Joy Let Loose

February 3, 2021

How to Simplify in 2021

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Joy Let Loose is an affiliate with Day Designer because they have really beautiful planners that I love. I am also an affiliate with Shipt and Amazon because they are super useful for simplifying life! If you click on any of my links and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission – thank you!

How to Simplify in 2021

I’ve been thinking a lot about how to simplify in 2021.

Are you a word-of-the-year kind of person? I am. I’ve actually shared about it several times on this blog, words like JOY, HAPPY, IMAGINE & PERSIST. Narrowing in on one or two words for the year has turned out to be a great way for me to focus and grow.

2020 became a year none of us expected, didn’t it? We all faced a lot of surprising and disappointing things. In our family that included the loss of our main source of income, my mom being sick and ultimately passing away from cancer, and my father-in-law rapidly declining with dementia. We still have many unknowns in front of us, like many others do. Our heads have been spinning a bit with the emotions, details, and decisions we need to make to move forward.

That was likely a big influence in my choice of words for 2021 – SIMPLIFY.

How to simplify in 2021

I’m writing this blog post for me. And you. I’ve decided on the word “simplify” for the year ahead, and now I need to walk it out. But I don’t want simplifying to be complicated because that would totally be counterproductive! I don’t have all the answers yet, but I have some things I’ve decided to do as I’ve been thinking about how to simplify in 2021. Here are a few. I’ll most likely be back in another post with some more.

Plan ahead

When I was in college, I got pretty good at juggling a schedule that included a ton of deadlines. Because my college experience included a ton of rehearsals, performances, and practice time, I really had to be on top of all the academic stuff. I used a system where I gave myself early deadlines so that I’d always be ahead of schedule. It worked.

Then life happened, with marriage, jobs, kids and volunteer stuff. And somehow I forgot how to use a planner. Maybe this is just me, but somehow I had a disconnect between school life and real life. I’m way in deep now to adulting, and I’m on the struggle bus trying to keep track of all the things now in my head. So I’m becoming a planner girl again. I found Day Designer, and love what they have, especially because some of their planners are undated so I can start partway into the year. I’ll keep you posted on how the transition back to a planned-out life goes.

Do you depend on a planner??

Simplified shopping

The only things I enjoy shopping for are clothes and gifts. Beyond that, I’m not a huge fan. So I’ve been working at simplifying how to shop for the necessities in life. I’ve combined a ton of my normal items into my monthly subscription box from Young Living, and I’ve started to LOVE using Shipt to get my groceries delivered. There is something sooooo freeing about creating an order in the evening, and having it on the doorstep first thing in the morning. (I really love practical packages on my doorstep, friends!) I save time and money by using a subscription box and a grocery delivery service…simple!

Time to pare down

It’s time for me to start to pare down on some things. The truth is, we will likely be selling our house in the next few months, either to move elsewhere or simply downsize – who knows? (the super long transition, right?) And downsizing in square footage means downsizing in stuff too. One of our sons will soon get his own place, so I’m setting aside things for him to take with him. After that, I’m going to create sections of “stuff” to sell, donate, or discard. These things include:

  • Furniture
  • Clothes and shoes
  • Home decor items
  • Books, books, books

I could use some suggestions in this arena. Do you have a tried and true method for paring down in “stuff”? Please tell me in the comments.

Focus on Purpose and Legacy

This is a big one for me right now, partly because we are facing so much unknown as far as where we will end up, but also partly because of the journey I was on with my mother in 2020. Legacy and purpose have become so much more important to me

I have narrowed down several things that I love:

  • I love helping people pursue health and wellness
  • Writing my story and sharing joy is my jam
  • I want people to know that freedom and joy are reality
  • It matters to me that people feel valuable and at home
  • I love helping people turn around and multiply

So, as I think about how to simplify in 2021 while we stare into the unknown, I know this: I will continue to invest in people’s joy and wellness by sharing Young Living, I will write strategic things to help people move toward lasting joy, and I will take steps toward my dream of hosting people at a Joy Let Loose lakehouse.

What about you?

Are you in a “simplify” mode? I’d love to hear how you plan to go about it! Share in the comments!

Elizabeth Joy

Posted in: Legacy, Simplify
Tags: , , , , , ,
June 22, 2019

Why I Choose Essential Oils on my Joy Journey

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I didn’t initially choose essential oils on my JOY journey. In fact, I almost stumbled into the oily world. Partly because I love things that smell nice, and partly because I was having stress headaches while we were preparing to move. A kind friend gave me some Young Living Peppermint Oil samples, and they did WONDERS for my head! The move happened, the stress alleviated, and my memory of those oils unfortunately went into the vault. I totally forgot I needed to choose essential oils on my JOY journey.

