crafts Designs

The Joy Challenge: Day Six

Life really can be a bowl of cherries but you do have to work to push the pits out!

It’s Saturday so it is day six of the Joy Challenge. Are you still in the game? Still talking to yourself in the mirror? Still opening up to being a joy magnet?

Let me here from you! Tell me one small joy that has happened this week. Right now, mine is watching a tiny sparrow bravely push itself into the crowd of larger birds at my feeder. Such a brave little thing!

All together now! Head up, chin out!

“I am a joy seeker. Joy finds me. I am a joy magnet.”

[Tweet “Life really can be a bowl of cherries but you do have to work to push the pits out!”]

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Cherries, Stephanie Arwen Lynch, July 2014

P. to the S. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the monthly ‘scopes are once again delayed. I’m working to get them out today but it may be tomorrow. 😀

The Joy Challenge: Day Five

Wait. Day five of the joy challenge includes yelling at your mother???

Day five is here. It’s a bit grey here in Texas, but OH the temperature. I haven’t seen 70 in the morning in ages. It’s bringing me a lot of joy right now.

Have you looked yourself in the mirror yet to say this, “I am a joy seeker. Joy finds me. I am a joy magnet.” ??

I did…sort of. I looked myself in my reflection in the laptop screen. Hey! That counts.

Tell me some little joys that have come to you. One of mine was a pair of house wrens on my back porch. One of them wanted to make a nest in the can holder on my camp chair. The other one was obviously not impressed. I laughed at their antics.

You?

Oh! Today is Tarot Blog Hop day so the monthly Tarotscopes will be up tomorrow.

Oh SHUT UP Mom! is my discussion on the Queen of Pentacles. It includes an original spread.

[Tweet “Wait. Day five of the joy challenge includes yelling at your mother???”]

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Joy Mum White, Stephanie Arwen Lynch-Poe, 2014

The Joy Challenge: Day Four

When she hadn’t arrived by ten after, I began to get a bit annoyed. I mean, she’s just not the type of person to show up late without calling.

Today is Thursday so it’s day four of the seven day Joy Challenge. How are you doing? Are you finding small joys as well as large?

This Tuesday I had a situation that could have been a real source of irritation. I had plans to meet with a friend. We were going to have our own little tea and Tarot session.

So I showed up at the coffeehouse at 1 on the nose. When she hadn’t arrived by ten after, I began to get a bit annoyed. I mean, she’s just not the type of person to show up late without calling. And she’d texted me “see you soon” when I said I was looking forward to meeting her.

So where the hell was she? Wasn’t this our day for tea and Tarot?

Then it hit me. I’d suggested two places. She’d said sure to one of them.

Ahem. Not to the one I was at unfortunately. So I texted her that I would be right there as I hurriedly slurped my gazpacho and downed my coffee. Thank goodness I’d gotten it iced. 😀

When I got to where she was, I announced that it was a great day since I’d gotten to have time at BOTH my favorite places. LOL

So I chose to be happy for that rather than miffed at myself for being in the wrong place.

What have you chosen this week? Joy over miffed I hope.

Have you done your affirmation today? Remember! Look yourself in the eye in the mirror as you say, “I am a joy seeker. Joy finds me. I am a joy magnet.”

Seek joy, y’all.

Joy Chrysanthemum, Arwen Lynch, 2014

The Joy Challenge: Day Two

It’s day two of the joy challenge.

It’s day two of our week-long Joy Seeking challenge. It may still feel a bit silly to face yourself in the mirror, but do it anyway. You can do it in the morning, the afternoon, at night–it doesn’t matter when as long as you do it at least once a day.

Try singing it to yourself. I’m not much of a singer but I love to make up tunes.

Here is a quote from Charlotte Joko Beck. I took a snapshot of a page from “A Year of Living Mindfully” by Richard Fields. It’s a book that sits in my therapist’s waiting room.

Therapist? Did I just admit to seeing a therapist?

You ding-dang-dong betcha I did. I see here about once a month now. Used to be once a week and we’ve gradually shoved the times back a bit. I highly recommend it if you can find the right therapist for you.

One of the things I’ve learned with her is how to be more present and be more accepting of what is. So for today, just practice letting things be as they are.

And say to yourself in the mirror, “I am a joy seeker. Joy finds me. I am a joy magnet.”

[Tweet “Seek Joy, y’all. Pass it on!”]

The Beck quote is from “A Year of Living Mindfully” which is a lovely little book. I hope you investigate it.

The Joy Challenge: Day One

The Joy Challenge is here. Day one!

Yesterday I challenged us to all do a mirror affirmation together for one week. What is a mirror affirmation? Well, it’s simple. You look at yourself in the mirror each day. Do this first thing after getting up.

State the following out loud. You can laugh. You can giggle. You can feel a bit awkward. It’s okay. Just do this at least once a day for seven days.

“I am a joy seeker. Joy finds me. I am a joy magnet.”

Feel free to comment here. Did you feel silly? Did you worry someone might hear? Did you do it?

We are on a mission to become professional joy seekers. This is week one. Do invite others to join you too.

Joy Leaf, 2014, Stephanie Arwen Lynch

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.