Archive

Introducing: Team Stratejoy

posted 28th November 2011    Written by: Katie    CATEGORY: Katie, Stratejoy the Biz

Team StratejoyThis post is long overdue, but it’s no less important now than it was a week ago when I wanted to post it. For those of you who don’t know, I’m Katie, and I’m the Communications *slash* Community Manager of Stratejoy. Although, I’m researching new cute titles like “Happiness Advocate” and things of the like.

Anyway, this is totally not about me, but I do have the wonderful privilege to introduce you to a special group of gorgeous girls who have been doing extreme behind-the-scene magic for Stratejoy. Not only are they working to make current products and designs more functional and fun, but they’re diving head first with Molly, creating new products too.

Something I’ve learned over the last year of working with Molly is that running a business isn’t easy. While Molly has done a spectacular job running the ship herself, sometimes you need someone to be your lookout while you take the wheel and steer. Or, in this case, five someones.

Those lovely faces up there are  Nicole, Michelle, Kahea, Morgan and Whitney. They are Team Stratejoy. They’ve been “officially” on the Team for a few months now, but we’ve all been busy little bees trying to get some super cool stuff ready to go for your guys.

You can learn tons more about these ladies right here.  

 

Sidenote: Today is the. last. day. to sign up for the Council: Holiday Edition. It’s officially LIVE right now,  but if you really quick signup, we’ll get you access to the Facebook group immediately and you can dive right on in and join us as we wave goodbye to 2011, and welcome 2012 with a new outlook and kick-ass attitude. This is it – This is your year, love. Let’s make sure of it. 

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Stratejoy Love Bomb Mission

posted 9th August 2011    Written by: Molly Mahar    CATEGORY: Events, Molly, Quarterlife Crisis

Whew! So much goodness going on… We’re in full on work mode getting things ready for Season 5 over here.  I’m absolutely loving the chance to hear more of your story. Have you sent in your application to be a Season 5 blogger yet? Deadline is this Friday, August 12th.

And though I’m in the middle of Adventures in Flourishing, we’re doing a little something different, but incredibly awesome, today. We’re teaming up for a super-big world-dominating mission with Love Bomb to change, brighten, or even save someone’s life.

What is this Love Bomb thing?

Love Bomb was started by Nate St. Pierre to go along with his life mission to “Change the World”.

Fun Fact: Nate writes “Change the World” on his palm every single day.  Just as a reminder.  Which is funny because lots of days I write “Do Good” or “Believe” or “Spread Joy” on my wrist or palm…   Sharpies and Passion. Quite the combo.

Love Bomb has one sole mission: To save lives.

Members of the Love Bomb team nominate people that they know (who blog) to receive a Love Bomb. Whether someone is facing depression, loss of a parent, loss of a child, financial difficulty, suicide recovery, even the Quarterlife Crisis (which we all know can rock the hell out of your world) they’re eligible to receive one of these bursts of love. If they’re having a hard time dealing with this crazy thing called life, and need a pick me up?  Then Love Bomb wants to know about it.

Each week (from hundreds of nominations) someone is chosen and the Love Bomb Team gets their mission delivered to them, which simply consists of taking five minutes, visiting the person’s blog indicated, and leaving a comment of support.

Yep. That’s it.

But it does amazing things.

So, where do Stratejoy and YOU come in?

This week, we’re part of the Love Bomb Team. They’re asking YOU to nominate someone who you know that could really use a little jolt of joy, a burst of beauty, a whole lot of love and hugs.  We get the amazing chance to DELIVER A LOVE BOMB to someone in our Tribe.

KAPOW!!  I’m so excited.

The only requirement? The person you nominate has a blog, that they use it semi-frequently, and that we can comment on their blog. (Make sure comments aren’t closed, turned off, etc.)  And you have to get your nominations in TODAY!

On Thursday, check out the Love Bomb Blog or the Stratejoy Facebook Page — we’ll be announcing the Love Bomb recipient.

To nominate someone you think really needs a little love in the form of hundreds or thousands of words of support, shoot an e-mail to dropalovebomb |at| gmail |dot| com.  Like, now.

