joyful2beeblogs

On November 11, 2012 I started writing this blog. I started it with great purpose and hopes that it would help brighten someone’s day, or remind someone of something to help them through a rough time. I am the archetypal storyteller and my friends can vouch for me that I do talk a lot. Well, thanks to blogging I have been able to spread out that “talking” and hopefully make good use of it.

Writing became a voice for me about twelve years ago. I was a member of a group which was part of a television station’s website. We became cyber neighbors who shared, supported, helped and often made each other laugh. Many of my “neighbors” responded to my posts about humor or my grandmother, or about my cats.

I became addicted to storytelling/writing. The group was eventually closed. But I stay in touch with many of those same people on Facebook.

Through my writing I wanted to carry out one of my goals in life: to try to spread a little sunshine in times when things are rough. I do not want to force happiness on anyone who a has a terrible situation to deal with. Difficult events and problems take time to deal with and recover from. Rather I want to put a spark of light out there for anyone who can use a little light at the end of the tunnel.

Everyone has a calling in this world. Trying to make a positive difference is another goal of mine. I think the first part of the “Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi” expresses my objectives so beautifully. I try to be good at all of them but sowing joy, light, peace and love are my callings.

 “Lord make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

  where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy;”

When I was a child my parents woke us kids each morning with the words, “Rise and shine.” I guess I took that to heart since I almost always wake up every morning with a happy, expectant outlook for the day. (Though now I am slower at getting started and the smile doesn’t come quite as freely.)

I try to put the negative events of the previous day into the past and proceed with a fresh slate for the new day. This attitude can be taken too far, I realize, and become an habitual denial of the negative events of the past day, thereby often not allowing resolution of pain.

In my case for many years, trying to maintain a positive attitude helped me get through some rough times. You can read about these experiences in a couple of my blogs. But even those painful experiences made me the me I am today! I like the me I am now.

My father was a very positive influence on my disposition, teaching me to make the best of bad situations. When life got rough, I actually wanted so badly to be happy that I tried to present as happy and peaceful demeanor as I could. This was good for my family, me, and as a nurse, often for my patients. That said, some situations do call for a different, more appropriate behavior.

One way I try to “light a little candle” is: I smile at strangers who give eye contact and have always noticed a true, sincere smile returned back to me.

Another thing I do is speak to those who are often ignored as they stand behind the cash register or provide some underappreciated service to others. They always smile and thank me.

One cashier even opened up and told me of a concern she was worried about, just because I asked her if she was alright. (She had a sad expression on her face.)

I have been told that I have a positive affect on people I come in contact with. This makes me feel that I am fulfilling my goal maybe just maybe, I am making a difference in my part of the world.

So I wanted to name my blogsite something to do with joy. Since I have used joyful2beme as a pseudonym for reviews, I decided to use it as the base for my blog title. But I wanted to make the blog’s title stand out as unique so I made “be” into “bee,” (so someone would say, “Oh, that is a typo!” And continue to read to see if I really didn’t know how to type or spell. LOL. Not really.)

I like to think that people are reading my blog posts because they enjoy them or find them interesting. So thank you all on Facebook who are friends or cyber friends, who follow, read and enjoy my blog. I do apologize that I can’t read a lot of other bloggers’ posts but I do appreciate you all and applaud your enthusiasm for writing and sharing. We all can make a difference.