What Brings Me Joy!

Elation,?great happiness and exhilaration.

Joy,?a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.

While watching the Super Bowl this year it was brought to my attention by one of the sportscasters that only one team of the 32 will be happy at the end of the season.? Yes, I knew that, however, it started me thinking of my own happiness as well as my readers.

Earlier this year I wrote an article on being annoyed, and I made a list of over 100 things that annoy me.? I thought it would be interesting to make a list of those things that bring me joy and elation with my hope being to complete the list in less than an hour and exceed my annoyed list.? Also, I want to see this list so that I can do a better job of expressing thanks for those things (as in people) who bring me joy.

The good news is that I was able to create the list of joy filled items in less than one hour, exceeding the count from my annoyed list.? More important is that I now better understand what brings me joy.? Here below are some of the highlights of my daily routine:

Time at home with Lynne:? Last month we celebrated 49 years of marriage.? Routine has become the norm.? Sharing the kitchen brings me joy.? Washing and/or drying dishes brings me joy.? Preparing food from a recipe brings me joy.? Elation comes from creating a new dish from scratch and sharing it with Lynne, especially when she enjoys my cooked creation.? Going out to eat with Lynne brings me joy, particularly when we get free breakfast at Starbucks!

Care for Jude:? Jude is the sixth dog we have rescued since 1974.? My greatest joys have come from caring for these canines.? Their personalities were mostly different with some similar traits showing through.? I can truly relate to the bumper sticker message I often see, “Who saved who?”? For the last nine years Jude and I walk morning and evening, sometimes three miles at a time.? One of my fondest memories of Jude will be the morning we got caught in a rainstorm.? We both were soaked to the skin by the time we returned to the house.? I smile every time I remember that morning.

Jude is food motivated.? He will celebrate his 13th?birthday in November.? When he sees me getting ready to fill his food dish for breakfast and dinner he spins and jumps.? I am so thankful that he still acts like a puppy, twice a day it brings a smile to my face as he does his food dance.

Staying Current: ?Running INTEGRITY Networking Solutions keeps me current with sales and marketing trends.? Talking to clients and looking for prospects keeps me fresh.? Some clients have been clients/friends for more than 20 years.

Walking the neighborhoods over the last few years has given me the opportunity to make new friends, many who have become more like family.? As I continue to network through non-profit organizations I am meeting new people who share new ideas regarding car hobby and property maintenance trends in the Arizona desert.

Maintaining two properties: ?Some property owners hate yard work.? I relish it!? Great exercise and at 74 years young I look forward to raking, trimming, watering, etc.? During the summer heat I am stimulated further as I sweat from head to toe.? While maintaining our properties I often see Arizona’s nature at its finest.? The wildlife in Arizona is unique compared to other areas we have lived.

Good health: ?Exercise, eating right, and prayer collectively contribute to my good health.

Since January of 2006 everything that goes into my mouth has gotten written on paper.? The? recording and review of these documents brings me joy.? Early in my journey as a Weight Watcher ? I recorded in a weekly paper journal.? Today, I record in a journal that is a book initiated with blank pages.? Every day starts with the date, recording Jude’s food consumption, my consumption of supplements, recording my morning weight (before bed recording my weight,) and the amount of points I am allowed based on my Weight Watchers ? program.

I have been exercising six days per week for many years.? It is often said that one should not compare ourselves to others.? Yet, as I look at my contemporaries, those who are of similar age I see what exercise has done for me in terms of flexibility, strength, mental acuity, and increasing my comfort regarding longevity.? Many of those who are? my age and younger suffer because they shun exercise.?

My sustenance comes from daily prayer and weekly Bible study.? My faith keeps me centered.? Early in my life I found it easy to fall into negative thinking.? It affected everything around me which included my personal and business relationships.? Reading positive messages as written in my daily prayer book and Bible keeps my mind focused on being a supportive citizen which keeps me smiling.

In conclusion, these are only a few examples of what brings me joy and elation.? How about you?? I would love to read/hear your thoughts.

For questions and more information see contact access below:

What are you willing to do to attract the right prospects and generate more referrals? To contact INTEGRITY Networking Solutions for availability and information, call/text 760-439-4623.?You can contact Gerry by mail at 5107 W. Wild Burro Spring Drive, Marana, AZ 85658,?e-mail to?[email protected].?For more information, go to?www.integritysd.com

Gerry Rose runs INTEGRITY Networking Solutions in Marana, AZ.?He works with people in business who want to attract the right prospects and generate more referrals.?More than 10,000 businesses have been presented the INTEGRITY Networking Solutions system in San Diego, Riverside, Orange Counties, California and now in Arizona.

Gerry’s stimulating presentation?Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals?is ideally suited for small business owners, home-based businesses, and independent professionals who want clearer direction and want to attract more prospects, develop dynamic systems, and strengthen their companies’ accountability.?Gerry does one on one consulting, conducts a range of keynote speeches from thirty minutes to full-day education workshops.?His book series,?Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, are available on the website,?www.integritysd.com.

Gerry has more than 20 years’ experience directing business owners how to grow their businesses.?He is a networking dynamo.?Those who know him will assure you that he does a great job of bringing people together—which is why he started Integrity.?Involved with networking organizations since 1984, Gerry is a Distinguished Toastmaster, and has chaired numerous chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations.

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