No time to blog . . . .

It is unbelievably nice 

here in Indiana today! 

I hope it is where you are!

Happy Day, my friends.

Today's gift to yourself . . . .

Happy Monday, my friends! Want to get your week off to a great start? Here's something you can do for yourself that will free your mind and open your heart more than you can ever imagine......

Do it for YOU! When you hold on to hurtful feelings, it is you who suffers. Do not allow the offender to continue to have this hold on you any longer. Do it for your own well being. Holding on to resentment is destructive, and you have the power to stop the ongoing pain, anger or hurt. Take the moral high ground and let it go. It will do more for your mind, body & spirit than a year's worth of exercise! Forgiveness does not mean that you are wrong, or the other person is right. It simply means that you have made a decision to stop letting it eat away at your soul.  Think of it as today's gift to yourself. 

Think before you speak . . . .

Do you know anyone who makes it a habit to judge another person's actions before they have the facts? For some reason they find it all too easy, and feel high-minded enough to come to their own conclusion of someone else's story by judging (unfairly) on the basis of incomplete information, then share their own version of the story with others. I don't know too many people who would disagree with me on this, and the best way to understand what I'm referring to, is when someone does it to you. Once that happens, you understand it immediately. I was recently accused of doing something intentionally by someone who had no idea as to what the circumstances were. My first reaction was to fight back, but I smiled, and asked them to "tell me about it." I listened until they were finished, then spoke with such confidence about the facts, and only the facts. I didn't feel the need to add additional commentary, such as "how dare you", although that would have felt so good! I've never seen anyone back down so quickly and feel so much like they had choked on the words they had just spoken. I got 3 apologies in a matter of minutes. It was truly a classic example of someone coming to a premature conclusion based on their own fantasy version.

I am often slow to believe an entire story based on one person's rendition because I know for a fact, that so many people choose to hang on to all the gory details, add a few of their own, then pass it on to someone else. Do you make premature conclusions on the basis of hearsay, or are you one to give a person the benefit of the doubt, wait for the evidence, then draw your own conclusion? If you're one to judge too quickly, I promise, you'll think differently once it happens to you. When you feel you have been wronged, I hope you have the courage to stand up for yourself. I hope you don't sit back and take it. It is so important for your well being. 

Do you judge too quickly?

Before you speak,

think, Is it necessary?

Is it true?

Is it kind?

Will it hurt anyone?

Will it improve on the silence?

We have a winner! 

Congratulations to Hilary! 

You are the winner of the 

circle/friends bracelet

and the chocolates!

Please contact me at clvorderman@gmail.com when you get a minute, and we'll work out the details. Also, since this was my first giveaway, I'd like to extend the gift of my chocolates to my other entries as well! I would love to take your special order and send them to you! Thank you once again for visiting me here at This Way To Joy, and may you always be surrounded by people who inspire you.

Congratulations again, Hiliary!

Happy Friday, my friends!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Passion and goals . . . .

I was reading a Tommy Gibbs article this morning that struck a passionate cord with me. He said, "There's a massive connection between passion and goals. If you don't have goals then it's pretty unlikely you will ever have a passion for anything. Your goals have to be constantly changing. Passionate people are not successful because they achieve their goals. They are successful because they keep changing their goals. Setting goals too low or too high doesn't work. Setting goals just a tick out of reach is the key. You hit that just out of reach goal, set another and the passion burns on."

I've written in the past about our comfort zone and how it can stifle us. We settle in, and our passion begins to fade. It's easy to say you're happy right where you are, and feel no need to change anything. And really.....it's not a bad thing if you're completely happy there. But if you're complaining about life, bashing other people's successes, feeling letdown, and doing nothing to create your own success, then it's probably time to get up off that chair and set a nice little goal for yourself. It doesn't have to be huge! Quite the contrary!! Don't set yourself up for failure right off the bat. Come up with a fairly easy to reach goal that will begin to spark your passion as to what can actually be done. You might surprise yourself! It can light a fire within you, which will lead to setting new goals for yourself, and more importantly, reaching them! Now that's living a passionate life!

"Until you discover your "fire within" you will remain condemned to a life only endured, not lived; to delicacies only tasted, not devoured; to joys only imagined, not experienced."

-Alister Cameron

"What a grand thing

to be loved! 

What a grander thing still,

to love!"

-Victor Hugo

Hello friends! This Way to Joy is 3 years old today, and I am celebrating with my first give-away as a way of saying thank you to those of  you who visit me. Every year around Valentine's Day, I spend days making homemade chocolates,  then give them as gifts to family & friends. I am always finding myself adding a new size, shape or ingredient each time I make them. I've enjoyed making quite a variety!....plain, added almonds or pecans, rice krispies, toasted coconut, malted milk, lightly salted peanuts, and this year, added toffee as well. It is truly therapy for me to package them, make tags and find new ways of presenting them. I would love to share a large heart-shaped chocolate of your choice with the winner! They are 8" tall and 7" wide and weigh between 1 - 1 1/2 lbs. And yes, I will make one especially to the winner's liking....so you choose! 

This is what my kitchen counter looks like 

when I'm in the process.........

