• #42 (no title)

Barbara Scoville, LCSW

~ Pioneers of Peace™

Barbara Scoville, LCSW

Tag Archives: Happiness

Valentine’s Day and VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center

14 Saturday Feb 2015

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Altruism, homeless, homeless youth, humanitarian service, making a difference, Pioneers of Peace, Resilience

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Anna Stapley, Center Coordinator VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center, Charity, Compassion, Happiness, Homeless Youth Resource Center, Humanitarian Programs, Kindness, Maya Angelou, POP Operation Love Bundles, Quality of life, Target, Volunteers of America

POP Operation Love Bundles Drop Off Day -Annie Peterson from Target standing next To Anna Stapley, Center Coordinator  VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center

POP Operation Love Bundles Drop Off Day -Annie Peterson from Target standing next To Anna Stapley, Center Coordinator VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center

IMG_2843I sat down at my desk, opened my computer, and while I was waiting for WordPress to load, I lifted my eyes from the screen to look out the window. The wind chimes hanging by my back door were singing, as were the birds, and I beheld the beautiful sunrise pictured above. A perfect Valentine’s Day morning.

Aside from the picturesque sky, I can attest to “There is beauty all around.” That phrase is from a popular hymn that continues with… “when there’s love at home.” 

Maya Angelou said ” I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself”

Yesterday finally arrived. We loaded up seven over-sized Target bags holding two hundred “POP Love Bundles,” and delivered them to Volunteers of America (VOA) Homeless Youth Resource Center.

We were welcomed by a lovely young man who offered to help us carry the heavy bags inside. Once inside, we saw food for the taking lining the shelves. We met Anna Stapley the program coordinator and she took us on a tour of this amazing facility.

1f2fe7729753dc4b7b561999f4166fdd

When they say “Homeless Youth Resource Center,” they aren’t kidding! From the outside, the building looks quite small. When you walk in, the space feels cramped…but just you wait; as we began touring we felt like one of the below:

  1. We had actually walked into Dr. Who’s Tardis
  2. Hermione Granger dipped her hand into her magical purse
  3. IKEA had swooped in making the best possible use of this very small space

There were shelves holding large bins of hygiene supplies, baby supplies, food, clothing, shoes, backpacks, blankets, dress clothes for job interviews, sleeping bags and much more.

There were two computers, seven showers, a large open area that I think doubled for serving meals and holding groups.

The center is open:

Mon – Fri  9:15 am- 1 pm (drop in-center)

Mon – Fri  9 am – 5 pm (appointment only or drop donations)

Breakfast served: Mon-Fri 9:15 am – 9:45 am

Lunch served: Mon-Fri  1- 1:30 pm

Dinner served: Friday only 4-4:30 pm

Different groups offered include: Art group, Get an I.D., Horizonte Group (GED and education), Yoga Group, Music Group, Haircut and a Movie Group, Homeless Court (for kids with legal problems), Zine Group (run by the Community Writing Center) and two other groups for talking about what’s on your mind and learning new skills.

…and the services continue…case managers helping youth get connected to community resources, job interviewing skills, assistance for obtaining new social security cards (remember, you can’t get a job without a social security card,) and so much more that I can’t even begin to do it justice. I can’t remember the exact ratio of full time employees to volunteers but I do know there are 20 who give their time freely to help vulnerable youth get stabilized.

Volunteers of America’s mission statement is:

Volunteers of America, Utah is a ministry of service organized to reach and uplift those in greatest need and to provide opportunities to experience the joy of serving others.                

We at Pioneers of Peace resonate with that sentiment wholeheartedly.

Right now I wish you could feel what is inside my heart. Take a moment and try to imagine the feeling of seeing so much good being done for so many vulnerable people and then on top of that, add all of the effort on everyone’s part to make POP Operation Love Bundles possible.

We would like to thank each one of you who contributed to the success of this project. From cheering us on, to sending positive energy and prayers and sharing our goals, to financial support, making scarves, buying fabric, socks, protein bars and lip balm. Thank you for writing quotes on paper cranes and then lovingly folding them, and also the actual assembling of the love bundles; We say…THANK YOU! WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT WE COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT. We have all walked, not just talked.

Our rough calculations show that together we spent $1,030.00 and served 100+ hours for POP Operation Love Bundles. Well done everyone!

Our goal was to let our homeless youth know they are not forgotten. We hope in some small way we fulfilled Maya Angelou’s beautiful quote.