Until we moved again into our permanent home a year later, and I happened to become neighbors with a new friend who shared about Young Living oils with me…oh yeah! I’ve tried those before – they are awesome!!

Right around that same time, I became an affiliate with an lovely little business called The Faithful Merchant, and I immediately was drawn to their line of Essential Oil Jewelry. Hmmmm…..maybe something I should look into. I got an Oil locket and definitely needed to choose essential oils to use with it! So I purchased a sweet smelling oil here and there from my neighbor friend, but I still did not realize the full impact an oily lifestyle could have on my physical and emotional wellness.

Until crisis came.

Joy Let Loose

Let me back up. (Don’t you love hindsight?) I did not realize that all along God had been preparing me for a life call He was unfolding. Through our international move, and my subsequent inability to work; our adventure into homeschooling and navigating the transition trauma on our teens; through my stumbling around for purpose and joy, and then the tumult of family crises, God was constantly whispering “Joy Let Loose.”

This basically made no sense because I didn’t have enough JOY for me, let alone enough to let any loose for other people!

But God has a way of allowing His still small voice to be discerned even amidst the crash of chaos that life sometimes washes up.

Practice Makes Ready

You know, for many years I was a teacher and a worship leader and coach. And I often tell people that practice doesn’t make “perfect.” Because there is always room to be better. BUT practice does make us ready to handle what comes our way.

When we moved over the border and immigration processes kept me from working right away, I launched this blog. At that time, I thought it was a way for me to keep busy and purposeful. The Lord had cracked open for me the meaning of my name, and I figured a blog was a logical way to start to live into it for myself and share it with others. Baby steps I guess. I didn’t know that as I was writing about JOY I was simultaneously practicing and wobbling.

Wellness, Purpose, and Abundance

It all came to a head in the summer of 2018. I felt I was, at best, muddling my way through as a wife, mom, and worship pastor amidst the chaos of life. The Lord was still my lifeline. I was still trying to pursue JOY to let it loose. We’d had losses, but we’d had some wins, and I could see we may start to gain ground again. But I was struggling with low energy and motivation, weight gain, and brain fog, while also trying to keep my fluctuating moods at bay.

Then neighbor brought Young Living around to me again, simply asking if I had any questions. She threw me a life preserver. I decided to choose essential oils and purchase a Starter Kit, knowing it would arrive by the time I returned from an escape cruise we were taking.

Little did I know that Young Living offers wellness, purpose, and abundance, all of which can be experienced starting with that simple little kit. I just had to choose essential oils, and Young Living would set me up with a solid start to an oily lifestyle. I will only recommend Young Living oils because of their top notch Seed to Seal promise.

Why I Choose Essential Oils

  • God has infused wellness into His Creation
  • I believe He desires our good, and gives us tools for it
  • I have a desire to detox my lifestyle and live clean
  • I’m learning the value of plant-based products
  • I prefer a simple ingredient list #plantpower
  • There are oils that turned my metabolism back “on”
  • I have discovered oils that calm anxiousness
  • Oils create a cheerful atmosphere
  • I can turn to oils to help with simple everyday issues
  • My immune system has been boosted
  • I have rediscovered clear thinking, with no mid-day slumps
  • And I love to let other people know about my #oily wins

…just to name a few reasons

It has been less than a year since I began this Young Living journey. And what was an experiment has quickly become a lifestyle for me. My physical and emotional wellness are light years ahead of where they were those few short months ago. I’ve lost 36lbs to date, and I approach each day with greater purpose, optimism, and possibility. I have much more energy and focus, and my immune system is keeping me well. I haven’t felt this energized in years.

Joy Let Loose

There was no way for me to know that when God was calling me to let JOY loose in other people, He would also be calling me to build a wellness business. I had no idea that He would invite me to a #joyandwellness journey as a Young Living distributor. But gaining education and leadership development through YL, and beginning to build a team I can invest in and develop has been such a source of JOY for me. This is one of the most life-giving opportunities I’ve had to date.

Working with Young Living is merely an extension of this blog. I can let JOY loose as I lead worship. I can let JOY loose as I write. And I am letting JOY loose in other people and families by walking with them as they learn to detox their lifestyle, and to turn to plants as a support for their #joyandwellness journey.

