Find JOY Everyday!

“Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself” 
 –George Bernard Shaw

I think I may be on the edge of something promising, huh? But I wouldn’t start this new journey without mentioning my favorite friend, Joy. The blog world seems intimidating to me, but Joy has shown me that life is just too beautiful not to share! I was on the lookout to find a new way to remind myself to notice everything again. You know, like we did when we were just kids. Just taking it all in with the utmost appreciation for all that I have and will experience in my “travels”. I have lived in a small town my whole life and have been blessed with a great cast of friends and family!!! I realize at this point in my life, that I need to grow. I just need to. Do you ever feel like that?
Blogging feels like it will be a great visual autobiography that I hope ends up feeling a bit therapeutic, (if that makes sense). Sometimes it’s hard to keep sight of what’s simple, and genuine. Recording it. Keeping track of my own footsteps seems exciting and definitely a whole new concept for me. I am travel-happy! 

But after peeking in (and practically stalking) Joy's HowJoyful blog for so long, how could I not feel intimidated? Shish! The atmosphere of her blog is wonderful! Have you ever known someone where everything they touch is instantly beautiful? It’s spectacular to watch! I am so grateful that I get to have Joy in my life (and her husband is pretty cool too!) and I get to watch her create so many beautiful things. It inspires me to want to be more, and to want to be better. I feel like I want to learn from Joy’s simple, yet elegant, approach.
I hope all of this inspiration is infectious and my daughter gets the bug also to be creative with a special willingness to explore her inner beauty. I hope she finds a way to express it in some wonderful fashion!
Staying at home with my favorite family, (mine!), focusing on building and keeping strong core values while all the while encouraging each other to always share your dreams is what is most important to me right now. Big or small. 
I tend to be a person who likes to stay inside, or close to home, but it’s inspiring when I push myself to go out and experience something new. Or just to get out and enjoy the outdoors. That’s where my husband and Joy come in to my happy picture. They are much more out-going and they are more willing to take chances than me. They make me want to reach outside of myself. They make me curious as to what more could be lurking outside…waiting for me! So this is what my journey is about. To go somewhere I have never been. Life is like a classroom for me right now, and everywhere will be my teacher.