” I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself”

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone XOXO

~Barbara

IMG_2756
IMG_2783
American Fork, Utah Target Employees are ROCK STARS!!!
American Fork, Utah Target Employees are ROCK STARS!!!
IMG_2795
IMG_2806
POP Operation Love Bundles Drop Off Day -Annie Peterson from Target standing next To Anna Stapley, Center Coordinator VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center
POP Operation Love Bundles Drop Off Day -Annie Peterson from Target standing next To Anna Stapley, Center Coordinator VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center
1f2fe7729753dc4b7b561999f4166fdd
IMG_2843

P.S. FYI, VOA HYRC can always use donations. For more info visit www.voaut.org

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

To the Young Man Sitting Outside the Door

09 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Altruism, homeless, homeless youth, humanitarian service, making a difference, Pioneers of Peace

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

American Fork, Charity, Compassion, empathy, friends, Giada De Laurentiis, Gratitude, Happiness, Kindness, Pioneers of Peace, Resilience, Target

American Fork, Utah Target Employees are ROCK STARS!!!

American Fork, Utah Target Employees are ROCK STARS!!!

I was running late already, but when I turned left instead of right my fate was sealed. As I approached the library in a harried state, I saw a young man hanging out close to where I was going to park my car. Is this safe, I questioned.

No time to worry now; just park the car and get everything inside. Everyone will be arriving soon; we have booked the library for two hours. Will everybody show up? … and the big question, will we be able to assemble 200 love bundles in that amount of time?

P1020354

Everyone did show up. We folded the scarves in half length wise and laid them out across the conference table. It was kind of like making Giada De Laurentiis’s lasagna roll ups. First the scarf, then a layer of socks, next a layer of hand warmers, and on top of that a protein bar. Alongside the protein bar, lip balm, and then the piece de resistance, a paper crane containing the most important spice; an inspirational quote. Roll that all up nice and neat and tie it with a piece of raffia. Viola a “Love Bundle.”

Someone was singing “Rollin, rollin, rollin, rollin, rollin, rollin”, there were other songs from the Lion King, and comments like, “I am rocking these love bundles,” and “Make sure you blow a kiss into each one of these babies.” We talked about the TV show Blacklist, catching fireflies when we were kids and Moulin Rouge. Each team member disclosed their signature strengths and opportunities and at one point, someone said, “I feel really close to you guys right now.” It was hard to tell if the comment was playful or dare I say sarcastic, but personally… I felt like I had 6 new best friends.

Because of all the frivolity I don’t recall when I first noticed, but I saw that the boy who was standing by my parking place had moved inside. He was sitting on a chair that made it possible for him to see everything we were doing. Throughout the two and a half hours we were there, my eye would catch him, and I was reminded he was there.

What’s he doing? Something is not right. At times I couldn’t tell if he was sleeping or just slumped over playing on his phone. Is he homeless? Is he waiting for someone? Does he just like hanging out at the library?

And then I would be carried away in the friendly atmosphere of new found friends who on their own time, chose to come together to make a difference in the lives of homeless adolescents.

Someone once posed a question similar to this, “If a star appeared in the sky that held some great significance: would you see it?” I’ve thought a lot about that question over the past month and have wondered if I would.

About an hour and a half into assembling “Operation Love Bundles,” I walked out into the hall and approached the young man. I said, “Just hanging out at the library today?” He didn’t look up at me, but said in a flat voice, “Yeah.” I said, “You’ve been sitting here a long time.” Again, without looking up, he said “Yeah.”

I walked back into the assembly room wondering if I should do anything more.

To make a long story short, I didn’t. We finished the project and ended with so much oxytocin floating through the room, it was intoxicating. Thank you’s and promises of working together again on a charitable cause carried us out to our cars.

Out to our cars… As we were loading up 7 oversized Target bags containing 200 love bundles, I noticed the boy standing in the same place he was standing when I drove up. What is he doing I asked myself again. Should I do something? Should I give him a love bundle? Should I ask him if he is okay?

I drove away.

Today is February 9. We are dropping the bundles off at HYRC on the 13th. We are experiencing a record breaking heat wave in Salt Lake City. Our love bundles were created to let homeless youth know they are not forgotten and to keep them warm on cold nights. Participation on this project has been overwhelming. Many have walked, not just talked and for that, we at Pioneers of Peace are so grateful. We know there is a magical synergy that takes place between the giver and the receiver, and all are measurably edified…and that’s what Pioneers of Peace is all about.

But as I reflect back on “Assembly Day,” I can’t help but think I missed the star. If I could have a do-over, at the very least, I would call up my courage and try harder to engage the young man. Perhaps I would’ve asked him to help us. What is the irony in putting together 200 love bundles in the middle of a heat wave when there might have been 1 with us from start to finish, and we did nothing.

