Laying the Foundation for Your Unique Blueprint

Step 1:  What I Really Like to Do

What do you really like to do that makes you feel abundant with happiness and spontaneous smiles? What do you imagine would bring giddy joy, even if you have not yet experienced it? It’s time to say it and write it down!

This is one of your most important steps, and may be the easiest. Open the gates to anything, from the smallest to the largest experience. Here is guidance for completing Step 1:

• Brainstorm responses and keep adding to the list until you naturally stop. Some responses may be things that you have not yet done, but feel they will bring you great joy, include them. Leave your responses in the order you originally create them. Include the date that you create your list.
• Consider where you are, if you are alone or with others, what you are doing or seeing when you are experiencing joy now or imagined. Come back to your responses later to add more specifics for even greater clarity. Maybe you were too narrow and need to broaden? Maybe you were too vague and need to give examples?

Example:  What I Really Like to Do

Art (too vague)

Assist an artist in creating a mural, indoors or outdoors (too narrow, especially since I’ve never done this)

Create colorful art such as decorating found objects and assisting others with large art projects (just right for me; broad enough to include a wide scope, yet specific enough to give me guidance.)

Take your time, have fun, reach far with your imagination. Believe that anything is possible! This is YOUR life experience and it’s intended to be joyful.

The first time I created my list, there were 15 items. Later, I added and separated, resulting in 19 items. Your number of items is perfect. Here are examples from my list, in the order they were created, to give you an idea of how broad in scope and variety you can reach. (I bet you can do even better!)

Step 1 Example:  What I Really Like to Do

• Create colorful art, such as: decorating found objects to give them a new life, and assisting others in large projects
• Write my new book and speak/interview, sell copies
• BE OUTDOORS! In fresh air, with lush plants and/ or water nearby
• Play with puppies and sweet pets
• Meditate and journal, yoga practice
• Continue to learn new things about life, nature, transformation
• Listen to music that is beautiful and calming and rhythmic, especially with flute, drums, nature
• Be with my son and see that he is happy, playful, peaceful and wise in his choices.

Your turn. Have fun with it. Dream BIG! Start your list for Step 1. What really and truly brings you joy, real or anticipated?


Understanding Your Personal “Why?”

Step 2:  What Makes Me Really Enjoy This?
   
Now it’s time to look at the first layer under the obvious. This step combines feeling, observing and thinking. The purpose of Step 2 leads to providing constant resources to you for experiencing continued, sustainable joyfulness no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. How committed are you to surround yourself with self-imposed acts of joyfulness even at the most challenging times?

Thoughtfully working through the next several steps will help you reveal your commitment. I wish I could say this is a breeze. It may be for some. There may be other ways you are able to get here. However you choose, I can assure you that whatever process you use for this self-exploration is a gift to yourself to quiet the chatter, and help identify that which brings you lasting joy; joy even amidst chaos. Let’s get started with Step 2:

• For each response in Step 1, ask: How do I feel about this element of Joy when I visualize experiencing it? Am I excited? Smiling? Peaceful? Introspective? Can’t wait to be doing it? What is it that appeals to me? After you identify everything you enjoy about that response, move to the next response without reading what you just wrote.
• Put this away for a few days, then come back to review or expand by expressing more feelings of joyfulness for each response. Ask: “What makes me feel joyful when doing this activity or having this experience?” Dig a little deeper inside yourself if you can.

Step 2 Example: What I Really Like About This

Create colorful art, such as: decorating found objects to give them a new life, and assisting others in large projects
What I Really Like About This: Painting, color, creativity, working with my hands, working alone or jointly, adding beauty & creativity

Write my new book and speak/interview, sell copies
What I Really Like About This: Expressiveness, sharing, teaching, helping, interacting with others, abundance and sustenance in internal fulfillment and financial contribution to responsibilities

BE OUTDOORS! In fresh air, with lush plants and/ or water nearby.
What I Really Like About This: Breathing fresh oxygen, feeling the elements of nature (sun’s warmth, breeze, humidity), freedom, unconfined, calms my mind, healthy, exercise, feeling abundance that everything is going to be okay. My favorite place = At the beach.

Now it’s your turn. Take your time. Dig deeper. What is so joyful to you about each of your responses?



The above is a direct excerpt from Nancy R. Daly's book Finding Joy Amidst the Chaos