The Joy Factor

Are you a glass half empty or a glass half full kind of person?  The truth is the glass is always full!  (This image appeared on my facebook wall recently)

 

Ever have those days where all your best laid plans seem to get way-laid at every turn?  Do you find yourself saying, “The Universe is conspiring against me!”?

Many of us are unhappy because we haven’t cultivated our “joy stamina”.  No matter what life is throwing in our direction: death, divorce, failure, loss of status or income - everyone just wants to be happy and you CAN be by learning to make joy a habit.

Do you let minor things annoy you?  Traffic, disrupted schedules, someone not listening to you?  How do you react?  Are you in control of your emotions or do you tend to be overly dramatic about every little thing?  Have you stopped to consider why? 

The reality of it is that if we believe we are created in divinely we can’t say, “Well I’m just naturally a moody person.”  Find the joy and gratitude in each situation.  Make it a habit.  Cultivate your joy.

Life is not what happens to us.  It’s how we choose to experience it.  It IS a choice.  Practice transcending external conditions.  Tell yourself “All things are working together for good.”   Or “I am a joy filled being centered and calm in the face of adversity.”
 
Life is yours to enjoy.  You CAN make joy a habit!

Back to that glass - It’s half full of water and half full of air.  Are you seeing it as half empty or full of potential - full of life’s learning opportunities to become more of who you are meant to be in this life – Joy in expression?

Need help with that?  Contact Jude for a complimentary consultation.

Teachers: Got Stress?

Learn to connect to your inner self and purpose for being on this earth--learn to love yourself and be comfortable with who you are--knowing you ARE "good enough" right now makes everything else better.

Find the joy within and "Love the Skin You're In".

• I help teachers reconnect to the joy & creativity that brought them to teaching in the first place. Learn how to find & claim YOUR inner balance!

• Anxiety doesn’t have to rule your life or affect performance.

• As your coach, I create an environment that supports your growth, lets you break out of stuck thinking, and moves you forward into a life and career that nurtures your soul again.

"Jude is both inspiring and supportive. With Jude, I'm able to expand my ideas and explore new possibilities. Jude didn't give me advice or tell me what to do. Instead she guided me in a way where I could find my own solutions. As I worked with Jude, my own answers became clear, answers that I am excited about and eager to implement." Patricia Robinson, MS MA MFT http://patriciarobinsonmft.com/

Thrive where you’re planted and grow toward the Light ~YOUR inner light!

A small excerpt from: The Heart of a Teacher
by Paula Fox

The child arrives like a mystery box...
with puzzle pieces inside
some of the pieces are broken or missing...
and others just seem to hide
But the HEART of a teacher can sort them out...
and help the child to see
the potential for greatness he has within...
.....
in the HEART of a teacher who cared
enabling the child to become much more...
than he ever imagined...or dared
A teacher with a HEART for her children...
knows what teaching is all about
she may not have all the answers...
but on this...she has no doubt
When asked which subjects she loved to teach,
she answered this way and smiled...
"It's not the subjects that matter...
It's all about teaching the CHILD."

What is your biggest stress about teaching? If you could change something about your job, what would it be? If there was a way to come together with other teachers either in person, or virtually would you be interested in connecting?

Jude Eastman M.Ed. ~ Life & Soul Coach

http://stirringthespiritwithin.com
jude@stirringthespiritwithin.com

As a burned out teacher, I went through losing my parents and marriage at the same time. This set into motion the wheels of change that helped me earn a masters degree, become a reading specialist, and take on life coaching simultaneously. Let me help you let go of what you are and become what you might be.

I've started a Meetup group both live and virtual for teachers with stress to connect. I will also be holding monthly tele calls for us to communicate, learn new strategies for not taking on/releasing the stress, mastermind group to help each other attain our goals.

Oct 26 will be our first call. topics to talk about:

What's Happening Now?

Is your Workload Realistic & Fair?

Are You Experiencing Rewarding Relationships At Work?

Do You Have Adequate Professional Support?

Is Your Personal Life Balanced with Your Professional Life?

I will be using some material from my dear friend, Doris Helge, Ph.D.'s book:
Joy on the Job

If you are at all interested in purchasing her book, please consider clicking through to it here through my affiliate's link. http://wahmcart.com/x...

Master Gardening

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. - Goethe

The easiest way to identify what our heart wants is to examine the feelings that surface when we relate to that subject. Do you find solace when picking up your journal to write a daily reflection? Does time spent with your family thrill you to tears? What feelings arise when you chase down the things that make your heart flutter? True happiness comes when we routinely engage in positive activities that we love. Take a look at your life as a whole. Pursue the things that make you feel alive and fill you with joy and healthy balance." sparkpeople.com

How do I get that you ask? Sometimes we feel like one chapter of life has closed suddenly and unpleasantly. Loss of a relationship, death of a loved one, or the kids flew the coop. These circumstances in life often leave us feeling flat, worn out, and joyless. We have forgotten what brings us joy and who we really are inside. Change can happen when you're ready to let go of feeling that you have no control over life. If you can't change what's going on in life right now, can you change how you view it? Pick up that journal and start a list of what gives you joy. State in positive terms what you want as if it's already happened (I live a life of joy and harmony, I walk daily to maintain my healthy weight, I have many positive friends who support my life's dreams). Start cutting pictures out of magazines that make your mind say ahhh...and your heart glow. Make a vision board that shows pictures of what you'd like to see in your life and start your inner journey toward making that come true. Some very focused people make this happen by themselves. Many of us try and try, but keep slipping back into old ways (old thoughts and habits die hard). It's OK to treat yourself as well as you would your best friend. It's even OK to ask for help. Life Coaches help us learn to help ourselves.

I've been working on ways to talk about coaching and what I do for YOU - the client (This extends a past post "Cultivating Your Inner Garden"). I was trying to come up with a memorable way to introduce myself that will stick in your mind long after that brief 10 minute conversation at the party or networking event. Try this on for size. I'd love your feedback.

Hi I'm Jude Eastman, Master Gardener & Life Coach. Coaching is a bit like gardening. When you haven't been able to get the flowers to bloom by yourself, sometimes you hire a gardener. Think of your life in similar terms. I help you:

Prepare the soil by turning over the earth or examining your life circumstances.

Pull the weeds by up rooting & getting rid of limiting beliefs.

Plan the new garden by envisioning the life you WANT to live.

Plant seeds for change by clarifying your values &
aligning your life with them through focused action.

Fertilize by giving you tools to accelerate your growth.

Add sun by bringing out your strengths and validating your efforts.

Watering to create the momentum that keeps the dream alive.

If you'd like to know how I can help you grow your ideal life--I'd love to discuss my gardening tips with you. E-mail jude@stirringthespiritwithin.com

Thrive where you're planted and grow towards the light (Your inner light)
Jude Eastman~Master Gardener & Life Coach
How does your garden grow?