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” `Maya Angelou

To that young man, I say, “I am so sorry. I will do better next time.”

 

1240447_10200648736848566_795156431_n

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

Visions of Red Cups Danced in their Heads

28 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Altruism, The Pioneers of Peace Thanks"Giving" Cup Campaign

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

altruism, Compassion, Gratitude, Happiness, Humanitarian Programs, Pioneers of Peace, positive mental health, Quality of life, Resilience, Thanksgiving, World Food Programme, World Hunger

 

IMG_2577The children were all nestled snug in their beds…while visions of filled red cups danced in their heads

Last night, in many homes, children went to bed with a new understanding of what Thanksgiving means.

Either before or after their bounteous feasts, they spilled the change they had collected through the month of November out on tables and counted how many school meals they could give.

They knew every combination of 25 cents they could find would feed one child.

FullSizeRender

The excitement built as they saw the meals adding up. How empowered they felt when they realized that by their own efforts, they made a difference in not just one person’s life, but in many cases 50 plus lives.

Adult’s hearts swelled as they saw the seeds of altruism taking root in their children.

The feelings the kids were expressing became contagious, and before you knew it, adults were adding to the count by pulling out dollar bills and running out to their cars to find whatever change they could to keep the spirit of giving alive.

A small child beaming with smiles was overheard to say “We’ve got a billion meals…don’t even get me started.” The joy was spreading farther and farther and before the end of the night everyone got a glimpse of where true happiness comes from… GIVING.

As of this writing Pioneers of Peace™Thanks “Giving” Cup Campaign has made a difference by providing 3,276 school meals

red cup 1130 revised

There is a wonderful synergistic energy that is created between giver and receiver. Everyone is equally enlarged by the experience.

This has truly been a beautiful Thanksgiving, and the beginning of many more to come.

Check us out on our Facebook page. Pioneers of Peace™Thanks “Giving” Cup Campaign, and if you are so inclined to give to our cause, here is the link http://my.wfpusa.org/popthanksgivingcupcampaign

May you always find your cup half full 🙂

Barbara

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

David Steindl-Rast says: Grateful people are happy people; Not the other way around

23 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Emotion School, Life Mastery Skills, Mindfulness, Pioneers of Peace, Resilience

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Gratitude, Happiness, Peaceful World

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Power of Words

17 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Caregiver's Storyboard, Life Mastery Skills, Mindfulness, Pioneers of Peace, Quotes, Resilience, Wellness

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Buddha, Charity, Compassion, empathy, Happiness, Kindness, Mindfulness, Peace, Pioneers of Peace, Resilience, The Power of Words

Image 6Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace. ~Buddha

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

Pink Milk Nights and Looking Forward

02 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Emotion School, Life Mastery Skills, Mindfulness, Resilience, Wellness

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Adventure, Authenticity, Balance, Compassion, Courage, Creativity, Happiness, health, Inspiration, Joseph Campbell, Mindfulness, New Year, New Year's Eve, New Year's Resolutions, Simplicity

photo

“You must give up the life you planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you.” ~ Joseph Campbell

 Pink Milk Nights and Looking Forward

As I sit writing this post, I’m drinking a cup of herbal tea heavily laden with orange blossom honey.  Looking out my bedroom window, I see the Oquirrh  Mountains which are blanketed with lavender snow and touched by peach colored clouds. Heaven. Tonight promises to be a “Pink Milk Night.”

When my children were young we made a special treat when the evening sky was pink. Grenadine syrup and milk; aka “Pink Milk.” Happy memories of days gone by fill my mind as I ponder the year to come.

I don’t know what this year will bring and I have learned to be careful about exerting too much will over the future. This year I look to principles rather than outcomes

Rather than lose 20 pounds… I choose health.

Rather than going to Europe… I choose mind-expanding adventure.

Rather than cleaning and de-cluttering my home… I choose simplicity.

Rather than saving and making more money… I choose abundance.

Rather than gaining 1000 readers… I choose authenticity.

Rather than folding 1000 cranes… I choose creativity.

Rather than being confident… I choose courage.

Rather than being efficient with my time… I choose to be mindful.

Rather than striving for perfection… I choose balance.

Rather than numbering the ways I will serve… I choose compassion.

Rather than reading countless books…I choose inspiration.

Rather than trying to fix what is wrong… I choose happiness.

Tonight may you begin the journey of finding the life that is waiting for you in 2014. Happiest of New Year‘s to you my dear friends.

