 Photo by Elina Fairytale at Pexels.com "Laughter is the best medicine." What is it about a mutual laugh shared between friends or family that can turn around even the darkest of days? Laughter is such a healing balm that bonds all kinds of people and helps them regain perspective, clear their minds, and get them back on track in general. So where do we find these pockets of joy? Listen up, everyone, because I have some great locations for you to look that will surely get you giggling.  Photo by Helena Lopes at Pexels.com Funny FriendsWhen I need a good laugh, I have several friends who meet that need in a big way. These particular friends at times don't even try to be funny, but they get me going with tears of laughter every time. The world needs more of those types of people ASAP. If you have some friends like that, consider yourself blessed. These humorous peeps are not stress-free but have found the value of being able to see the lighter side of things, and for them in many ways, it truly has been their secret to success. I strive to be more like them because it is a truly wonderful way to live your life.  Click here for an excerpt from the book. Funny KidsIf you are new here, you may not know that I have been an elementary school teacher for over 20 years. It is hard to believe that I am two years from retirement, and it will be here before you know it. I have so many funny stories from my years as a teacher that I am compiling them all in a book that is due to be out next year, called Chuckles and Chalk Dust: Stories From the Classroom to Warm Your Heart and Make You Smile. If you are interested in snagging a copy when it is published, please fill out the button below, and I will gladly add you to the waitlist. A funny story that happened this week was tied to a drawing that a student gave me. We had been talking about healthy eating, and he drew me a picture of two beautiful and detailed cakes—one on the back of the paper and one on the front. I commented on how lovely the cakes were, but that I am trying to eat healthy. He said, “No worries. One is 500 calories and the other is 0 calories. Make your choice.” I laughed out loud because he knows that I am trying to eat healthy, so he sure covered all bases.  Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash Funny TV Shows and MoviesTo lighten your heart, a great strategy is to tune into your favourite funny TV shows or movies. My favourite laugh-out-loud show is Everybody Loves Raymond. This show is so relatable, and I am always guaranteed to feel better than I did before pressing play on the remote with this hilarious show. I encourage you to tune into this show or other lighthearted comedic shows or movies. It is so therapeutic to look at the funny side of life as often as possible. I know that this season brings an endless To-Do List, but be sure to pencil in time for laughter. Your soul needs it. Call to action:
Until next time, Here’s to lots of smiles and belly laughs! Dana
Tags: laughter is the best medicine, find the funny, joyful moments, holiday hustle, humor, lighten up, choose joy, daily faith and joy, Little Lessons Learned by Dana, spread joy, Christmas cheer, life lessons, find the good, joy in the journey, simple joys, healing through humor
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 Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich "Excellence is the gradual result of always trying to do better." ~ Pat Riley The Summer Olympics will be starting soon and I for one will be watching with great excitement. I just watched the new Netflix documentary about Simone Biles entitled Rising. I highly recommend it. I am so proud of the progress she has made in her mental health journey. She has stepped back from the spotlight to focus on her healing and I can’t wait to see her in action at this year’s Olympics. I feel she is in such a better place in all aspects and it is wonderful to see her have another chance at Olympic gold, since having to step aside at the Tokyo Olympics. It is especially memorable to see the athletes achieve gold. I can only imagine how that must feel after years and years of training, to stand on the podium, see your flag raised and hear your national anthem played in your honour. Wow! I get goosebumps just thinking about it! It is the moment these athletes have dreamed of and to see it become a reality must be so satisfying and yet completely overwhelming all at once. That type of success does not come easily. It requires day after day, month after month, and year after year being faithful in tasks that at times may seem insignificant. Putting consistent effort forth each and every day however, has tremendous potential to compound itself into a powerful, positive force to be reckoned with. In the book The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, he talks about the truth that there is no real secret to being successful. He shares that success just naturally comes when people repeat positive and productive habits over and over. It makes complete sense. If you want to lose weight, you must eat healthy and exercise consistently. Having one good day and expecting the scale to move is ridiculous. Being consistent is the key. It sounds simple, yet life sometimes gets in the way even with our best intentions. So how can we go for the gold in our everyday lives and see profound, lasting change? Here are 5 tips to help you get to the top of your podium.  