JOY (Positive Energy Part II)

I’m so excited to write this blog, I can barely even stand it!

First off a LinkUp page that I post a blog to every week gave me this prompt phrase this week “Joy”.  That means I use that word to go forth with a blog post and post it up on the page for others to view.

Second, in the book “The Energy Bus” the bus driver’s name is Joy.  She is the energy in the book, she is the one leading people and her positive energy is infectious as it bounds off the page.

Third, thinking about the word Joy made me remember that character from “Inside Out”.  Before ever seeing the movie, my children told me that I would be Joy.  Now after reading the book, “The Energy Bus”, my how I sincerely hope that is how my children see me.  As their CEO, Chief Energy Officer.  Teaching them the rules of driving their own bus.  The Joy in their life.  There honestly could be no better legacy that I could leave with my family.

This book is incredible, if you haven’t read it, I encourage it.  The Energy Bus focuses on positive energy fueling your whole life.  The whole time I was reading, I was nodding up and down.  These are all the things I try to do every day.  I may not be successful all the time, but the point is that I am trying.

When we are talking about positive energy we mean” optimism, trust, enthusiasm, love, purpose, JOY, passion, and spirit to live, work and perform at a higher level; to build and lead successful teams.”  We aren’t talking about being a cheerleader.  What is meant is you have to eat, sleep, breath positive energy.  Just saying “rah-rah” every once in awhile, isn’t going to change your life.

Through this story, the Bus Driver Joy, is a straight shooter.  She even says at some point, she doesn’t always like hitting people straight between the eyes with the truth, but sometimes with the stubborn ones, there is no other way.  The thing about JOY is, sometimes you have to tell people things that are difficult and hard to hear in order to continue your JOY.

People, Food, Projects and Music will either Increase or drain your Energy. Make the right choices.  You create your world.  You create your JOY.

There are 3 questions about 30 pages into the book.  What is your vision for life?  Vision for work, career, job and team?  Vision for your relationship and family?  I wrote comments under each question, but then on the outside I made an overall comment that read “Faith, Love, Happiness and JOY”.  That is what I want for every aspect of my life.

Maybe my kids were just blowing smoke up my you know what, by telling me that they see me as “JOY”.  I choose to believe that they were being honest and true.  No one prompted them to say this, they just told me.  At the time I didn’t know how much that really touched me.

It is physically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same moment.  Being thankful, grateful, joyful floods the body and brain with positive endorphins and emotions.  Every night I try to ask my kids the same question, each day when I pick them up from school and every Sunday when I drop them off at their dads house.  “What was the BEST part of your…?”  Reminding them of their JOY.

On this Christmas Eve, think about your JOY.  What is your joy, who is your joy and are you living the best life you can live?

JOY to the WORLD and Happy Holidays!