Love,

Barbara

IMG_0775

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

Wisdom

12 Tuesday Nov 2013

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Emotion School, Life Mastery Skills, Mindfulness, Pioneers of Peace, Quotes, Resilience, Wellness

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Happiness, Kindness, Lao Tzu, Peace, Pioneers of Peace, Religion and Spirituality, Wisdom

IMG_0549

Keep a green bough in your heart, and a singing bird will come. ~Lao Tzu

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

Which Wolf Will You Feed?

08 Friday Nov 2013

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Emotion School, Life Mastery Skills, Pioneers of Peace, Resilience, Wellness

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Buddha, Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness Love and Wisdom, Happiness, Kindness, Rick Hanson

images

This week I went to a seminar with Rick Hanson Ph.D who wrote Buddha’s Brain and Hardwiring for Happiness

images

He shared a Native American legend about a beloved elderly woman. When she was asked by those who admired her what her secret to happiness was, she replied, “When I was young I realized I had two wolves living inside of my heart; a kind wolf and an angry wolf. I decided to feed the kind wolf.”

I love that. Which wolf do you want to feed?

Learn about Dr. Rick Hanson at http://www.rickhanson.net

Cheers 🙂

Barbara

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

Need Energy? Try Gratitude

22 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Energy, expressing gratitude, Gratitude, Happiness, Life satisfaction, satisfaction survey, Self awareness, transcendent moments

Image

Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world. ~ John Milton

NOTE: IF YOU DON”T HAVE MUCH TIME, SKIP TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST AND WATCH THE YOU TUBE VIDEO. IT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO 🙂

July 15, 2013 5:52 am

imagesLast week in my post Journal Fever and Life Satisfaction , I began a personal experiment in which I wrote the first of three letters expressing gratitude. The experiment will continue over an 8-week period of time; writing my second and third letters in two-week intervals. Right before I wrote my first letter, I completed a life satisfaction survey to establish my baseline and will finish up the experiment with a post-test 2 weeks after my third letter has been written. Of course I’m curious to see if I fall into the majority of those whose life satisfaction scores improved.

As I was writing my first letter I had some disturbing feelings, which has caused me to pursue the concept of gratitude on a deeper level this week.

I’m just going to make myself naked here and admit… there were moments when I felt like I was falling off a cliff because I couldn’t think quickly enough of what I was grateful for. The thoughts were not coming the way I assumed they would.

wile-e-coyote-falling-off-cliff-350x262

I didn’t lift my pencil once in the 20 min period of time I was allowed, but it gave me real anxiety, and actually a fair amount of shame. I’ve always considered gratitude to be one of my strengths, so when I found myself so quickly at a loss for words, the background chatter in my mind was chanting “What’s wrong with you?”

Twitter_question_markI’m inclined to think I’ve become so busy and outwardly focused that I have let my sense of gratitude slip.  I can see the ghost of my dad pointing his finger at me, repeating the single word, SHAME, each time taking 5 seconds to annunciate. STOP!!! Okay, I have banished my illusion, but I am left with a serious question. “What’s up with this gratitude thing?”

July 15, 2013 6:05am

 I found  a really great article in Psychology Today that talks about all of the benefits both physical and mental, of practicing gratitude. If you click on the quote below you will be linked to the article for your reading pleasure.

 “In addition, grateful thinking—and especially expression of it to others—is associated with increased levels of energy, optimism, and empathy.”

unplug-it-medium-new

Energy? Did someone say energy? I’ve been so concerned about my energy levels lately. I thought it might be connected to not getting enough sleep, in-proper nutrition, definitely lack of exercise or maybe I’m just an overall low energy person.  I never thought of low levels of gratitude. Hmmm, I feel another experiment brewing…

July 15, 2013 6:58am

I spent the last hour reading articles on gratitude and see the value much like I see the value of mindfulness. Not only does practicing gratitude require slowing down, but the act of gratitude is experienced deep in the cellular level…or deeper… perhaps it’s transcendent. I wonder if gratitude affects the amygdala (the fight or flight center of the brain) positively like prayer and meditation. I would think it does.

July 15, 2013 7:15am

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright coppered kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown papered packages tied up with strings…these are a few of my favorite things…  Maria had it all figured out.

images

July 15, 2013 7:10pm

Make no mistake about it: Cultivating gratitude takes work. This morning I tried to spend my entire drive to work thinking about the things I am grateful for. I noticed I was coming up with superficial stuff- the same old rote things I always think of. I kept getting distracted. Another eye-opener; I have taken gratitude for granted. Gratitude is another verb just like patience. It needs to be proactively practiced so it can become a habit, which then can become internalized.

July 16, 2013 5:39am

I think a way to deepen my sense of gratitude, is to not only say or think what I’m grateful for, but also why I’m grateful.