Photo by cottonbro studio Determine your "why"Your why is the core motivation and/or people behind your reasons for wanting to better your life. You need to clearly define why you want to make changes and who it will affect the most. When times get tough, a strong why will keep you going. A friend of mine was building a home business and her goal was to eventually quit her corporate job. She would get up early and stay up late working her other job in between. She was exhausted, but laser focused on her goals. Her why kept her going. She wanted to be more present in her kids' lives. She wanted to be at the bus stop every day for her kids when they became school age and staying focused on that kept her going even through the hardest times. She did eventually quit her corporate job and her home business is absolutely thriving due to her having a clearly defined why that kept her motivated.  Photo by Andrea Piacquadio Envison your end goalIf your goal is to be 40 lbs thinner, envision yourself as such and imagine what that type of healthier life will provide you. If you wish to be more financially fit and are working towards that, picture yourself debt free and what that will look like for you and your family. If you are wishing to become pregnant, decorate the nursery and imagine rocking that precious baby in your loving arms. Create a dream board of all that you aspire to achieve. Put it out there and speak positively about what you hope to achieve. Visualization is a very power tool. Keep picturing the life you will have when you attain your goal, envision it and dream it into reality.  Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash Speak and think positivelyPhrase what you want to become as if you have already achieved it such as: "I am a healthy, fit calm and relaxed mom" or "I am a highly successful business woman with a large team under me." Speak in absolutes like "WHEN this happens not IF this happens. This shows belief in yourself and your abilities. Don't let negative thoughts or self doubt creep in. Be your best cheerleader, not your worst critic. By speaking positively and putting it "out there "with confidence, it is your way of being accountable and saying, "Mark my words everyone, I am making this happen in my life."  Photo by Susan G. Komen 3-Day on Unsplash Surround yourself with positive peopleThey say you become like the five people you hang around with the most. Choose those five people very carefully. Make sure they are upstanding people of substance who keep you moving towards your goals, not against them. Gravitate towards people who edify you and fill your cup so you feel doubly inspired to pursue your dreams when you are with them.  Photo by Andres Ayrton Get a success partnerFind someone who is on a similar journey as you, with the same goals and partner up with them. Maybe you both want to start a home business or lose weight or save money. Work on it together and check in with each other often to see how each other is progressing. Share honestly how things are going even if you are struggling. These people will help you stay accountable too as you each day get a little closer to your goals. Remember that God is the greatest success partner and he wants to see you become all you can be. Call on him for strength, patience, and wisdom. Striving for a better life is a continuous process. We should all be striving to better ourselves in many areas as no one is ever too old to learn new things and all of us are truly works in progress. Life can get pretty comfortable, but nothing ever grows in a comfort zone. We need to want better things for our lives. I know I want better for my life each and every day. Don't lose heart. I believe in you. Keep being faithful. If you do, you will see results. It is the compound effect in action. Envision it with me. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes and see it. I see your flag being raised and I can hear the national anthem being played in your honour. Can't you see it and hear it too? Until next time ~ Dana Proverbs 16:3 ~ Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. Little Lesson Learned: Gold medal lifestyles are created by being faithful in the small, positive things each and every day. Copyright: © 2024, littlelessonslearnedbydana 2nd edition, first edition, 2016 Go For the Gold For more information on the book referenced in this blog please see: Hardy, D. (2011). The compound effect. Vanguard Press.
