This morning Carlie and I went for our walk, pink tennis ball in hand and the thrill of just the two of us on the open road. In that moment, the direction of joy was away from home and over to an open field nearby. I willingly followed this path of joy.

Along the way, our neighbour dog Lassie joined us. I let them romp, chase and do all the games of play young dogs do. Carlie looked up at me, eyes dancing, as if to tell me, ‘I’m giggling inside and out.’ The look in her eyes and the weaving and darting that only a herding dog can do brought joy to my heart. The direction of joy was in watching my dog run like the wind in the field. I wondered, ‘what’s left for me to do to bring more joy into my life?’

We moved on and just before we came back onto the road, I found a stick and threw it for Carlie. She retrieved the stick and in her circuitous way, brought it back to me, even though Lassie was trying to engage her in ‘beat up’. I picked up the stick at my feet and threw it out in front of us for her to fetch. Lassie was actively blocking her path. I watched Carlie lean toward the left, look forward to the stick and then finally go right and deke around Lassie to get to the stick. What a great trick! She retrieved the stick and then turned around to taunt Lassie with it. For Carlie, there is nothing better than successfully luring another dog into a game of chase because she has mischievously got them to desire what she has in her mouth. I smiled to myself – she had to go to the right of Lassie to get to her stick, to play her game, a game that brings her joy. She had to do what was a right choice for her ‘to get to her joy’. We finally headed toward home to the joy of sharing our adventure with Lucy.

Christmas can be filled with moments of grief, sadness or lack of joy as much as it has  moments of joy. However, to find joy, we may need to know which direction to go. Moving forward is a great and fantastic direction but it’s not the only direction available to us. Pay attention this Christmas to the direction of where you can discover your joy. If it isn’t about moving forward, then try other directions to see which path to your joy opens up.

As you reflect upon the coming year 2013 (and yes, of course it will come…and go), what is the direction toward your goals, toward the joy you desire, toward the peace you want to make with yourself or others?

Feeling stuck, confused or overwhelmed about what direction to take? Need help navigating the road ahead? I’m here to help. Book a session with Shirley Lynn in January and we will get you moving in your right direction. As additional support and focus for your journey, I will give you a free copy of Wisdom’s Way to a Joyful 2013 workbook. So don’t put it off – let’s get you moving!