You know the pesky little elf named Scout that comes around every Christmas to spy on the kids, called Elf on the Shelf?

Well, I’ve come up with another idea called “Self on a Shelf!”

What is “Self on a Shelf,” you may ask? It’s us spreading joy around, not a trouble-making- tattletale little elf.

This idea came to me the other morning just as I woke up about “self on a shelf,” and today, another thought came to me that I’m combining for this post.

 

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BE JOY

FEEL JOY

SPREAD JOY

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Being your “Self on a Shelf” means you “be joy!” (I know it’s not proper grammar, but you get what I mean.) Walk into a room or place and be joyful. Focus on joyful thoughts. Smile and surround yourself with joy. People will sense it. Your day will be great, as well as everyone else you interact with’s day. How cool, right?

Feel joy! Really feel it. What does it feel like to you to feel joy? Hold onto that thought. Close your eyes and bask in it. It does wonders for your body. It calms you down, and you feel peace. Seriously, it works. Try it. Get everything else out of your mind and just concentrate on feeling joy.  I guarantee a smile will form on your lips as you’re doing it.

Spread joy! Most of us think about spreading joy around this time of year when we hear Christmas music and watch Christmas specials and movies. We think about it because it’s spread around. How can you not feel joy when you see a silly Elf on the Shelf photo?

What if we capture that feeling all year round? And if we can feel it, we can spread it.

Why is it that some would rather deal with drama and negativity than feel joy? I don’t get it, but I’ve had experiences with people who only want that, and I realized that no matter what I say or do, they won’t evolve or see another way to live. If we come across people like that, sadly, we need to move on and be around people who appreciate joy and want to feel it themselves.

If we just took a few minutes each day and thought about something that ” *sparks joy,” we would create an amazing moment for ourselves and others we interact with because joy begets more joy. Did you ever notice when you feel joy and create a welcoming and festive atmosphere in your home that whoever is there or comes over tends to smile more and enjoy themselves? It’s because you’re spreading joy. It’s amazing!

So be your “Self on a Shelf” and create joy in your life to share with others. Give these ideas a try, and let me know if you see positive changes in your life. I’d love to hear back from you!

Thank you for reading this. I really do appreciate you all who read my words. I want to spread joy around. Hope your holiday season is going well, and don’t forget to stop and focus on the present moment. That’s where the joy is.

To the Self on the Shelf,

Francesca

 

* Marie Kondo, the organizational consultant, coined this idea of asking ourselves, ‘Does this item spark joy?’ when you’re trying to figure out what things to keep and what to get rid of when decluttering your space.