 Photo by Los Muertos Crew “Dance like nobody’s watching. Love like you never been hurt. Sing like nobody’s listening. Live like its heaven on earth.” Mark Twain I am not a dancer. For those who know me well, this confession clearly does not come as a shock to you. When it comes to dancing, I definitely have two left feet, but oh how I admire people who are gifted in this area. I used to love to watch Michael Jackson and the creative and unbelievable routines he would make up in his incredible music videos. Some people are just born with it, and he certainly was one of them. In my classroom I like to tease my students and do my “happy dance” when they really accomplish something special. I am sure I look foolish, but they enjoy this crazy routine. I guess I am creating a funny memory for them to recall if nothing else. Several years ago, I had a little girl in my class that I called "Little Miss Sunshine." She lit up the room every day with her infectious grin and zest for life. No matter how difficult the work may have been at times, her positive spirit and determination carried her through. I remember specifically when she found something in math challenging and then had that “a-ha” moment when it all came together, she would literally dance around my desk and room. She could not contain her excitement that she “got” it, and her reaction was priceless.  Photo by sarah Richardson Sometimes we have such a joyful experience that our happiness works its way right down to our toes. When you have those experiences, cherish them because for some of us they may be too few and far between. I remember driving along with my two kids one day when they were little, listening to Veggie Tales and Shannon saying, “Look Mom! My beet (feet) are dancing!” She was just so happy, even her tiny feet were showing it. Very cute. Sometimes I think we need to remind ourselves of all we have in life. All of us have reasons to dance, yet sometimes we forget what they are. We get so bogged down with the day-to-day pressures of life and familiar struggles, our once "dancing feet" are all too soon dragging on the floor. There is a YouTube sensational who calls himself Kid President. His goal in a nutshell is to “make the world awesome,” and he wants us to join him in that venture! I love to watch his videos. You can see what he is all about here. He also makes it his mission to give the world “a reason to dance!” This little guy can clearly get his groove on, yet I came to find out that he suffers from brittle bone disease and his great desire to dance puts him at great risk of personal injury. This touched my heart as it spoke to me about being positive and joyful even in tremendous adversity. He has dancing feet despite a severe and serious illness.  Happiness is a choice. We can choose to walk through life like a sad sack with our chins on the ground, or we can choose to be joyful even if there is not much to be joyful about. This is not always easy I know. My husband and I have experienced the loss of three babies, through miscarriage. This was a very difficult thing to walk through, and my heart goes out to anyone who has experienced this type of loss. After my last miscarriage, I experienced a very powerful dream that involved dancing, square dancing as a matter of fact. In my dream, my grandpa who had passed away several years before, came to me. I had been told prior to his arrival in my dream that he was being sent specifically to cheer me up, but I had to let him come and go as he pleased. My grandpa and I were extremely close, and he was an incredible and hilarious man who could make anyone laugh. I was ecstatic at the opportunity to see him again, if even in a dream for one last time. In the dream he chatted with me about my sadness, and he said he had come to cheer me up by doing a little square dancing together. We danced. We laughed. We chatted and all too soon it was over, and he had to go. I felt better though. My feet had danced with grandpa, and I felt refreshed and hopeful. I consider this dream a gift and I will always cherish it. I found dancing feet amid extreme sorrow and great loss.  Photo by Felix Rostig on Unsplash It is so easy to look at what is going wrong in our lives. We can get caught up in the negativity that often surrounds us, but I encourage you not to do that. See the good in things. See the good in people. Gravitate towards people who bring you up. Look for those people who set your feet to dancing. They are the people who bring out the best in you like my grandpa did. I heard a quote that said, “Choose to be with people who celebrate you, not tolerate you!” This is a very good thought to ponder and so very true. Some people just give off positive vibes and warmth. They make you feel like you matter and are very important. Those are the people we need when we are down and in need of a good dose of encouragement.  The Bible talks about that God turns our mourning to dancing. He gives us beautiful exchanges mentioned in scripture such as beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Sounds like a great trade off to me! It may be a long time since you have tried those dancing feet. They are available for you to use despite your set of hardships or challenges. They may be wobbly, and your steps may be clumsy, but choosing to be joyful not because of your circumstances, but despite them like the people I mentioned, will really carry you very far if you will consider this possibility. Oh yeah, and one more thing… Don’t worry about what you look like because I think the foolish prize went to me long ago, so you will be just fine, trust me. Until next time, Dana Psalms 30:11 ~ You turned my mourning to dancing... Little Lesson Learned: Everyone has a reason to dance. Don't forget to find yours.
Copyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana, 2nd edition, 2014 first edition (Dana Romualdi) Dana Romualdi, the copyright holder reserves all rights to the content on the blog and website Little Lessons Learned by Dana, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and display the content. No content or photographs may be reproduced or modified. Blogs may be shared on social media platforms in their entirety only with full credit given to the owner. Any photographs used by other photographers are used with permission and are also protected. All Rights Reserved. Tags: dancing, dancing feet, happy dance, joy, mourning to joy, emotional healing“Joy: the kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.” ~ David Steindl – Rast Check out part one in this series: |
AuthorDana Romualdi is a Canadian elementary teacher, social worker, blogger, author, motivational speaker and recording artist. She has a passion for helping others and spreading much-needed encouragement. She lives in Canada with her husband and two grown children. When she is not working in the classroom or blogging, she enjoys drinking coffee, watching Netflix and reading great books. |  The joys of my life: Tyler and Shannon, now 25 and 28. |  Click here for Where Joy Lives Part One in the Joy Series |
Photo by Olesia Buyar on Unsplash
“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy
and keep choosing it every day.”