Wanna do this awesome mission every week with Love Bomb?  Head on over to the Love Bomb Website and subscribe to receive Love Bomb Mission e-mails.  They only come once a week and it gives you a chance to truly brighten someone’s world.

And because I promised I’d be checking in…

  1. Stop Drinking: 2 days Sober.
  2. Stop Hulu.com:  2 days TV free.
  3. Write in the Morning: 2 days complete.  (Joy Juice today!  I love writing the journal prompts, knowing loads of you will be using them to connect to yourself.)

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Only Six Months?! Looking back on Season 4

posted 31st July 2011    Written by: Juliana    CATEGORY: All Posts, Juliana, Life Lesson, Quarterlife Crisis, Season 4

In some ways, I can’t believe six months have gone by.  In other ways, I can’t believe it’s only been six months. It’s a similar feeling when you’re in love and you realize you’ve been together for a year, but it feels both shorter and longer than that. I don’t mean that I’m in love with my other Stratejoy ladies (though they are pretty awesome) but rather that the richness of our collective experience here has totally messed with my sense of time.  We’ve fallen in love, changed careers, changed countries, become parents, planned weddings and learned so much about ourselves. Wow.

Six months ago, my primary state of being was exhaustion.  I was listless, bored, sluggish, and had lost a lot of the “spark” that I used to be known for. I felt defeated. There was also a part of me that was angry:  Angry at myself for letting it get to this point, and angry that I seemed to be resigning to it. Through a lot of reflection (and some of the exercises in The Joy Equation) I was able to get back in touch with myself and what I really wanted.  I filled out an application for Season 4 and this crazy journey began.

 My goals…

My goals for this half of the year were to get my energy back & understand my health more, to work on becoming a creativity coach and foster my music career, and to learn to love myself enough to remember and reconnect with the things that light me up.

How’d I do?

I have learned so much about my own body in these last six months.  Though I’m still a long way away from my goals, I am feeling so much healthier.  I’m taking naps when I can, eating the right stuff, and being much more active.  ”Tired” is no longer my default feeling.  I’ve had a poem published, gone on tour and am almost finished with a creativity coaching certification program (just have to take an exam!) and I’ve spent four weeks in Nashville, TN exploring the possibility of a songwriting career there.

As far as reconnecting with delight, I’ve gotten to swim in the ocean, paint, play with my baby niece, learn more about cooking, hang out with old friends and make some new ones, see a whole bunch of live shows, and go on regular dates with the hubs.  I cannot even begin to express how much happier I am now than I was at the start of February, and it’s not because great things have happened to me, but because I’ve learned how to cultivate and care for my own happiness.

 The Most Important Thing…

As I leave to become part of the Stratejoy Alumni, the most important thing I’d like to leave you with is that, no matter how extraordinary all of our journeys have seemed to you, they are achieved by ordinary means. All of us have taken small steps, made tiny changes, that have added up to big, huge leaps and results. Yes, some of those changes seem to come on fast – but there have been lots of little things going on in the background to lead to those things.  We are not “special” in the sense that we are different and somehow more able than you are – you are just as capable of changing your life for the better.  In fact, I highly recommend you apply for Season 5 if you’re feeling stuck in a QLC or in need of some changes in your life.

I have changed a lot and I continue to evolve, and slowly but surely I’m becoming the woman I want to be. Being a Stratejoy blogger gave me a container to explore that process, and I am so blessed to have been able to share it with my fellow bloggers, and share in your stories through comments and emails.  I hope you’ll keep in touch with me at my own blog, my music website, and on Twitter (@writeplayrepeat) so we can keep this conversation going.

 

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Love, Gratitude, and Adventure

posted 24th July 2011    Written by: Juliana    CATEGORY: All Posts, Juliana, Season 4

I can’t believe how fast six months have flown by.  It seems like just a little while ago that I was jumping up and down while listening to a voicemail from Molly welcoming me to this season…and now, here I am, about to answer interview questions from my fellow Season 4 contributors. If I think about it too much, it’ll make my head spin a bit, so I’m just going to dive right in.

