I’m so honored to kick off Sarah’s month of women.  I have to confess though, when she told me the theme, “Celebrating You,” I freaked!  Celebrate Moi???   Focus on me??? But it’s ill-mannered, inappropriate, undignified to…..

DAMN!  I fell into the trap.  The guilt trap.  Why is it that some women feel immediately uneasy when faced with the “challenge” of celebrating ourselves?  I’m an actress for goodness sakes!  Performers are supposed to love the spotlight!  Rewind.  I can do this. 

Today I’m celebrating the permission I have given myself to experience JOY.  The following is a list of ways that I actively cultivate JOY in my life – the simple little things that give me pleasure and remind me of how great my beautiful life is.  

So…..off with the guilt and in with the JOY!

Sister Sleepovers   Although we had our own rooms growing up, my sister and I chose to have sleepovers most nights of the week.  There was something so comforting about the protection of a sister – from the dark, from thunder, from BOYS!  I just entered the last year of my twenties but that hasn’t stopped me from having giggly sleepovers with my baby sister (She’s 22)!  The JOY that our bond sparks reminds me to always nourish that inner child.

Coffee   I had to give up my hardcore habit of morning rocket fuel for various reasons, but I LOVE my coffee!  A few times a month I visit with my old friend ‘Joe’ and treat myself to the comfort of pure JOY in a mug.  I don’t know what her trick is but Mom still makes the best coffee.  My sister and I lovingly whine, “Mommy, can you make my coffee for meeeee?”  An exasperated roll of the eyes always follows, but we know she secretly loves being the coffee master.  

Dreaming   My boyfriend and I love to dream.  Its part of the reason we connect so well.  We design our thriving wine vineyard that supports our small theatre, which is located next to our blooming avocado farm that our sun kissed, barefoot babies play in.  Maybe these things will actually happen and maybe they won’t.  It actually doesn’t matter.  The JOY is found in the dream.  I can always uncork the vino, whip up some guac and imagine the endless possibilities.

Headstand   I’ll admit…just like many an actress, I’m slightly prone to the blues.  When I feel that slippery slope approaching, I turn to my yoga headstand.  There are countless physical benefits to inversions but for me the emotional payoff is the clincher.  90 seconds of that baby and I’m euphoric.  Frightened of the headstand?  Lie on the floor with your legs up the wall and revel in the JOY!

Choosing my Women   When I put myself in the company of others who gossip and complain it is easy to slip into that mode without even realizing it.  However, when I CHOOSE to surround myself with positive, thoughtful and compassionate women I can just as easily slip into that vibrancy and feed my JOY

Veggies   I get giddy in the kitchen!  Give me my chef’s knife and a bounty of produce and watch the smile on my face grow.  I love the creations I make in the kitchen.  My diet is mostly veggie (occasionally I have some fish) and I feel “eating my view” helps maintain JOY not only in my life, but in the life of the planet.  No soapbox here though – whether you are a veggie, a flexitarian, or an anything goes, cooking up a plate of goodness that models your values will definitely be a JOYous event! 

Practicing Generosity    I know we are celebrating women here, but my father is hands down the most generous human on the planet (followed closely by my brother).  The dude is not only generous with his hard earned wages; he is generous with his time and heart as well.  While my giving capacity may not be as boundless as his, helping a friend move apartments, giving the homeless man a banana as I exit the grocery store, or donating $20 bucks to my friend who is “racing for the cure” provides a whole bundle of JOY for me.  It’s kind of crazy how giving to others often immediately creates pleasure and JOY in our own lives!  

Mountain Love   Hiking is the ultimate JOY builder for me.  I was blessed to live in the fantastic city of San Francisco for nearly five years.  I lived ten minutes away from gorgeous mountains that border the magnificent Pacific.  Hiking helps to subdue my high-strung disposition and encourages me to identify with the vibrating life force and JOY of nature that I am a part of.

March is Women’s History Month.  So how does this post relate to Elizabeth Blackwell, Edith Wharton, Amelia Earhart, Sandra Day O’Connor, Billie Jean King, Toni Morrison, Hillary Clinton and Our Mothers and Grandmothers?  By honoring ourselves and creating JOY in our daily lives, we honor these mighty women who persevered to progress us to where we are today.

 

In JOY,

Kathleen

 

Kathleen Mulready is a New York based actress and singer who has been seen on stages throughout the country. A self professed health food and news “junkie”, she can be found sipping green juices and nibbling on dark chocolate.  Read more from Kathleen on www.HealthandHappinessClub.com where she is a regular contributor.