Example #1

If I’m grateful for my family…why am I grateful for my family?

…because they give my life purpose and meaning…because I feel loved…because I can serve them… because they are there for me when I need them…because I care deeply about their happiness and it helps me feel like we are all connected…because they help me grow in so many ways; patience, selflessness, understanding, empathy, charity, faith, hope, accomplishment, wisdom…they are my friends and my teachers, and I love their uniqueness …the list goes on and on. Yep, as I think on a deeper level, my heart swells with gratitude.

Image

Example #2

I am grateful for The Farmer’s Market… because…

…it makes me happy… somehow it makes me feel like I’m with my tribe… I’m grateful for the people who grow life sustaining produce, the beekeepers who passionately  produce honey that makes my mouth happy… all of the colors at the market that make me feel alive… I feel safe in an environment where people are creating rather then complaining and destroying… I love participating in the bounty of life… life is good at the Farmer’s Market and when I’m there I am in the flow.

Image 1

July 16, 2013 6:04am

I’ve been reading an article on gratitude featuring Brother David Steindl-Rast (BDSR), an expert on gratitude. He says people who practice gratitude create a society that the world is craving. Unhappy societies are filled with Exploitation, Oppression, and Violence. Grateful living is a remedy for all three of those because gratitude acknowledges what we have, and the latter focuses on what we lack. I love that!

July 17, 2013 5:19am

41G7boad-OL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_Yesterday at work I read more from BDSR. I was so impressed with his life’s work focused on gratitude. I bought one of his books from Amazon called “Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer; An Approach to Life in Fullness.” It should come tomorrow. I can hardly wait for it to arrive.

July 17, 2013 5:26am

 Yesterday I talked about gratitude with my clients. I watched their faces soften, and smiles appear where tears once were as they remembered the times they knew they were loved and why. When they started speaking about what they were grateful for, they didn’t want to stop even though I gave them opportunities. Maybe at least in part, that is how gratitude increases energy.

3727534090_0cba79bfd7_z

I read another article about a campaign in which people all over the world committed to not being critical or complaining for 21 days. They wore purple bracelets as a symbol of their commitment. I assume the results were favorable, because a book was written about it.

51Li-ckQATL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_

I think people who choose to abstain from criticizing  and complaining, go through the same detox one does when they choose to give up electronics or sugar for a week. Chronic complaining is a bad habit that we sadly rely on to structure our life. It can become part of our identity if we are not careful. Some people are actually proud of being cynical.

Criticizing and complaining are the opposite of gratitude and they bring with them darkness. They are two of the biggest energy drainers there are. Think about it! What does it feel like to be surrounded by criticism, sarcasm, cynicism, and complaining?

July 18, 2013 5:19am

If you were to picture gratitude, what would you see?

IMG_1297
IMG_0663
images
6a011168668cad970c0115702a1737970c-400wi
Image
t
t
images
images
Image

I ‘d see awe and wonder in people’s faces. I’d see smiles and tears. I’d see hearts. I’d see a lot of the same things I would see on the faces of people who are happy and of those who love. I would see what it looks like to have needs met. What is the difference between happiness, love, and gratitude?

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others ~Marcus Tullius Cicero

I think gratitude is the expression of appreciation and acknowledgment that there is something greater than you that has made your life better. It can and should be proactive. It is a magic elixir. Poor a little gratitude on life and things transform.

images

 July 21, 2013 5:32 pm

It’s Sunday, 5:32pm. My family (children and grandchildren) are downstairs waiting for me to make dinner, so I have to wrap this up.

I hope you don’t mind traveling with my mind as I ponder my focus for the week. My wish for you is to take this topic of gratitude and assess where you are with it.

Join me in cultivating a deeper awareness of things to be grateful for. In a sense, we can all be pioneers of peace by making this world a little sweeter through focusing on what we have, and less on what we lack.

Please take the time to watch the You Tube video below. It is written and narrated by Brother David Steindl Rast and will jumpstart you on your path to gratitude. 

Until next time, may you find your cup half full 🙂

Barbara (The Blog Whisperer)

P.S. This is another post raw and un-edited

P.S. P.S.  Stop back later in the week to see what’s new in Self Discovery: The Michelangelo Way. It’s not to late to cast your vote on whether you are more oil paints or finger paints. Chow!

