Journaling and Joy Day 3

Heading Home

Today, I went for a snowshoe in the woods, and as the wind gently moved through the trees, I could smell the smoke from my fireplace. Question 2 of the daily journaling prompts is:

Did you smell something that reminded you of family or childhood?

The reason I added this question is that smell grounds you. It brings you into the present and connects you with the past. As I made my way through the woods today, the smell of chimney smoke guiding me home, I was reminded of my childhood. As a little girl, my parents would take us to a cabin in the woods for a week in the winter. We would ski, explore the winter forest, and sit around a wood stove drinking hot chocolate and playing games. There was no electricity, no running water, just a stove, a family, and a lot of laughter. Did you smell something today? What was your memory?

Anna's Journaling Answers

1. My birds at my bird feeder

2. Chimney smoke

3. Computer Stuff. I learned to be patient and not perfect.

4. Hold Back The Night https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJRZKuFryjo

5. I listened

6. I made a new friend - that is hard in your 40's

7. I had a meeting - This is courageous for an introvert

8. Full of Snow

9. I wrote

10. Dogs and their persistent love

Journaling Your Journey Questions

1. What or who made you smile today?

2. Did you smell something that reminded you of family or childhood?

3. What was hard today? Did you learn something? Did you ask for help?

4. Did you hear a favourite song? Did you sing along? What song was it? When did you first hear it?

5. How did you show love today?

6. What was something new in your life? A recipe? A trail? A book? Anything - no matter how small.

7. Did you do something courageous today? Anything out of your comfort zone?

8. What colour was the sky?

9. What did you do that was creative? Sing a song? Draw? Knit? Dance?

10. What brought you joy or gratitude today?

    
    

Joy-Monger Adventure Time

Go Outside, Pay Attention

Day 3 - Go Outside

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul”

― John Muir

I live in a forest, and in the winter, we make a snowshoe trail. It isn't very long, but it is fun. It does not matter how tired I am, how stressed I feel, or how much I just want to sit—as soon as I am outside, I feel alive. It could be the minus ten weather, but it is also the beauty. The absolutely breathtaking beauty of a forest layered in snow. Beauty is seldom discovered sitting on a couch. It is not often found in the warm comfort of habit. Beauty is something to be sought after. We, as artists, are beauty hunters, and that often means being uncomfortable, or tired, or alone, but it is so worth it. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is better than going into a snow-covered forest, lit only by moonlight on a freezing night when the air is clear and walking amidst the trees. Is it comfortable? No. The bed is comfortable, but it is transporting.

“Instructions for living a life.

Pay attention.

Be astonished.

Tell about it.”

― Mary Oliver

Visit Jessica Lin's site to dig deeper into the power of joy.

Visit Jessica

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I would love to hear about your joy and your journaling. If you would like to share your journey I would love to hear it.