In addition, I will be giving away this beautiful

 Inspire Circle/Friends Bracelet.....

This sterling silver bracelet is from one of my favorite gift-giving sites called Red Envelope. It is described as "divine guidance meets graceful design in this organically shaped pendant, slightly curved to fit the contour of her wrist. This bracelet takes its cue from ID bracelets, once used to identify the wearer by a simple tag of silver or gold. It will be a simple source of guidance and support to the wearer, whatever life may bring. "

HOW TO ENTER:

It's simple!.........

• Leave a comment below 
• The winner will be chosen randomly
• This giveaway is only open to readers living in the United States 
• Entries accepted until Monday, February 20th
• Winner will be announced on Tuesday, February 21st

Thank you again for visiting me here at 

This Way to Joy!

Best of luck to all who enter!

Thank you . . . .

I read a quote earlier this morning that said "just because you're not always skipping through tulips with joy doesn't mean there's something wrong with you." I couldn't agree more, however, because of the fact that I write about finding more joy in your life, I am guessing I could be mistaken as one who might think otherwise.  Quite the contrary. We are faced with challenges, demands  and heartache every day. I am not immune from that. Nor do I believe that there is something wrong with you if you can't put a smile on your face when you're staring at a pile of work and your boss is breathing down your neck, or if you've just missed your flight and lost your luggage.  It can be difficult to remain joyful through these stressors. But I do believe, with all my heart, that it is how you approach these stressors that makes all the difference. I am an optimist by choice.  I am fully aware of daily difficulties, but I also believe that life is overflowing with good. And I choose to see the good in front of me, even when faced with bad situations. If you are making a choice to  dwell on the worst part of the situation, you are the one who suffers. 

Tomorrow marks the 3rd anniversary of This Way to Joy, and I thought it might be a perfect time to reiterate why I do this. So why do I write about finding joy? Simply because I believe that ultimately everyone deserves it. And I know that when you can find joy in your own life, you become a better person; a happier person. When you're a happier person, you make it easier on those who spend time with you. You're a joy to be around! We probably can't conquer the world because of it, but it sure makes a difference in how you spend your days, which turn into months, then years, and before you know it, you've just lead a pretty happy life.

Please allow me to

thank you for visiting me.

♥ I am honored that you choose to come here. ♥

xo, Connie

Focus on the good . . . .

One of my all-time favorite quotes is "To experience true joy is to feel yourself smiling on inside." I love it because I feel it. (Not all the time, but often.) Do you ever feel it? It's a warm, sweet feeling of peace that will not only show on you, but it will look good on you! Really good! It's when you can put worries aside, let go of the fear, and feel simple gratitude. The tension melts, the resentful attitude fades, your face relaxes, and you feel your soul being nourished. Your soul is who you really are, so it deserves this kind of attention!

So let go (for just a minute) of your daily commitments, challenges and stressors. As your day unfolds today.......put your challenges aside, and take a minute to focus on the good! Fill your heart with gratitude, and begin to feel the fresh energy that will rush in. I promise, it will bring you greater clarity, and an awesome sense of absolute contentment. You deserve it! Take 10 minutes at the end of your day to calm your busy mind. Breathe. You'll feel better, you'll sleep better, and I guarantee, tomorrow will rock!

....breathe, 

and focus on the good.

FUN.... it's not just for kids . . . .

Remember that feeling of being invincible, optimistic, wide-eyed, and carefree? Remember plotting your course around "the fun," when almost ever day was an adventure? Choose to feel it again! It never left you. It's still there. Don't let another year or ten or more go by before you recognize today's magic. Because even more so than back then, you are poised to have more fun than you have ever had before. 

Oh yeah!

Life becomes easier when you're having fun. 
The trick to blending work and play,
lies not in what you do,
but how you view what you do.
See work as play
and see play as important!

Having fun is why you're here! It's not frivolous; it's not just for kids; it's important! And the art of having fun lies in appreciating wherever you are. Its potential hides at work; it hides in routines; it even lurks in bumper-to-bumper traffic! It is a wonderful life and it offers endless opportunities for fun to those who seek even when they wouldn't think of seeking!

Happy Friday!

Here's hoping you find plenty of fun this weekend!

Life is not measured

by the games that are won,

but that you lived in the moment

and learned how to have fun.

Via

Choose Them Wisely

by

Mike Dooley

Next time you're stressed . . . .

....take a step back, inhale and laugh.

Remember who you are and why you're here.

You're never given anything in this world

you can't handle.

Be strong, be flexible, love yourself,

and love others.

Always remember,

just keep moving forward.

Zebra Question . . . .

I asked the zebra,

Are you black with white stripes?

Or white with black stripes?

And the zebra asked me,

Are you good with bad habits?

Or are you bad with good habits?

Are you noisy with quiet times?

Or are you quiet with noisy times?

Are you happy with some sad days?

Or are you sad with some happy days?

Are you neat with some sloppy days?

Or are you sloppy with some neat ways?

And on and on and on and on

And on and on he went.

I'll never ask a zebra

About stripes

Again.

by Shel Silverstein

Perhaps it's not such

a silly question after all!

Photo by Gerda van Schalkwyk