I’m a fan of semi-precious gemstones. I wear citrine on my left hand and turquoise on my right hand and in pendant form. I enjoy the symbolism of both:
CITRINE Also known as the “Light Maker,” the citrine gemstone has a bright yellow hue, which reflects its equally vibrant energy. Like Vitamin C for the soul, the citrine crystal emanates positivity and joy. Its name is derived from the French word for lemon (citron), which carries a sense of sunny and optimistic joie de vivre.
TURQUOISE Turquoise is a French term meaning “Turkish Stone.” It comes from the French phrase pierre turquoise, where “pierre” translates as “stone.” The sea-to-sky energy of turquoise has been prized for centuries in various cultures — from Persian and Egyptian royalty to indigenous people in the Americas (North, Central, and South America) — for its protection from negativity and connection to the purity of natural elements, especially water and air.
I’m currently preparing to present a skill-builder session at the sold-out Women and Leadership conference at Boise State University, so I’ve turned comments off for this post. But if I were available to interact, this week’s internal inventory question would be…
[bctt tweet=”What gemstone are you attracted to and why?” username=”@TuesWithLaurie”]
Rather than make New Year’s resolutions, each year I select a single word to focus on in the upcoming year. In 2019 I’ve selected a brief phrase—Joie de Vivre! Joy of Life!
At not quite three months old, this brief video clip captures one of our granddaughter’s first laughs. Luna’s expression of joy is the epitome of Joie de Vivre!—Joy of Life!
JOIE DE VIVRE—A delight in being alive; an exuberant, keen, or buoyant enjoyment of life; an exultation of spirit.
JOIE DE VIVRE—A philosophy of life; a sentiment that involves one’s whole being.
Tick-tock, tick-tock… I can choose to let the demands on my time and attention overwhelm me. Or I can decide to slow down and take a break.
In the midst of my daily calendar, I schedule times for me to stop throughout the day. I have a mindfulness bell on my phone that’s set for specific intervals of my choice. Thank you Sheila Glazov for recommending this App to me. The sound of the singing bowl is my signal that It’s Time.
Time for what? You ask.
Time to put my shoulders down and take a deep breath. Time to take Willa for a walk. Time to eat. Time to stretch. Time to be grateful. And time to watch the bees on the hummingbird feeder enjoying the sweetness of life. They teach me how to fully be in a moment without a care about anything else in the world. They teach me that sometimes the greatest joys come in the smallest things. They remind me that life is sweet. It’s especially sweet when I’m fully present, fully aware, fully engaged, and fully enjoying it—joie de vivre!
When I lay in bed at night, one of the heart-based exercises I do is to mentally go through the alphabet and list things that my best self enjoys extending and receiving:
Acceptance (celebrate our differences) Benefit of the doubt Compassion Divinity in action Encouragement Forgiveness Gratitude Hospitality Inclusion Joie de vivre (joy of life) Kindness Listening between the lines (attentiveness) Mindfulness (present-moment focus)
Namaste’ (honoring the divine spark in self and others) Optimism Peace Quiet strength Respect Simplicity (the gift of ease) Truth Understanding Vision (cultivating and nurturing original ideas to fruition) Wisdom Xellence (the daily practice of being my best self—living my best life) Yoga mindset (valuing connection with the world and its inhabitants) Zen attitude (daily letting go of what I can’t control)
Hummingbirds — their name comes from the fact that they flap their iridescent wings so fast (about 80 times per second) that they make a humming noise. They can fly right, left, up, down, backwards, and even upside down.
Using strategically placed salvia, hyssop, and a sugar-water feeder, we’ve intentionally created a hummingbird hideaway. “Build it and they will come,” they said. That’s an understatement. They’ve come all right—in droves—and I’m enamored.
Once I started researching these colorful little creatures, I quickly discovered that they hold a wide variety of symbolism in different cultures around the globe, but there are a few core similarities:
I can’t even begin to describe the joie de vivre—enjoyment of life; exultation of spirit—that continuously bubbled to the surface throughout my recent European holiday!
My two favorite locations were Venice, Italy and Santorini, Greece:
Venice—roughly the same size as New York’s Central Park, Venice welcomes 70 million visitors annually. And though it hustles and bustles with modern day activity, it continues to exude old world charm.
I had a wonderful time capturing memories.
Santorini—fresh-from-the-oven pita bread, hummus, big juicy olives, and rich purple bougainvillea climbing white walls. Heaven on earth? Yes!
If tapping your heels together three times would instantly transport you anywhere in the world—different from your current location—for a 3 week holiday, where would you go?
Tuesdays with Laurie 