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
and keep choosing it every day.”
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
The Christmas season is upon us and once again it is hard to believe how fast the year has gone by. The hustle and bustle of the season can leave us with a variety of emotions ranging from excitement to complete exhaustion.
As a young girl I loved to watch the Christmas specials every year. Among the cherished favourites was A Charlie Brown’s Christmas, which my siblings and I watched with great pleasure as a special and cherished family tradition.
Christmas was always a happy time for me growing up. I came from a strong, Christian family who loved each other dearly and put Christ at the center of Christmas. Christmas and life in general were all that it should be in my corner of the world as I was very unfamiliar with anything different. Naively I assumed that most families had the same experience as I did. With this is mind, it is understandable how I could not identify with people who did not have the joy of the season.
I recall being very confused when Charlie Brown confides in Lucy that he is struggling with feelings of sadness over the holidays, yet to his dismay he can’t quite pinpoint the reason. As a child that seemed inconceivable to me that anyone, especially a child could be sad at Christmas. Fortunately for Charlie Brown he made it through the holidays. With the support of friends and getting engaged in holiday traditions such as being involved in a Christmas play; he eventually finds peace and joy over the holidays. Needless to say though, it was definitely a painful process for him.
As I got older, it made complete sense to me. I came to realize that many people in life are very much like Charlie Brown. He was not as exceptional as I had once imagined.
The holidays lose their magic as you age and others too have difficulty with the holiday season. For some depression and sadness linger over the holidays like a heavy cloak. They hear songs like It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year over the loud speaker and all they want to do is cry. For them this time of year is anything but wonderful and certainly not the “happiest season of all,” as the song states.
Many people have deep sorrow and sadness in their lives throughout the year and the holidays can only accentuate that further in many cases.
Some have lost loved ones and their painful absence at a family get-together can be almost unbearable. Where some may hope the Christmas season like magic can make all sadness disappear, this is realistically not the case.
Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash
In my work as a clinical social worker at the Salvation Army I heard many sad stories of lives torn apart from substance abuse, poverty, great loss, and family dysfunction. It was especially difficult at Christmas for many. With all their other problems, these people were often living below the poverty line, so purchasing gifts was extremely challenging.
This is where the joy of giving rather than receiving really took action. The Salvation Army provides food baskets and toys for needy families year after year and it was so exciting to be a part of that rewarding process. As I would hand out bags of toys to thankful parents it was extremely touching to see the gratitude and relief on their faces. They knew that their Christmas would be a bit brighter due a little help from a caring community.
The carol Joy to the World understandably comes to mind when pondering this season. The lyrics are “Joy to the world. The Lord is come. Let Heaven and nature sing. Let every heart prepare him room.” The last line really hits home. The concept of “let every heart prepare Him room” is very thought provoking.
This speaks of the need and desire we all have to experience true joy, yet we need to make room for the One who is the "true joy giver."
Individually the choice is ours.
I was taught in Sunday school that to have true joy (J-O-Y), it meant to have Jesus first (J) others next (O) and yourself last. (Y) This does seem like a winning formula, yet many have not discovered this yet. Each person needs to prepare Christ room in his or her heart, yet sadly many have not taken that important step. Hearts can be so full of other desires, dreams, and pursuits that people miss the true reason they were created.
We were created to love God and put Him first. It says in God’s word: Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33) The “all these things” that this verse is speaking of includes the joy that we all are seeking. When we have our priorities straight and Christ is at the center of our lives, He helps us each day to discover the joy we desire.
We were never promised a perfect life as Christ followers, but we were also never meant to live this life on our own. In each one of us there is a deep void that longs to be filled to make us whole, and healthy individuals. Too many people are living life on autopilot. Their lives have become routine, perhaps comfortable, yet sadly no passion remains. Too often people seek to fill that void with fleeting whims and fancies and their joy dissipates like a puff of smoke. Empty and frustrated, they wonder when their lives will change. The Bible says that Christ came as a baby at Christmas to lead us to a life that is abundant and full, not stressful, and meaningless.