What are you most proud of from the last 6 months?

I’ve spent a LOT of time in the last few months getting to know myself better, and getting clearer about my values and goals. As a result, I am really proud of how my sense of self has grown and solidified. I have always seemed to be a fairly confident person, but it was often a “fake it ’til you make it” strategy. These days, I feel a sense of inner confidence that is stable and not dependent on the reactions of others. It’s that little seed of self-knowledge and self-assurance that enables me to stick with my goals even if they seem a little wacky to others.

What is your favorite meal memory?

Oh, man. This question is WAY too hard for a person like me to answer with one meal. I love  food. I mean, I LOVE food, and I love the whole experience of a meal, from the atmosphere to the appetizers to the after-dinner mints. So, I know I can’t pick one meal as my favorite. A particularly fabulous memory is from the first time I took G. to one of my favorite places, Asheville, NC. We met several of my dear friends for tapas at Zambra and had a long, lingering dinner sharing bites, laughter, and lots of wine. I don’t remember what we ate (though everything there is fabulous) as much as I remember feeling full of joy and satisfaction.

What’s the best piece of advice you have for someone struggling with a QLC?  Spend time with yourself when you’re going through it. Really think about what you need and want, and what makes you happy. If you aren’t sure about the “big stuff”, just spend time doing things that delight you and they will point the way.  Journaling helps a ton, too (and guided journaling is awesome if you don’t know what questions to ask yourself!)

Post a picture of your happy self over the last six months – Where were you, what were you doing and who were you with? This picture is from last weekend, when I was playing a house concert for some buddies in Virginia. I’m cuddling with my trusty guitar, Josephine. I put 3000 miles on my car in two weeks, playing shows and visiting friends all up and down the East Coast. My friend Steve took this shot before I played in his backyard to some people I usually only get to see once a year. I like this picture because it reminds me of the things that make me happiest.

What’s the best piece of advice someone has ever given you? Once, after some kids at school had said some mean things to me, my mom told me not to take it personally, and to “consider the source.”  I’ve carried those words with me in so many situations and I can’t even begin to tell you how often it pops into my head…and not just in negative situations. When someone is reacting to a situation in a way I can’t understand, I try to consider the source: What kind of person is this? Where are they coming from? What might their motivation be for reacting this way?  And a bonus tip – it works both ways. When I have a super emotional (and possibly irrational) reaction to something, I take a few minutes to consider my own motivation.

What’s your killer music mix? Give me some old New Orleans soul, some Motown, some Ray Charles and a dash of Bonnie Raitt and I will be shaking my butt around the house all day long.

Three biggest obsessions right now…Learning to cook nutritious stuff that my body likes, working on my first book, and re-watching every season of the X-Files.

What has happened in your time as a Stratejoy blogger that you would never have imagined for yourself in January?  I never imagined that I would spend a month in Nashville and love it. I was scared to take that step in my career for a long time, and even more scared that I’d hate the city once I spent time there, but now we’re talking about moving there one day. That’s something I couldn’t have predicted.

What’s something you learned from each of the other ladies of Season 4?

I think what I’ve learned from each of my fellow bloggers has to do with what I’ve watched them learn about themselves over these past few months…

Katharine:  Bold adventure is an incredible way to meet yourself.

Bri: Opening yourself up to love creates radical, beautiful changes.

Laura: Even someone who is capable of doing it all doesn’t have to do it all alone.

Amanda: Surrendering to the big stuff doesn’t mean giving up your identity.

Dee: Zest for life and joy are totally contagious and worth spreading around.

I’m humbled and honored to be in such awesome company.

What’s your Dream Job? Facilitator of creative inspiration, emotional catharsis, and uncontrollable giggles.

Dream Vacation? Following Anthony Bourdain around on some cultural and culinary adventures.

Dream Home? Lots of windows, views of the Blue Ridge, a big deck with a pool, an open space for entertaining, and one helluva kitchen.

