I could probably write a book about how this concept came about. I’ve mentioned it in the next book (which is rather lovely I think) so I thought it was appropriate to let you in on the secret. Just to be clear … it’s Lifejoy, not Lovejoy ~ the number of times someone says that to me is comical. “Hey Becca are you writing any more of them Lovejoy things pet?” Not really and no dodgy tales of an antique dealer in the beautiful English countryside either.
Lifejoy came about during desperate times. Times when joy was far from sight. I’ve had a good chunk of those times in life and use the lessons from them with grace and hope. Mainly it has been about fortitude. I used to think it was about resilience (which is why I wrote my first book: Lifejoy ~ Your Manual for Resilient Living because it is such a vital quality for joyous living. We need to be motivated to keep going and resilience is the older, wiser sibling of hopeful living. Now I have graduated to the ideal of fortitude which is the grandparent of resilience ~ older, wiser, and ready to crusade through the challenges.
I wanted a concept that embodied the values by which we live. I kept seeing that to live well we must love well ~ to seek the treasure and be the treasure ~ that we have a duty of reciprocation from the very start. There were all kinds of words in my mind that I wanted to connect in a meaningful manner that wouldn’t be sentimental but a superpower for our souls. For a while I thought about FaithHopeLove or LifeHopeFun and about a hundred others that manifested themselves at some midnight hour. The fact that I had just finished my doctorate, had very poorly parents, and frail health myself only added to the self-imposed pressure to get it right.
Because I was being asked to do lots of talks and speeches in those early years, I stumbled across the alliteration of Lifejoy Lecture ~ to inspire and inform. It just seemed to fit. The term lecture is not always viewed as inspiring but when a really good speaker starts off it can be so.
My core intention for this work would be that I hoped to write, speak, and inspire. I’ve tried to do that for the last decade during talks, lectures, services, and books. I’ve come full circle now and back to my most joyous endeavour ~ finding some thoughts that might just help with our perspective about challenges, joyous living, and loving fortitude. I know that at the times in life when I feel my knees are bending that my Lifejoy is always beckoning from those I love most and the work that flows from that care.
What is your Lifejoy? The times when you feel most alive? As if there were electricity flowing up from your your feet and allowing you to gallop through your hours? When you do find that elusive joy, you’re finding the blessings and being the blessing. I hope that helps. (If you’re in the mood for an adventure in antiques I am sure we can direct you to the Drama channel as Lovejoy is on perpetual repeat. Tell them I said hello!)
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