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

Journal Fever and Life Satisfaction

14 Sunday Jul 2013

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Emotion School, Pioneers of Peace, Resilience, Wellness

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

dear journal, Diary, Gratitude, Gratitude journal, Happiness, Journal, journal writer, journal writing, Life satisfaction, well being

imagesDear Journal,

July 12, 2013 11:00am

Today I want to start writing a post on journal writing…not just to point out the normal reasons for keeping a journal.  Those reasons always make me feel guilty and like it’s one more thing I “should do” on my already ridiculously large list. No, I want to first share my passion for journals, and second point out some things people might not think about as well as the research based benefits of journaling. I know…I know. I’m not a consistent journal writer, but so what. I have strong feelings about them and I have something I want to say.

July 12, 2013 12:00pm

Image 19

I‘m kind of a journal junkie. Yes, it’s one more piece of evidence that I might have a bit of an addictive personality. All you have to do is look at my yarn collection, my hand knitted sock collection, my beanie baby collection (what was I thinking…but their little faces were so cute), my bowl and plate collection…oh yes and I mustn’t forget my fabric and book collection. Wow the list is bigger than I thought, but back to journals. I LOVE journals and I do have a lot of them. I fall in love with the covers, the different papers, the size, what part of the world they come from…and of course, there are the pens. Every journal deserves it own pen. Am I the only one who does this or am I crazy?

Image 20

July 12, 2013 1:00pm

Why are journals so important anyway? For me it’s about the book. I know a lot of people like to journal on the computer but there is something about the book for me. My gut tells me it’s something about capturing me, and keeping it preserved between the covers of a book. It’s evidence that I exist and it distinguishes me as an individual. Sometimes I’m afraid I will be forgotten and the only thing worse than that would be forgetting who I am myself. Somehow collecting my thoughts, my dreams, my inspiration and my creativity in a book, makes me feel safe.

July 12, 2013 1:30pm

1. Journals do not have to include words.

2. You can keep multiple journals, each for different purposes.

3. I like leaving a gratitude journal out for snoopy people to read.

4. Journaling to release emotion is helpful, but for more reasons then people know.

5. Research shows expressive journal writing translates into long term sustained emotional and physical health.

6. Writing allows your subconscious and unconscious to surface and be processed.

July 12, 2013 1:45pm

IMG_1456

I’m going to Rubios for lunch with Michael. One of my clients told me they serve wild fish tacos. I’m kind of excited about that. Healthy fast food … can it be true? I think somebody could make a million dollars by starting a seriously healthy fast food chain. I mean everyone is busy. Who has time to prepare healthy food?

July 12, 2013 3:36pm

I was thinking at lunch (by the way Rubios was fantastic!) that it’s not just about the book. Keeping a journal helps me sort my head out. Not only that but it stimulates my creativity. That’s probably because I have no bounds on what I will write, draw, diagram, or chart. People worry about expressing themselves for fear people will see it.  Some journals or journal entries are for keeping, and some are to be destroyed after being written just like Mission Impossible. Also, and this is important…journals with your most private thoughts need to hidden someplace safe…and then don’t forget where you put them.

July 12, 2013 3:50pm

I have a dream (entrepreneur/design) journal.

Dream Book

Dream Book

A gratitude journal

Gratitude Journal

Gratitude Journal

A problem solving journal, a venting journal, a memoir journal and a picture (as in drawing) journal


A dream (as in sleep) journal, a travel journal, a learning journal which I take to lectures. Big sketch pad journals because they give me space to design

Image 18

and a journal to record our journey with my husband’s cancer, which I have called…The Cancer Train

IMG_1454

There are others, but I’m getting a little embarrassed.

July 12, 2013 4:00pm

People assume journal writing balances out over the top emotions because it serves as an outlet.  While that is true, there is another lesser-known reason, which I think is awesome. Whenever a person is flooded with emotion, journal writing is an effective way to de-escalate because it engages the reasonable side of the brain. It’s not just the analytical nature of writing, BUT, the actual translation of thought into word, and even word into letters, and then forming the letters on paper or using the keyboard. That is so cool!

July 12, 2013 4:10pm

Image 24Research has shown happiness is 40% intentional activities, 50% genetic, and 10% situational. The 50% genetic part bothers me, but the fact that 40% is intentional leads me to believe we have more power over our happiness and life satisfaction than we thought. In 2009, Toepher & Walker published an article in The Journal of Writing Research, called “Letters of Gratitude: Improving Well-Being through Expressive Writing. They separate happiness and life satisfaction, identifying both as variables of Well-Being. Now that’s the kind of information that flips the light switch on in my mind. It reminds me of the mistaken belief that thoughts and emotions are the same thing. Happiness and Life satisfaction are two different things. Well when you think about it, it does make sense.

July 12, 2013 4:16pm

Happiness is defined as feelings of gladness, satisfaction, contentment, fulfillment, a sense of purpose and meaning, and joy.