What’s currently turning you on? The way my hubs supports my dreams and keeps pushing me to go for it. Rrrar.

How are you going to change the world? I hope I can change the world by inspiring people, one relationship at a time. I’d like to remind everyone I meet of their own creative force and their ability to use it.

[photo credit]

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A Systematic Approach to Claiming Joy

posted 7th May 2011    Written by: Dee    CATEGORY: All Posts, Dee, Inspiration, Life Lesson, Quarterlife Crisis, Season 4, Tips & Tools, What I've Learned

As a loyal Stratejoy follower, a central message that I’ve taken away from this community is that joy is within our reach. Every single one of us. The catch is that we’ve got some self-exploration and investigation to do before we can grab it and make it our own.

And, I know, I know. I’m always raving about Molly, her programs, and her generally awesome approach to life and rocking it right now.

The reason is not that I’m some psycho-obsessed fangirl (only a little), but because I’ve learned tangible, applicable, concrete, proven skills that I’ve applied to my individual quest for joy, authenticity, bubbles, laughter, and everything juicy good.

The point isn’t that my life took a turn overnight when I put these skills to work. Of course not. But, the point is that with the strategies I’ve learned through my course in Deliberate Living, jotted down in my journal, and let Molly burn into my brain, I’ve been applying them at my own speed, at a rate that’s healthy for me and works in my own day to day. I’ve tailored them to my own needs. Created systems of my very own.

We can think and talk and write all day long about how we want joy in our lives, but unless we go get it, we’ll never have it. Here’s how I go get it.

My Seven Systems for Growth

Sabotaging Unproductive Habits- It’s about identifying the habits I have that lead me down paths that don’t serve my best self. At first, it seemed as though I was tricking myself and that felt…wrong. Well, I was. “Wasn’t my willpower enough?” I thought. No. It wasn’t. And, I’d been giving myself concrete evidence for years that my willpower and desire were just not enough to prevent myself from falling into cycles of laziness, mindlessness, etc. For instance, I realized that an aspect of my life that was preventing me from moving forward was my habit of walking into my apartment after a long day or stressful event and straight to the TV remote. On. Trashy TV. Mindless. Numb. Day Over. Instead, now I trick myself! Amazing! I keep the remote waaaaay back in a corner of my closet. If I want to watch TV, fine, but it’s going to be a conscious, aware decision, by golly.

Putting Fierce Self-Love Within Eyeshot- It’s about channeling my creativity in a way that builds reminders of the woman I am and want to continue to be. If you came to my apartment, you’d see positive sticky-notes on my bathroom mirror, colorful hand-made collages on my refrigerator, a framed picture of a hula-hooping 80-year old woman on my dresser, photos of my near and dear, books that inspire, and art I’ve created. Because sometimes we just plain forget, lose focus of our goals, and need elementary reminders in plain sight.

Maintaining A Detailed Health Journal- It’s about taking the precious time to sit, breathe, put pen to paper, and focus on how I really feel. I do know that time is precious, trust me. Which is why it is a gift I’ve focused on giving to myself. I have a pretty, pretty journal, some bright markers and pens, and a calendar. I sit down and I track how I’m feeling from day to day. My body (sluggish, bloated, achy, energetic, rested?), my mind (clear, cluttered, racing, numb?), my heart (full, guilty, lonely, hopeful?). It doesn’t only give me an opportunity to clear my head, this practice has helped me identify two of the most significant triggers to my mood swings. I was able to see, right there in my calendar, that I’ve got a classic case of the winter blues and am in need of steady Vitamin D and that the week after my…ahem…menstrual cycle was hell for me. My hormones were sending me into a crippling depression that I was spending the other three weeks of the month trying to clean up after. Because I’d realized this, I was able to discuss options with my doctor and reach a conclusion that I’m not a headcase! I’ve got PMDD!