How to Start

  • If you have been looking for a way to pursue a wellness lifestyle, I would love to share more with you about how to choose essential oils on your joy journey. Comment below and I’ll be in touch!
  • If you have been looking for a flexible working opportunity that provides leadership development, an education community, and the opportunity to grow a team, I’d love to let you peek into this world with me. It’s the kind of work that you can do from anywhere, and barely feels like “work.” It is simple to start, without any large investment, and such a joy to grow with others. Let me know if you’d like more information about this flexible opportunity!
  • If you are ready to grab that simple Starter Kit like I did, and begin to explore the #oily lifestyle, you can click here and we can start down this road together!

Elizabeth Joy

Posted in: Essential Oils, Wellness
Tags: ,
April 28, 2017

Post ID595

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Friday Fun: It’s the Little Things

(My New Joy Blend!)

Today’s a great day for a joy blend. It’s a little cool and dreary outside. The Friday tornado siren practice is back in full swing for the season. If those things want to scream out this morning with their warning rehearsal, I think maybe joy should outdo it. What do you say?

Friday Fun

Today I’m introducing to you Friday Fun. The topic of joy, and pursuing a joyful life can (at times) be daunting and large. There are just so many things in our world that try to drown out our joy. So, diligently chasing after the joy we were designed for is a big deal. And I’m okay with that. (Hence, articles like this and this!) But much of our joy can be found in the little things too. The little things we sometimes overlook. The small moments we sometimes are too rushed to perceive.

Enter Friday Fun! What if, each Friday at  Joy Let Loose, we simply slowed down to look at one little thing that can bring joy to us during the coming weekend? After all, joy is found and expressed in laughter and little moments. So, on Fridays, be watching for ideas for activities or recipes, conversation starters or gifts, home ideas, getaways or games. 

 

 

Joy Blend

Over the last several months, I’ve been learning much more about essential oils. I launched into a new world when I got a diffuser for my birthday last year, and then started to do my research. I fell in love with Young Living Essential Oils because of their Seed to Seal guarantee. Because I can count on the quality of their oils to exceed industry standards, and because I have begun to notice significant improvement in my own overall wellness, I’ve joined an awesome team. What a joy to discover a group of people who are also pursuing joy and wellness, and whose heart it is to encourage people along the way. If you’d also like to join this team with me, click here to start your journey with us! As soon as you are enrolled with your starter kit of oils, we will link arms, and walk this road together!

But on this dreary Friday morning, I discovered an awesome new  joy blend  that I think is one of my new favorites. In each of my diffusers, I used 6 drops of grapefruit, 4 drops of Citrus Fresh, and 3 drops of peppermint.

  • YL GRAPEFRUIT Essential Oil is widely popular for its many benefits, including helping with digestion and hunger. As an aromatic, it is reduces anxiousness,  improves focus, and has a positive impact on mood.
  • YL CITRUS FRESH essential oil is often used to help aromatically with mood, and to freshen up the atmosphere.
  • YL PEPPERMINT, as an aromatic, increases energy, and helps improve focus.

Definitely worth trying out this Fun Friday! 

Joy Blend on the Go!!

We are house-hunting these days. Now, I love house-hunting, but when you look at dozens and dozens in the span of a few days, sometimes you start going a little squirrelly. And I decided yesterday that I need some joy on the go. So I picked up something like this! It’s an itty-bitty essential oil diffuser for my car. I’m taking joy on the road with me now as I house shop ’til I drop. The verdict is still out on its effectiveness. But on its trial run last night, I’d say it was helping! 

Thanks for joining me for Friday Fun! It really is the little things, and Fridays are for staying simple and light. My new joy blend is wafting through my house as I write, and I hear the levity in my homeschool teens’ moods even now. So I think it’s working. 🙂

Have an awesome Friday, and a joyful weekend!

Elizabeth Joy

 

Posted in: Friday Fun, Joy sightings, Weekends
Tags: , , , ,
February 10, 2017

Clear Clutter: How I Order My World With the Ten Second Tidy Principle

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Confession: Sometimes I find myself in a zone where I don’t even notice clutter. Don’t get me wrong, I like order. But when I’m in a creative mode, there is a part of me that seems able to simply ignore it.

Sometimes.

However, I have made a discovery that continual clutter ends up rubbing me the wrong way. And I don’t prefer to be irritated. I’m much more likely to notice the  joy that lies within each day when my world around me is, well, organized. I am disciplining myself to see organizational tasks as an opportunity to practice gratitude.

 

I am thankful to God for all He has entrusted to me, and I desire to care for it well. Share on X

 

Now, I’m not recommending obsessive organization here. After all, the pendulum can swing widely, my friends, and obsessive organizing can steal joy just as much as clutter can. But Scripture seems to contrast disorder against peace (1 Cor. 14:33), so it makes sense to me that a chaotic world lacks joy.

