Kelly Epperson's Blog, page 24

You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

You CAN have your cake and eat it too if you freeze half of it for later.

What other proverbs do you find perplexing?

Do you remember….

Written by Kelly Epperson

Why do some things stick in my brain? Things from long ago and far away….

"It's the only gum my mom lets me chew."

Theme songs and jingles and ad tag lines are ingrained in my memory. (I chew Trident to this day, but my mom no longer has say-so.)

It amuses me that I can remember silly stuff from my youth, but I can't recall where I put my keys.

I give happiness tips and part of happiness is stress reduction. Part of that is being organized. Part of that is remembering where the heck you put your keys.

If you use the same purse all the time, put your keys in the same pocket in the purse every single time. It seems common sense, but my most recent purse had five lovely options for keys. I would rummage through all five to find my keys after even a short jaunt into a store.

One would think that a five-minute time lapse would not be sufficient to make me forget where I put the keys. One would think.

Then I switched purses, and now it is coat wearing time. Too many options to throw keys as I am walking into a store.

My solution: I say it out loud like a commercial or jingle. "Keys in right pocket." I say it like a stilted recorded voice. I sing it to the tune of Nights in White Satin. Keys in right pocket.

Now when I head back to the car after my errands, I recall, OH YEAH~ keys in right pocket.

So that is your de-stress tip for today. Be a dork and talk or sing to yourself. About where you put your keys or anything.

It works for me. What about you?

 

 

 

What are YOU thankful for?

Lots of people post their thanks during the month of November. We here at JOY Beyond Your Dreams teach folks to maintain a daily joy journal. Jot three things every day, and wow, your life can change!

It can short and sweet, or you can write pages. It is YOUR journal and YOUR joy. Today I will be short and sweet.

I am thankful for socks, slippers, and sweaters.

I am thankful for reading glasses with rhinestones.

I am thankful for sticky notes.

(I can't stop.)

I am thankful for dark chocolate.

I am thankful for pizza.

I am thankful for the man who cooks me wonderful dinners. (That man has a name, many names, I usually call him Prince Charming. But how many princes cook?)

I am thankful for YOU!

What are you thankful for?

 

 

YOU Create Your Day

Written by Kelly Epperson

If I could wave my magic wand and grant you one wish, it would be for you to start believing in your own power.

You truly are the maker or breaker of your own life. Realizing that, claiming it, owning up to your own power is the key.

Our actions, our words, our thoughts make our world. And guess what. Who has control over your actions, your actions, your thoughts? YOU!

YOU hold the power to your own happiness. I used to say you hold the key, but really, you don't have to unlock anything. It is there. You just have to let it in. Open the door, it's not even locked. You are keeping the door closed and some of you are leaning against it with all your might.

It seems odd to say that some people are afraid of being happy. Maybe they haven't felt it in so long, they think they are better off in their comfort zone of negativity. Feeling good may be new territory. Remember this: Familiar doesn't mean it's better.

First you must DECIDE that you want to feel good. CHOOSE to be happy. And then be gentle with yourself. Do not beat yourself up for sliding down into the "woe is me" pit. Decide instead that you want to live a life that says "WOW is me!"

YOU have the power. The power of appreciation cannot be underestimated. It opens you up to be able to receive everything you want.

I don't share my sprinkles of joy each week simply to amuse you. Appreciation leads to more appreciation. A chain of awakening, coming alive to all the good that is all around us. All we have to do start looking for it.

Keeping a Joy Journal is about changing your life. When you see that the simple practice of awareness creates more happiness in your life, you keep multiplying it. There is no limit to joy. There is no allotment that can be used up. The more you dip in, the deeper it gets.

By paying attention to where your attention goes, you are learning of your power. When you see that when you focus on the "crap," you feel crappy, and when you focus on the good, you feel good, it starts to make sense and become real. It is real. You create your daily world.

YOU create your day. What kind of day are you going to make?

Were you born lucky?

Written by Kelly Epperson

"Do you call it luck when we choose to love deeply, commit deeply, live deeply?

I say that I was born lucky…  I am coming to think that my thinking that I was born lucky is a byproduct of living in a manner of appreciation for all of the good that I encounter.

 So is it that when we acknowledge the good and focus our attention and feelings on all the goodness that we are indeed "making" our own luck, by the sheer act of moving towards those positive feelings…"

That is an excerpt from an email I received this morning from my Prince Charming. We have great conversations in the flesh and also in writing. He is the perfect fit for me because I too say that I was born lucky and I too am coming to realize that I create my own luck.