Life satisfaction comes from a personal assessment of one’s quality of life, which can only be determined by the individual.

In other words, I can be having a lot of fun and be happy, but still not have life satisfaction because I may not be doing the things I think are important.

July 12, 2013 4:45pm

So that means I have to be happy doing the things I see as valuable to really have a sense of Well-Being. An example might be tomorrow I’m going to the Farmer’s Market downtown because I love it and because I believe in eating and supporting local. Connected to happiness and life satisfaction is the concept of gratitude. What does this have to do with journal writing? Well in the research paper called “Letters of Gratitude: Improving Well-Being through Expressive Writing” it was hypothesized that if people wrote letters of gratitude their sense of well being would improve because gratitude is evidence of positive judgments, both stemming from and leading to happiness and life satisfaction.

July 12, 2013 5:00pm

Research subjects were asked to write 3 letters expressing gratitude over a period of 8 weeks. The subjects were told to write meaningful content and to avoid trivial letters such as thank-you notes. They were encouraged to be reflective and compose letters from a positive orientation. Letters were written in 2-week intervals and never sent. The findings showed that significant expressions of gratitude did increase levels of happiness, life satisfaction and overall levels of Well-Being.

Wow! This is why gratitude journals are so great! They not only force us to shift  negative thinking to positive, but they help us favorably evaluate our life when we can identify reasons to be grateful.

Further findings in the study showed that people who could express gratitude for the simple things in life, like a ladybug in their garden had higher levels of happiness.

Bottom line: People who write about gratitude have higher levels of happiness, life satisfaction and overall Well-Being. I think I’m going to have to buy a new journal for letter writing.

 July 12, 2013 5:17

Image 23Another study showed that expressive writing over 3-5 consecutive days, translated into overall improved health over a 4-week period.  Amazing! Journal writing might be as effective as vitamins and supplements.

IMG_1459July 12, 2013 10:25pm

Tonight Richard and I went for a walk in The Gardens at Thanksgiving Point. Talk about happiness and life satisfaction…so many things to be grateful for.

July 13, 2013 7:27am

I wonder what time the Farmer’s Market is open. Maybe I can find a handmade journal for writing letters … or maybe that’s not a good idea. It might not be sturdy enough for intensive letter writing. I’ll at least look. I want to try the letters of gratitude experiment. 3 letters over 8 weeks in 2 week intervals. I’m going to have to look for a happiness/life satisfaction/well being scale to establish a baseline so I can pretest and post test. I’ll test before I write the first letter, and two weeks after the third letter. I hope it works. It would be so awesome if it did. It would give me hope for a happier world. Should I publish my letters on my blog? Technically that would add another variable and skew the results of my experiment, but we’ll see.

July 13,2013 8:39am

Ok, after searching high and low I found The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) which I will use for my measurement tool. I’m going to copy it here so I can look at it easily.

  • 7- Strongly agree
  • 6- Agree
  • 5- Slightly agree
  • 4- Neither agree or disagree
  • 3- Slightly disagree
  • 2- Disagree
  • 1- Strongly disagree

___ In most ways my life is close to my ideal

___ The conditions of my life are excellent

___ I am satisfied with my life

___ So far I have gotten the important things I want in life

___ If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing

Add up your results and see where you are on the following list:

35-31   Extremely satisfied

26-30   Satisfied

21-25   Slightly satisfied

20        Neutral

15-19   Slightly dissatisfied

10-14   Dissatisfied

5-9       Extremely dissatisfied

July 13, 2013 6:15pm

Tagge's Famous Fruit  Willard Bay Blackberries-The sweetest berries I have ever tasted :-)

Tagge’s Famous Fruit Willard Bay Blackberries-The sweetest berries I have ever tasted 🙂

Darling little fiddlers at the farmer's market

Darling little fiddlers at the farmer’s market

With chocolate like this who needs therapy? Seriously this could put me right out of business. Tony Caputo's

With chocolate like this who needs therapy? Seriously this could put me right out of business. Tony Caputo’s

Rich and I went to the Farmer’s Market and then Tony Caputos for lunch. We had a great time looking at and buying produce (I’ve never heard of lemon spinach before). We watched pet owners and their dogs, and listened to two of the sweetest little fiddlers I’ve ever seen. I didn’t find a journal worth buying, so I will use my old stand by for my letters. I will write my first gratitude letter tomorrow. I think my first letter will be a collective letter to all of my heroes. First I’ll take the pre-test and then I’ll set the timer for 20 minutes. I’m not going to care about spelling or grammar-just 20 minutes of written gratitude.

