Beauty, Joy and all Good Things: Journey with Me
With a new year, or even a new day, let’s start off with beauty, joy and all good things.
Things have been rough, whether we are talking about the year 2020, last month or even just yesterday. Positive affirmations are popular for a reason, because we need them. We need positivity to help combat depression, loss, marital issues or just a general rough time.
I am doing my best to bring more joy into my life. Sometimes, I wake up just feeling ‘bleh’ and it pulls me down all day long. So, I’m hoping that a positive focus will help me get closer to that being more regular and less rare.
Part of my working on that area, is reading again. There was a time when I devoured books. I was constantly reading something and I loved it. As I got older, busier and life got crazier (narcolepsy did not help), I read less and less. So, this year that is changing. I’ve even found a reading challenge that I intend to work toward this year. I’ll post about it later, so be sure and check back.
In the meantime, let me tell you why this book is on my list (and night stand).
The Ravenous Gown & 14 More Tales about Real Beauty
This book is full of 15 short stories about real beauty. We all know that isn’t what is seen on the outside. It’s inspiring to be reminded that inner strength and intelligence is, indeed, true beauty. The fact that it is broken up, makes me think that it will be easier for me to get through on busy days. I’ll be able to read a short story a day, right?
The Description:
In a day when princesses have been boiled down to beautiful ball gowns comes a new kind of fairy tale.
Fall under the spell of a “Once upon a time . . . ” where beauty is bigger than a reflection, where wisdom makes girls extraordinary, and where curses are broken through the strength and character of unlikely heroines.
A magnificent collection of short stories written in fairy tale prose The Ravenous Gown captures the essence of a stronger, smarter princess–the kind that actually lives happily ever after.
How I Find These Things on the Worst Days
Every day I force myself to find something that brings me even the tiniest piece of joy. Some days, I don’t feel it but I know that it’s there. Those days, I have to seek out a lot of things until it works. That’s one of the things I loved about the book above, not relevant at the moment, but true.
Persistence is key, apparently.
I have a dear friend who is very good at seeing the positive things in all situations. For example, when our house was destroyed by a sewage leak, his response was “well, you get an almost new house!” Seriously, who has that response? To be honest though, it was a perspective reminder that I needed, I also required occasional reminders.
Positivity isn’t always easy, but with persistence it sinks in eventually. Even when we don’t want to admit it, deep down it helps a little.
What brings you joy? Where do you find beauty?
Journey with me, maybe we can all make life a little better for each other. Feel free to comment, reach out on social media or wherever and we can journey together.
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I find joy in my pets.
I see beauty in peoples personality and their eyes.
That is awesome! I always love meeting people that see that beauty everywhere, it brings out so much beauty in them as well! There was a time, before I got narcolepsy and we lost our baby, that I was like that. My goal this year is to get closer to being back there again.
love the giveaways but I am currently living out of the US.. I bet many will join your Giveaways and enjoy it! Cheers from #OMHGWW
Thanks for entering and sharing anyway! If you are on a military base, those count as ‘in the US’. I don’t think you are, but just in case! Thanks for visiting and commenting!
nature brings me joy. i get out and walk every morning and it puts me in a good headspace.
I have found joy by working in our little garden and sharing our produce with our neighbors!
Nature, animals, and babies! I love so much though 🙂
Seeing animals is something that makes me happy, they are good at making people smile!
I find happiness in knowing that there is a loving God that loves us, protects us, and is always there for us!!
My family makes me so happy 😍
Being at the beach has always brought joy to me & my husband. So, this past year we sold our house & moved to the beach…so every day here brings me joy now! Walking on the beach, taking in all the beauty the shore has to offer and sitting on our balcony reading bring me so much happiness & peace!
That is absolutely awesome! My husband and I have been wanting to visit the beach since we got married almost 14 years ago and still haven’t made it! With all that’s happened though, we’ve decided when this virus mess is over we will be going for sure. No more excuses, life is too short.
Happy people bring me joy!
I like scrolling through the cat and kitten posts on Instagram. That makes me happy.
Reading brings me much joy! I find beauty in any day that my son is seizure free. He averages 3 to 4 a week.
I love that! I hope that he has many seizure free days ahead and one day, no more at all!
I find joy in the a quiet day with a book and cup of coffee.
My two grandchildren bring me so much joy. Seeing things through their eyes just creates positivity. Happy New Year!
Aww! Babies are the best! I love their purity.
My family brings me joy. Cooking and baking also brings me joy.
I love taking photographs! I see beauty in landscapes and candid photos. Candids are my favorite because they are people in their element. Musicians playing, kids playing…capturing the moment 🙂
Candid photos are my favorite too. I really do not like posed photos, every time we have had our pictures done professionally, I’ve been adamant about not being posed or having fake smiles. My favorites are the ones with laughter.
My kids and pets bring me the most joy. The people I take care of (elderly) bring me joy. I see beauty in a lot of things. The recent snow that fell is beautiful, the 13 deer I saw across from my job in a field were beautiful (they also brought me joy and excitement!), the lake is beautiful, sunsets, and I could go on and on. A lot of the little things were lost in 2020 because of Covid but I am with you, 2021 is going to be better and I am personally going to make sure it is for me and my family!
I love that you find joy in so many things! My hope is to get back to that place as well. I’ve fallen far away from it and it does not please me.
I get joy out of all the beauty God allows me to see. I am up all night so I see things many don’t get a chance to see. I also get much joy out of my family and cat.
I love the peace that comes at night, when the world seems to stop with it’s craziness and all is calm. I’m glad you get to see that all the time!
My children bring me joy. Each day they find beauty in the world.
I’m a DIY’ER Thank you!
Since my cancer diagnosis I find beauty everyday in everything -my family and everything I see e veryday.
Funny how it takes terrible things sometimes for us to see all the good. Saying a prayer for you today.
Golfing and being with friends and family bring me joy. I see great beauty in my wife
Aww! I love that you pointed the beauty of your wife out. Love is a wonderful thing!
I find joy in my garden with all the plants I out in for the butterflies to lay eggs on. When you see all different types in your yard sometimes 50 at a time I’m joyful then.
That’s awesome! I am working on a green thumb, it’s getting better, but it’s still not the best…