I almost let this guy get away because I was afraid to trust myself to love again. But by choosing to love deeply, commit deeply, and live deeply, my life has opened up in ways that defy words. Glorious, not just "lucky."

What Jim and I know, and what we want to shout to all who will listen and learn, is that we all have the power to create our own luck. You just have to realize it and claim it. Even if you weren't "born lucky," you can live lucky now!

If you need a nudge or for us to light the candle to guide your path, shoot an email to info@kellyepperson.com. Make today your "lucky" day.

Climbing the mountain

From my joy letter of August 12, 2011  I climbed a frickin' mountain!

My tale for today: You might find yourself on a path that is more treacherous than expected, tangled woods and big boulders to trek over. It is challenging but exhilarating. (You might even pause early on to make a video). 

You keep journeying on and realize that you are indeed climbing a mountain. You have an opportunity to turn back but you know that is not what you want to do. 

As the climb gets steeper, you are grateful for those who have traveled before you. It may appear that your feet are the first to be on the trail, but the blue dots painted on trees and rocks tell you otherwise. 

The ladders and cables that go up the cliff faces are scary yet they offer a vague sense of security. Hang on, keep going, you can do this.

You want to get to the top, and you also know that going back the way you came is not the right thing. A different path is ahead, you just have to keep going.

You are also grateful for the companion with you on the tricky path. A calm voice to talk you through the fear. A steady guide. When you reach the top, you may be covered in sweat and feel a little emotional, but you did it. The view is spectacular.



I will use the mountain metaphor a lot in my upcoming teachings. What we thought was a little hike ended up being … a bit more.

There were times when fear entered me and I had to shift my energy and my mindset. What helped was gratitude for the trail markers and someone to coach me.

Whatever mountain you are climbing right now, take a breath and don't let the fear take over. Practice gratitude and talk to someone. You'll get to the top. Trust me. And the view really is spectacular.

Happiness Club

Do you think only a "lucky few" on this earth get to be happy? Think again!

We ALL can take the reins of our happiness. It is a CHOICE, and a matter of retraining the brain to use its optimism center. Simple, yet profound, practices you can implement into your everyday life make HUGE and LASTING changes.

Happiness Clubs exist all over the country and world. The Happiness Club of Loves Park is FREE, OPEN TO ALL (happy, miserable, and anywhere in between), and there are no strings. I, Kelly Epperson-Local Joy Fairy, facilitate the meetings. We often have guest speakers, and we always have a lot of fun. Check it out. No cost, no obligation, and no one will call you.

HAPPINESS CLUB

FIRST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH

6:30 – 8:00 PM

NORTH SUBURBAN LIBRARY, 6340 N. SECOND ST., LOVES PARK, IL

Studies show that happier people attract better health, better relationships, better income, a better way of life. Health and love and money can't buy happiness, but happiness can lead to health, love, and money. Why not give it a try?

Hello World!

Oh my, I have been gone a long time. Having a website "get sick" is a test of my patience. Not sure if I passed.

It's good to be back!

Dream No Small Dream

Quote on my desk today is from Victor Hugo: Dream no small dream.

I remember being in high school and college with some pretty lofty dreams. Many of them have come to fruition. I'm not done yet either.

Those words make me think of my firstborn son who is now starting his college career at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. Driving from Illinois across eight states to take the boy his guitar amp proved what I already knew – he is far from home.

The awakening for me is that he now has a new home. He has his own dreams, and my role now is to encourage him. I have to see my son as person independent from me and this is a person with no small dream. He chose ASU because it is the largest university, it is far from home, and has a great aeronautical engineering program.

He admits he will miss autumn but he doesn't mind the heat there. He is excited about what lies before him. He is independent and smart and I trust he will honor himself and his dreams.

What are your dreams? Are you honoring yourself to take a step toward your dreams?

It does not matter what your dream is. It is okay even if it is a "small" dream. The point is that you have an ember inside you and it is time to fan the flame. Don't worry if pursuing your dream makes your mom (or anyone) shed a tear. The people that love you want you to open your wings and take flight.

Think back to when you were young and full of dreams. If you have lost that or feel that you are too old, you are wrong. Dreams have no expiration date.

Words to Ponder:

I am taking a step toward my dream.

Grandfather Mountain