You’ve heard it a thousand times: “What you see is what you get.” But do you take it to heart?
Joyful Springers gaze upward. They know their focus determines their reality, so they focus on the “ups” in life instead of the “downs.”
You’re in control of where you put your attention. Use that power well to create abundance and beauty in your life!
[Even though Angel Riley has crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, she can still uplift us with her beauty.]
Every morning when you wake up, you have a choice. You can either approach your day as if it was routine and go through the motions OR you can open your day the Joyful Springer way:
Joyful Springers unbox the goodies. They see each day as a package of delightful gifts waiting to be explored and savored.
Your mindset creates your experience. So what are you going to choose today?
[Ducky had a grand time exploring the goodies in the fun box from Helen and Rich Gibbons (Pump, Butch, & Angel Riley's momma and daddy). They sent us wonderful toys and treats for Ducky and other great gifts--all with a "ducky" and doggy theme. It was a delightful surprise!! Thanks, Helen & Rich!! 
]
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We do a lot of things we know aren’t good for us. Can that change? Sure. We just have to get control of our thoughts.
Joyful Springers look away from temptation. When some substance or action isn’t good for them, they turn their attention to something that is good for them.
Giving up a bad habit can be relatively simple when you get your mind involved. Turn your attention to actions and situations that serve you, and the ones that don’t will simply fall away from lack of use.
[Ducky wanted to rip into this bag as soon as we set it down. It had one of her Christmas presents in it. But she kept it together while we took a photo. ]
When we have ongoing problems, we tend to spend all our time thinking about them. We believe all that focus on the problem will help us solve it. But this isn’t true. Relentless focus on problems just keeps them around.
Joyful Springers table it once in awhile. They suspend their focus on problems and instead take a nice nap or find something fun to do. When they do this, their energy shifts, and solutions have a tendency to show up.
If you’re obsessing over a problem you think you must solve, try setting it aside for a bit. Clear your head. Go for a walk. Watch a funny movie. Take a snooze. Shift your attention to something pleasing, and you’ll probably get an inspired idea to solve that problem once and for all.
[Pumpkin is back. This 3-year old girl from Southern Pines, North Carolina discovered the joys of lying on a table after a foster dog, Kiki, now Josie, staying with the Gibbons family got up on the table. Now, Pump and her brother, Butch, play "king of the mountain" with that table, according to their momma, Helen Gibbons. So Helen lets them lie on that table, just that one. She removes it from time to time then brings it back, thinking they've outgrown their love of it, but they get back on it again. So she allows them have their fun. Thanks, Pump, for guest starring again on The Joyful Springer..]
The world is full of things we can pay attention to … things both good and bad. We have a tendency to pay more attention to the bad than the good.
Joyful Springers observe good things intently. They may see tragedy and pain and injustice, but they give these little scrutiny. They shift instead to look at love and fun and beauty.
The world is a big smorgasbord of delight and despair. When you choose to intently focus on the delight, you’ll find that the delight grows to turn the world around you into a more joyful place.
[Muggins and my parents' dog, Mickey, who passed away in 2009, always observed intently when Dad was working in the kitchen!]
Everyday, we live the results of seeds we planted in the past. Some people call these results consequences. Some people call them goals. No matter what we call them, we have a choice in what we “pick.” We can give our attention to the results of our mistakes or to the results of our thoughtful actions.
Joyful Springers harvest jubilance. They choose to pay more attention to the nourishing things their past actions have created instead of lamenting the weeds of their mistakes.
Some of what you’re living today may not be what you want. But what good does it do to beat yourself up about what you did to create what you don’t want? Instead look at what you’ve created that you DO like. Then go plant some more seeds like that to create more good things to harvest.
[Meet Max. This gorgeous seven-year old Irish setter mix from Bavaria, Germany is a pretty special guy. His owner, Christina Hegele, says Max is not only incredibly playful, he’s a great listener: “He’ll tilt his head when you ask a question.” She says he’s a great talker too. When you imitate normal dog sounds, you can get him into a "conversation." It’s obvious he’s a very happy fellow. Thanks, Max, for being a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer.]
Benjamin Franklin said, “To the discontented man no chair is easy.”
Joyful Springers make every chair easy. They choose contentment by focusing on what’s going right in their lives instead of relentlessly staring at what’s wrong.
Even if your life isn’t exactly what you want it to be now, you can decide to be content with what is. If just one little thing is going right, you have a reason to feel good. Relax into the best part of your life, and all your chairs will be easy.
[Meet BB. This gorgeous 12-year old girl from North Carolina loves chairs. Her momma, Darlene, says BB "always needs a chair." Thanks, BB, for being a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer.]
Musician Duke Ellington once said about something he composed, “I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.”
The day after Christmas can be a let down. It’s understandable to pout about the wonder being over. Pouting is okay, but it’s important not to waste it.
Joyful Springers direct their pouts. When they feel bad, they focus that energy in a productive, positive direction. They use whatever has caused them to pout to get clear about what they want.
Feeling bad about a loss or disappointment is natural. But don’t wallow in a pouting place. Use the pout as a jumping off point for something good, something even better than what you’ve lost.
[Sweet Pea is back. You can see why this seven-month old's mom, Denise, thinks she's pretty special, can't you? Look at this face!! Sweet Pea delights all who know her in Wheaton, Illinois. Thanks, Sweet Pea, for guest starring again on The Joyful Springer.]
Everyday, we have a choice. We can either link into the “chain of pain” in the world–the complaints and problems and crud–or we can join the “pile of presents”–all the fun and beauty and love.
Joyful Springers join the pile. They know that even though pain is of course present in the world, they don’t have to add to it by focusing on it incessantly. They know that for every loss there’s a gain, and they choose to pay more attention to the gain.
Even when it seems that everything is going wrong, there’s always something going right. When you put all your attention on what’s right, you build up that pile of right; and everything get’s better and better.
[Meet River! This six-month old bundle of love and energy is Abigail LaPan's new Springer, who joined Abigail and her family this summer. River has big paws to fill. Abigail's last, beloved Springer, Oliver, passed away in February. It was my privilege to honor him on this site in April, when Abigail and her family were still deeply grieving his passing. Abigail says that River has helped bring Abigail peace about Oliver's death.
I can so relate to Abigail's feelings because Ducky has done the same for me regarding Muggins' passing. So this post is in celebration of River and all the new animals who come into our lives to remind us that though loved ones' physical bodies may leave, their love never does. And this post is dedicated to Oliver and all the other remarkable animals who give their devotion to us and touch us so profoundly that their imprint lasts forever. Thanks, River, for being a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer!]
One of the meanings of cornucopia is, “An overflowing store; an abundance.” On days like Thanksgiving, we create a cornucopia of food and family celebration, and we focus on blessings. But what about the rest of the year?
Joyful Springers concentrate on the cornucopia. All year long, they look to all the ways they have abundance in their life, all the ways abundance flows in the world.
Every day, in every moment, you have access to lack and to abundance. It’s up to you what you focus on.
[For Ducky, everyday brings a cornucopia of treats, fun, love, and ... Momma making her do silly things for the camera.]
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