BE THE CHANGE - WEEK 11: Feb. 9-15 Joy, Creavity & Humor “Discovering more joy does not save us from the inevitability of hardships and heartbreak. In fact, we may cry more easily, but we will also laugh more easily, too. Perhaps we are just more alive. Yet as we discover more joy, we can face suffering in a way that ennobles rather than embiers. We have hardship without being hard. We have heartbreak without being broken. ” Archbishop Desmond Tutu Joy has found its way into our 90-day program to remind us that, as we take conscious acon, we need not lose our joy in living. We know that while happiness is oſten seen as an external state dependent on outer circumstances, joy is an inner state of mind and heart. Indeed, joy, as Archbishop Tutu points out, makes everything more do-able. We have paired joy with creavity and humor to remind us all of the importance of relaxing, allowing and enjoying, even when pursuing “very serious” issues and goals! In fact, my teacher Thich Nhat Hanh instuted a “lazy” day for his fellow humanitarian aid workers during the Vietnam War to relax, play and rest. When was the last “lazy” day you took – with no agenda, nothing to do but rest, relax and enjoy? Creavity always results from this kind of me! Why not try it? Dr. Andrea This week’s assignments: 6 Days a Week: Do ten minutes or more of spiritual pracce. 6 Days a Week: Read the daily passages from Mark Nepo’s “The Book of Awakening” - Feb. 9-15. Watch/Listen to 2 talks this week: Michael Meade - “The Need for the Ecstac” hps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0dlM6Ii3ww Elizabeth Gilbert - “Your Elusive Creave Genius” hp://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius TRIPPING OVER JOY What is the difference Between your experience of Existence And that of a saint? The saint knows That the spiritual path Is a sublime chess game with God And that the Beloved Has just made such a Fantasc Move That the saint is now connually Tripping over Joy And bursng out in Laughter And saying, “I Surrender!” Whereas, my dear, I am afraid you sll think You have a thousand serious moves. ― Hafez Photo Credit: Ronna J. Biggs Willamee Valley Sunflowers