July 14, 2013 7:55am

I just completed the SWLS and scored a 29. I going to go get my phone so I can set the timer for 20 minutes and write my first letter… Ready, Set, GO!

Dear Nelson, Fred, Eleanor, Reon, David, Audrey, Dwight, Gordon, Scott, Julene, Bruce, Jim, Susie, Richard…and to all of the others who have been an inspiration to me,

I want you to know how much you have all meant to me in my life. We go through life doing our own thing, being ourselves, standing up for what we believe in and have no idea how our lives influence others. Well I want you to know you have made a difference in mine. The times I feel like I am in a maze, you serve as sentinels to guide my way. All of you have had courage to live the life you believe was right. I admire your energy to keep moving when it might have been just as easy to relax and live a life of leisure. I love the way some of you took life experiences that were incomprehensible and learned amazing things. Some of you walked through hell so that you could come out the other side and teach the rest of us how to do it. When I learn about you my heart swells and I want to reach out and shake your hand. You all have been pioneers of peace. You have chosen to make the world a better place by standing up for what is right, encouraging others to be the best they can be, and eased the burdens of many.  Dwight I am grateful for the decisions you made that kept us a free nation. I know I’m looking at the end results of your lives and feeling an urge to do something as important as you, but I am struggling through time as I’m sure you did too. Thank you for not stopping the struggle and persevering during trials and hardships. You had them, I’m sure. You all took those struggles and instead of curling up in a ball and stopping you kept going. Many of you have becaome famous for what you have accomplished but I know fame doesn’t translate into self esteem. I want you to know your lives have helped me grow and I try my hardest to emulate you. You give me hope in the future and a strong desire to want to make a contribution as you did. You are my heroes and I want to tell everybody about you. Eleanor, I am grateful that despite your depression you forced yourself to be outwardly focused. I can only imagine how hard it was. 

Times up. I’m just going to sign the letter

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your strong example and the inspiration you are to me.

With sincere gratitude,

Barbara

July 14, 2013 8:28am

Writing the letter was an interesting experience. I didn’t have time to finish and I’m sure I could’ve said things more eloquently, had I had more time to think. There were moments when gratitude swelled in me and other moments when I pushed myself to think. Actually, now I’m left with questions about gratitude. Surprisingly to me I realize I need to explore it more fully, which already is opening doors of unexplored happiness for me.

July 14, 2013 8:57am

The end.

Well that’s it for this week. I hope you have caught a little bit of “journal fever” and are thinking about ways you can incorporate journal writing into your life. Maybe you will take the 3 letter challenge as I have. If you do, let me know how it goes. I’d really be interested to hear about your experiences.

Because this post was written as a giant series of journal entries it is un-edited.

Take care and watch for next weeks installment of “Self Discovery the Michelangelo Way.” Many people read it last week but didn’t vote. Give it a try-It’s fun and can in no way be connected back to you.

Until then, may you find your cup half full 🙂

Barbara (The Blog Whisperer)

P.S The links below are some great articles on journal writing that I found fascinating. Take a look at them.

http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/09/practicing-gratitude-can-increase.php

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/write-yourself-well/201208/expressive-writing

http://books.google.com/books?id=CPkoxnWwzaUC&pg=PT44&lpg=PT44&dq=expressive+writing+about+gratitude&source=bl&ots=o6I7DJv2og&sig=QgfopmNU1sJc6WKTac-ZMbc1868&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bijgUaqdNe_oiwLOiYCICQ&ved=0CEsQ6AEwBQ

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...
← Older posts

Recent Posts

  • Ripples on the Ocean of Kindness
  • Food for Thought
  • Meditating in Paris
  • Walking the Labryinth
  • When an Empty Basket is a Good Thing

Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • April 2019
  • May 2018
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012

Categories

  • Altruism
  • Caregiver's Storyboard
  • charitable sewing
  • Compassionate Knitting
  • Emotion School
  • Fear
  • homeless
  • homeless youth
  • Homelessness
  • humanitarian service
  • Imagination
  • Inspiration
  • Life Mastery Skills
  • making a difference
  • Meditation
  • Metta
  • Mindfulness
  • Motivation
  • Pioneers of Peace
  • Quotes
  • Recipes
  • Refugees
  • Resilience
  • Self Discovery the Michelangelo Way: A Game
  • The Optimism Corner
  • The Pioneers of Peace Thanks"Giving" Cup Campaign
  • The Power to Do
  • The Thanks"giving" Cup Campaign
  • Uncategorized
  • Utah Refugee Center
  • Valentine's Day
  • VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center
  • Wellness

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 187 other followers

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×
    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
    %d bloggers like this: