October Outlook = Joy!

It's October and my outlook is full of joy! Why? Because "why not?"

Your outlook is your point of view or your attitude about life, and so I have decided to choose joy.

Joy can be found everywhere, from large gestures to the smallest kindness. One way to help you feel joy, especially on tough days, is to help another person.

I find the greatest joy in my work, especially when I see the face of a business owner that gets what she needs from a coaching session.

I also find joy in my garden. Watching the sunlight dance on the leaves of my favorite plants.

Joy can also be in my cup of afternoon tea.

It all comes down to your outlook and your decision on how you want to embrace the moments.

With that, let's catch up on what I've been up to this week...

Quote             

“Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf.”  Albert Schweitzer   

Reading

This article really resonated with me because it’s my birthday month:  Aging is inevitable, so why not do it joyfully? Here’s How by Ingrid Fetell Lee (click here) The author makes the following suggestion and lists 8 things to consider:  “What if instead of seeing aging as something to defeat and conquer, we were to embrace what gets better with age and work to amplify these joys while mitigating the losses of youth?  I’m not suggesting we paper over the very real challenges, both physical and mental, that come with aging.  But can we view these challenges without judgment or shame and instead look for joyful ways to navigate them?”  AMEN! 

Here are the 8 things to embrace:

1. Seek out awe—research shows that taking an “awe walk” will increase your joy just because you are intentional about finding things to be joyful about.
2. Get a culture fix—museums, outings with friends. Cultural activities will keep your mind sharp!
3. Stimulate your senses—this can be as easy as adding pops of color throughout your environment.
4. Buy yourself flowers—it turns out that looking at greenery and flowers helps us concentrate. Better yet, garden for even more benefits!
5. Try a time warp—I loved this suggestion because it sounds like so much fun! Imagine creating a space/time/area where you live as though you were back in time.  The article gives information about a group of men in their 70s who were “transported” back 20 years with clothes, news, and info from that time and music as well.  It turns out that the 5 days they spent in the time warp had a significant difference in their health and attitudes.  Suggestions for your own time warp:  take a mini-vacation to a favorite place you used to go to before; look at old magazines; use less technology.
6. Maximize mobility—exercise!
7. Refeather your nest—another one of my favorite tips from this article. Reframe the notion of an empty nest into something more joyful. I’d suggest further that you can do some redecorating to change things up.
8. Stay up on tech—embrace new technology.

So, are you aging joyfully?  Are you embracing the wisdom and experience of your years around the sun?  I am.  I see my gray hair as a badge of honor and I’m feeling better and better about the laugh lines on my face.

Following        

Keep Florida Beautiful (click here to visit their site) I had the pleasure of meeting Savanna Christie, Executive Director of Keep Florida Beautiful at the Go for the Greens Conference last week.  She immediately told me that there is a local chapter in my area and told me how easy it is to get involved.  Don’t you just love it when someone really loves their job?  Savanna knows all the stats, she knows about the importance of sustainability AND she really lives the mission of the organization and her enthusiasm is contagious!

Connecting      

The Go for the Greens Conference was ah-mazing!  I’ve been attending this conference for the last 14 years and every year I leave impressed and inspired.  The thing about going to the same conference for so long is that you get to see the same people over and over again --because they like it as much as you.  The Disney Boardwalk Hotel and Conference Center is just as nice today as it was 14 years ago and every year I really take it personally when the cast members say “Welcome home, Mrs. Allen!”  And it was especially great to see some of my team in person.  There is comfort in the familiar AND this conference has the added benefit of a new theme each year and bringing in programing and speakers related to the theme in really unique and innovative ways.  The conference was hybrid, with some of us in person and business owners from Canada participating virtually.

Celebrating      

Last week, I had the great joy and pleasure of being recognized for my expertise and also for celebrating my inner child.  Sound like those two things cannot happen at once?  Well, they can and they did!  I was honored to be a speaker at the Go for the Greens Conference on the topic of Reimagining Negotiations Using the CREATE model.  And guess what? Celebrating my inner child really does wonders for my professional life.  Relaxing, daydreaming, being creative and open are all very important childlike attributes that we need to embrace throughout our lives, and especially in our professional lives. When was the last time you celebrated your inner child??

So, as you enter this last quarter of the year I ask you, what will your outlook be?

Will you choose joy? Will you take a moment to engage with your inner child? Will you help others find their joy?

I challenge you this week to find one thing that brings you joy. Perhaps it is a daily walk or a 15 rest. Whatever it is make sure I do it every day for the next week. I assure you, you will find your joy.

If you would like to chat further, I invite you to Click here to grab a 30-minute complimentary discovery chat with me.

Wishing you peace and daily joy.