If ever there was a week to frame, perhaps this week would be it for me. But then again, I think this has been the first time I've thought about doing such a thing, and I feel fortunate knowing I have had many such weeks. Buuuuuuut ..... this week felt different. 

Now on the outside, it would have appeared as nothing special to anyone, but to me, it felt significantly unique and unordinary. To me, this is reason to celebrate because when we find something to be lovely all on our own, without someone telling us that it is, we are experiencing true joy. As discussed on the blog, joy is different than pleasure. 

Joy (and I like to couple contentment with joy as well) is something found within each of us. It isn't guaranteed as we each need to learn how to cultivate it, but it is only found within ourselves. It is authentic. It is truly of our own creation. And a feeling of joy in part is a realization that no matter what is going on around us, we are settled within ourselves, we are at ease with ourselves and how we will navigate whatever might come our way or whatever we might choose to be introduced to. Feeling joy is the mind telling us (so therefore, we are telling ourselves), "You've got this. You've figured out the skills to be more than just okay." At least that is what my joy is telling me. :) Each of us - our joy - will have its own narrative voice and style, but the message is essentially the same. Perhaps we might describe it as an inner calm and celebration of one doing a little bit of a happy dance which no one else will see(so it is quite fabulous and original, bien sûr). ;)

To my week that I mentioned above which was when this feeling of joy was experienced. As I shared in Wednesday's post - 20 Things That Made Me Smile This Week - it wasn't anything that grand that created the joy, but rather realizations of great growth that were grand to me. While we do travel along in this world with others, we travel everyday and every moment with ourselves. This fact demonstrates the importance of continually being on a quest for understanding, for learning, for self-growth because if you think your life is grand now, in my 39 years, life has taught me that it can truly only improve but only if we choose to be open to all that is available to learn and further understand. And that choice to stay open is frightening at times which is why many stop and stay right where they are. The rainbow that comes after the frightening storm is there every time (and in fact, there is always a double rainbow; it just isn't perceivable to the naked eye). So in actuality, there is a double dose of awesome to experience so long as we refuse to remain still and walk through the unknown even if the world around us doesn't know why we're doing what we're doing. 

Okay, moving forward is the topic of the day, so we're going to move forward into this week's newsletter. :) With two recipes, two podcast episodes (one that wrapped up French Week on Saturday) and Decor and Style and Life Inspiration, while this week was a regular week on the blog, it was indeed a full week. I do hope you enjoy the newsletter, and wishing you lovely weekend. Until next week, I'll see you on the blog!