Establishing Self-Serving Routines- It’s about honoring who I want to become by giving myself a chance to find inspiration, check-in with myself, clear my headspace, and realign. What works for me is getting up early in the morning in order to prepare myself for the day ahead. Shower. Walk dog. Coffee. Makeup. Outfit. Breakfast. News. Hair. Twitter. Dishes in sink. Out Door. And even though I have an equally if not more strong urge to stay in bed until the last possible second, I know that my whole day will follow suit if I don’t put my feet on the floor and give myself what I need- that routine. The same goes for the evening. Computer off. Books for class put away. Bag prepped for next day. Lamps on at bedside. Makeup off. Inbox cleared. A little lotion on my hands. Something soothing on pandora. A quiet prayer. My journals, a book I’m reading for leisure or a favorite magazine in bed with me. The rest of my days allow for spontaneity, but those routines ground me. I need them. I know that.

Eliminating Toxicity- It’s about lifting the weight from my shoulders so that I can move forward. A really effective challenge that Molly presented me was to make a list, no matter how long, of the elements in my life that were creating a cloud of dread. Big stuff to little stuff. Debt to that dress I need to have dry-cleaned. And yes, setting aside a whole day or longer, if needed to tackle it. That conversation I needed to have with my parents. The appointments I needed to make. Cards I wanted to send and drawers I wanted to clean. And when I made the list, WHOA! It felt so doable. Everything that I had been letting eat at me took one good afternoon to eliminate, essentially. Toxic crap comes up all the time. The trick I’m using it to give myself a scheduled block of time each week (really, only about an hour), to just do it and be done with it. Bills, errands, phone calls, whatever. I know that for me, that’s what I do on my free Tuesday afternoons. Always fueled by caffeine and with a happy hour with friends as a treat for taking care of it, obviously.

Using Gratitude As A Counter-Action For Stress- It’s about reminding myself of what I have (so much) in order to eliminate feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness. My nasty, all-to-common tendency to dwell on the bad and forget the good. To think about the obligations, the rain, tests and papers due rather than the beauty of nature, my upcoming plans, my health, my fortune to be in school at all. When a walk my dog up the block, I try to memtally list as many things that I’m grateful for as I possibly can (the pretty color of that lady’s dress, the smell from the restaurant, my mom’s phone call earlier that day, all the plans I have that weekend, the lunch I fixed, etc). The walk helps to clear my head and by the time I’ve returned home, I’m a new woman. I also often jot down similar blessings in a journal that I’ve designated as my special Gratitude Journal. After a stressful day or period in my life, even if I think I can’t muster a single thing to offer thanks for, I can look to that journal and remember that there is so much that makes me fortunate.

Making The Mundane Special- It’s about stuff I’ve gotta do anyway and how to make it lovely. When I know it’s going to suck, I’ve got to incorporate an aspect of pleasant or I just won’t do it. Sad but true. Dishes to do? Light a candle. Gobs of homework? Film Scores radio on repeat. Toilet to scrub? Wear that sassy dew rag I tie-dyed in Austin. Dreaded phone call to make? Hot cup of tea. I find it really fun to think of ways that I can make what would otherwise be terrible into a chance for beauty. There are so many opportunities for joyful simplicity that we can marry with our obligations and life suddenly becomes a string of delight, with some responsibility mixed in. Paying bills is way better whilst wearing incredible lipstick, you know?

Certainly, those aren’t the only systems I’ve been exploring. I am also working to incorporating a regular mindfulness practice, acknowledging those in my corner, practicing self-expression, and learning to ask for what I want among many, many other tactics. The point is that I’m learning what works for me. I’m putting in the  time, thought, and effort, because, damn it, I deserve it. I deserve all the joy I can scoop up. And I’m working to build my own, individual definition of joy. And, finally, I’m getting a return on my investment in myself.

It’s crazy to me that just within the last year, I’ve become so very aware of what I really want, made such progress in actually going after it, built so many supportive relationships. I’m so thankful that this community has given me the strength to dive right into exploring what I could do to make my life better. It’s given me a place to take my temperature, so to speak, know how I’m feeling, and not be afraid to think about how I can both maintain what works and improve what doesn’t.

It’s given me a place to share all that. Now, that’s a system that really works.

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