The regular, diligent clearing away of un-necessary, or broken, or dirty things in our physical realms is wise, and leads to a pleasant and ordered life with wide open spaces. And developing this habit in the physical realms of home and office may also help to lead us toward regular, diligent clearing away of unwanted internal things. 

 

The Ten Second Tidy Principle

There was a short season when my youngest was a wee one that Loonette the clown, and her doll, Molly, graced our TV screen. It was all childlike, enthusiastic glory. Her “Big Comfy Couch” tunes continue to rattle around in my brain sometimes; ear worms, shall we say. Although I never developed an affinity for this colorful character, I can say that one of her lessons was helpful with my young children, and continues to help me today: The Ten Second Tidy.  (Now, if we actually tidy up the way that Loonette does, practically stuffing everything we pick up behind or under the couch cushions, I daresay we haven’t really tidied at all – we’ve simply relocated our mess. There are spiritual depths to this physical lesson!)

Clear Clutter for a Joyful Outlook.

Can de-cluttering actually impact our  joy? Many of us sit for long periods of time each day, required to focus on certain projects at length. In fact, recent global studies indicate that people sit on average 7.7 hours per day, with some sitting as many as 15 hours daily! First of all, this sedentary lifestyle is not only hazardous to our physical health, but it can compromise our emotional health and hinder our productivity. So, whether we are stay-at-home parents or business execs, homeschooling teachers or public school guidance counselors, I believe we all can benefit greatly (emotionally, and in productivity) from planning for periodic de-cluttering of our surroundings and our minds throughout our days.

Not only will it refresh our minds to accomplish regular small tasks of organization, getting up and moving about can re-ignite our thought processes and creativity. Finally, I believe the actual, disciplined removal of clutter can benefit both our short- and long-term health.

 

The disciplined removal of clutter can benefit both our short- and long-term health. Share on X

 

Below are four sets of 10-second breaks, each intended as springboards to help us to find small, regular windows throughout our days to take “organizational” breaks for our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. 

Ten 10-second mental health breaks

  • Close your eyes and take 10 slow, deep breaths
  • Read Matthew 11:28-30
  • Write down 3 things for which you are thankful – keep a journal nearby!
  • Look out the window and pray for the first person you see
  • Look for a co-worker to encourage
  • Grab a drink of ice water
  • Thank God that He is Living Water
  • Text an encouraging message to someone you love
  • Pray for God to be evident in this next hour of work
  • Especially helpful: Sing the Doxology

 

Ten 10-second in-your-chair breaks (Office)

  • Open your Junk Drawer and discard 5 un-necessary items
  • Sharpen 3 pencils
  • Color-code your pens
  • Draw a picture of something that makes you smile
  • File three completed files
  • Dust your desk
  • Clean your computer screen
  • Discard un-necessary papers from your desk
  • Set goals for the next hour
  • Finally, check off completed goals from earlier in the day.

 

 

Ten 10-second out-of-chair breaks (Office)

  • Stand, stretch, and do 10 jumping jacks
  • Go for a walk: take your paper to the recycling bin
  • Re-arrange two pieces of furniture
  • Dust a set of shelves
  • Clean a mirror or window
  • Straighten your books
  • Eliminate 3 things from your “to-do” files
  • Go up, and then down 2 flights of stairs
  • Return an item you borrowed from a co-worker
  • Lastly, do 20 wall push-ups

 

Ten 10-second work-at-home breaks

  • Take a walk around the perimeter of your house or apartment building.
  • Fold throw blankets and straighten throw cushions
  • Dust the living room surfaces
  • Straighten up entryway shoes
  • Write an encouraging note and stick it to the refrigerator
  • Throw away any un-necessary refrigerator notes
  • Eliminate 5 things from your junk drawer
  • Walk through your home and pray for the people/activities in each room
  • Open the windows to bring in some fresh air
  • Very helpful: Inhale a focus & energy essential oil blend. Try these from Pure Joy!


My favorite focus & energy blend


Clutter in our homes, offices, and minds can steal our joy. Share on X

Bonus: Check out another favorite essential oil blend – my Joy Blend!

Proactively setting aside brief moments throughout our days to de-clutter will have long-term benefits on our physical and emotional health. These short, regular breaks can help pattern lives of gratitude for the things we’ve been given, and can inspire greater clarity of mind. Even today, we can begin to implement 10-Second Tidy principles into our work or home lives. I pray that as we do, our outlook will be of peace and not disorder. And in that peace, may we find  joy.

How do you clear clutter in your home, office or mind? Comment below!

Elizabeth Joy

 

 

 

Posted in: Simplify, Soul care
Tags: , , , ,