The Secret Sauce Of Sunshine

Hi folks!

And welcome to another blog post by yours truly!

Blog post number 237 to be exact!

WOO!

October has easily become the busiest month of 2023 on record for me.

Welcome to the life of Mr. Sunshine.

But like, honestly…I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Well, then…let’s get down to business shall we?

This week’s blog post!

Do you have your favorite beverage with you?!

Not going to lie–peppermint mocha season is right around the corner and I CAN’T WAIT to indulge.

And, side note, I’m still trying to finalize tunes and music for the Christmas Eve service.

But we’re getting closer.

So we shall take that as a win.

The other day, I was reading a few pays of the book Joyful by Ingrid Fetell.

It is a beautiful and rejuvenating read so if you need any type of good read, I highly recommend it.

100% guaranteed or your money back.

Anyhoo…one of the chapters in the book talks about the entity of “play.”

What is play?

In the book, play is described as the following:

“Play can put us in a powerful state, which allows us to let go of everyday worries and be absorbed in the joy of the moment.”

Read.

That.

Again.

“Play can put us in a powerful state, which allows us to let go of everyday worries and be absorbed in the joy of the moment.”

How many times do we go through our lives allowing the darkness of our world to suck the joy from all the wonderful things around us?

To be frank, it is too often.

The war is Israel.

Shootings in cities across the Country.

A world on the brink of a recession.

Hatred, bigotry, and prejudice against multiple people.

Darkness and negativity around every corner.

And, I thought back to what I had read earlier in the week and play.

So, I stopped, stepped back, and thought about the entity of play and what ultimately makes up the secret sauce of sunshine.

So…here a just a few things that I was able to find some play with this past week.

1. The golden sunsets that fill the sky with cotton candy colors.
2. The relaxing smell of pumpkin scented candles.
3. The warmth and comfort from my fleece blankets.
4. Jokes from episodes of The Golden Girls…especially those delivered by Betty White.
5. The vibrant colors that surround Sunshine Studio in the artwork, the pillows, and the clothes hanging in the closet.
6. The changing colors of leaves on the trees around us in Mother Nature.
7. My annual work party at Spooky Nook with bestie Devin that included food, fun, laughs, and dancing.
8. My first time at Terrain Cafe with girlfriends that involved good conversations and lots of giggling.
9. Family dinner time that involved Guess Who games with Mackenzie.
10. Seeing audiences cheer and enjoy the current production of Jesus Christ Superstar at Ephrata Performing Arts Center.
11. Workouts in the gym and having the opportunity to experience the results of hard work.
12. Laughs and conversations in the cubicle with coworkers.
13. Watching episodes of The Price is Right and literally jumping in my seat as people win, especially in the game Plinko.
14. Watching Noelle on Disney+ and smiling from ear to ear because it captures the magic of the Christmas season.
15. A video call with my fitness trainer, Ryan that was full of insight, laughs, and everything in between.

I hope this week that you take time to enjoy the PLAY around you in our world and use it to create moments of joy that will shine bright amidst the moments of darkness that get thrown in our faces constantly.

I often have people ask how I remain so positive and happy in life.

The secret sauce?

It’s simple.

I always make intentional time (even with a hectic life) to recount the moments of joy I have experienced.

I appreciate the time that I get with family.

I appreciate the time I get with friends.

And I equally appreciate the time that I make for myself.

You will never be able to find the happy in life if you don’t take an extra moment to step back, find the color, joy, and play with it.

Don’t let the shit of this world ruin your colorful moments of play.

The secret sauce of sunshine is just that simple.

Find the sunshine.

Bask in it.

Spread it.

Appreciate it.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!