This is where the joy of giving rather than receiving really took action. The Salvation Army provides food baskets and toys for needy families year after year and it was so exciting to be a part of that rewarding process. As I would hand out bags of toys to thankful parents it was extremely touching to see the gratitude and relief on their faces. They knew that their Christmas would be a bit brighter due a little help from a caring community.
The carol Joy to the World understandably comes to mind when pondering this season. The lyrics are “Joy to the world. The Lord is come. Let Heaven and nature sing. Let every heart prepare him room.” The last line really hits home. The concept of “let every heart prepare Him room” is very thought provoking.
This speaks of the need and desire we all have to experience true joy, yet we need to make room for the One who is the "true joy giver."
Individually the choice is ours.
I was taught in Sunday school that to have true joy (J-O-Y), it meant to have Jesus first (J) others next (O) and yourself last. (Y) This does seem like a winning formula, yet many have not discovered this yet. Each person needs to prepare Christ room in his or her heart, yet sadly many have not taken that important step. Hearts can be so full of other desires, dreams, and pursuits that people miss the true reason they were created.
We were created to love God and put Him first. It says in God’s word: Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33) The “all these things” that this verse is speaking of includes the joy that we all are seeking. When we have our priorities straight and Christ is at the center of our lives, He helps us each day to discover the joy we desire.
We were never promised a perfect life as Christ followers, but we were also never meant to live this life on our own. In each one of us there is a deep void that longs to be filled to make us whole, and healthy individuals. Too many people are living life on autopilot. Their lives have become routine, perhaps comfortable, yet sadly no passion remains. Too often people seek to fill that void with fleeting whims and fancies and their joy dissipates like a puff of smoke. Empty and frustrated, they wonder when their lives will change. The Bible says that Christ came as a baby at Christmas to lead us to a life that is abundant and full, not stressful, and meaningless.
Photo by Preslie Hirsch on Unsplash
Are there any Charlie Brown’s out there?
Do you feel that there is joy everywhere else but in your corner of the world? Don’t despair. Happiness is a choice and with God by our sides, the burdens we carry become more bearable. This Christmas can be a real turning point for all of us if we allow it. As we choose to let Christ’s joy penetrate our lives, it spills out to others and changes us for the better.
Have you “prepared Him room” in your heart or perhaps you need to “prepare Him more room” in your heart?
These are questions only you can answer. Allowing Christ into your life and heart is the greatest Christmas gift you can give yourself. Preparing room for Him in your heart will put you on the path to the most joy filled and purposeful life you have ever known. The gift is just waiting for you! Won’t you open and receive it this Christmas?
~ Until next time,
Dana
Nehemiah 8:10 ~ Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Little Lesson Learned: A relationship with Christ is the best gift you could give yourself this holiday season. If you have never received this gift, won’t you consider it?
Copyright © 2021 littlelessonslearnedbydana
Do you feel that there is joy everywhere else but in your corner of the world? Don’t despair. Happiness is a choice and with God by our sides, the burdens we carry become more bearable. This Christmas can be a real turning point for all of us if we allow it. As we choose to let Christ’s joy penetrate our lives, it spills out to others and changes us for the better.
Have you “prepared Him room” in your heart or perhaps you need to “prepare Him more room” in your heart?
These are questions only you can answer. Allowing Christ into your life and heart is the greatest Christmas gift you can give yourself. Preparing room for Him in your heart will put you on the path to the most joy filled and purposeful life you have ever known. The gift is just waiting for you! Won’t you open and receive it this Christmas?
~ Until next time,
Dana
Nehemiah 8:10 ~ Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Little Lesson Learned: A relationship with Christ is the best gift you could give yourself this holiday season. If you have never received this gift, won’t you consider it?
Copyright © 2021 littlelessonslearnedbydana
Author
Dana Romualdi is a Canadian elementary teacher, social worker, blogger, and author. She has a passion for helping others and spreading much-needed encouragement. She lives in Canada with her husband and two grown children. When she is not working in the classroom or blogging, she enjoys drinking coffee, watching Netflix and reading great books.
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