How to Find Your Joy in a Crazy, Upside-Down World

By Ginger Grancagnolo, Ed.D., D.Min.

Wheres your Joy been lately? Does it feel gone, forgotten or just misplaced?

As we watch ourselves more through daily task, day after day, often the only moment of brightness can be described as a brief sigh because we finally got stuff do ne. We can plan celebrations and vacations which can be great, yet somewhere deep inside it can still feel like the JOY button has gotten jammed due to the pressures of everyday life.

So is this as good as it is gets? Wouldnt it be great to find our way back to REAL JOY as a way of living? Could this be possible or is it just wishful thinking?

REAL JOY is always available! We have been created to experience JOY as a natural part of our life. This book is designed to guide us back into finding our internal JOY switch as well as how to keep it functioning to the best capacity. REAL JOY is available all the time and chapter by chapter a pathway will be presented so we can easily reclaim REAL JOY so that we can live to the fullest.

The time is NOW! Its time to feel really alive and JOY-ful again!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Feb 23, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504350426

Ginger Grancagnolo, Ed.D., D.Min.

Ginger Grancagnolo, EdD, DMin, is a dynamic lecturer, author, and private counselor. Forty years experience in the fields of education, psychology, and theology has directed her toward a sound practical approach in helping others toward self-assertion. Even her own personal victory over dyslexia has provided her with a wealth of grassroots knowledge in creating constructive strategies that unlock the human and divine power that awaits within all of us! Dr. Ginger has lectured throughout the country and has been a guest expert on many radio and TV shows, including Montel Williams and Ricki Lake. Dr. Ginger has created many healing CD workshops and is the author of Insights, Secrets, and Private Prayers; Who Would I Be If I Weren’t So Afraid?; The Father Principle; The Mother Principle; Poems and Prayers; and Direct Your SELF. The driving focus in all of Ginger’s work is to release the fear that blocks and halts our true ability to succeed! She uses easy and simple tools that have served thousands of her students and clients to break free from these painful traps and finally become who they were intended to be. Her personal goal is to help anyone who is ready to feel his or her true self-worth again. She believes that by healing the soul of its deep and old wounds, everyone can finally feel the real love God has given them. She strives to assist individuals in reclaiming their divine rightful inheritance—to be safe and loved! “If we heal the soul,” declares Dr Ginger, “then we can lift ourselves up in great joy. This will automatically serve everyone around us.” Dr. Ginger’s approach is intense, yet fun and lighthearted. “We were meant to be happy, so let’s get to it!” proclaims Ginger. Dr. Ginger continues to assist others through private sessions, workshops, and her books. She is highly motivated and desires to make an impact that encourages everyone to reclaim personal value. The core of Dr. Ginger is best stated in her own words, “God gave us power, big power! We need to use it! Then every day deeds will make miracles!”

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Copyright © 2016 Ginger Grancagnolo, Ed.D., D. Min.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5043-5041-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-5042-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016902133

Balboa Press rev. date: 02/19/2016

CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part One: The Problem

Chapter One: How Did We Get So Crazy?

Chapter Two: Old vs. New: For Better or Worse

Chapter Three: Coping, Caring, and Fixing

Chapter Four: Busy Lives And Broken Hearts

Part Two: The Promise

Chapter Five: Where Are You, Lord?

Chapter Six: Teach Me to Trust

Chapter Seven: Happy and Healing

Chapter Eight: Joy to the World

DEDICATION

… to my dearest friend, Carol … who is not only my personal example of REAL JOY, she is and always has been the embodiment of REAL JOY. No matter what experiences life seemed to have brought us, from tragedies to triumphs, we have always been able to find the JOY. Thank you, Carol, for always being such a sparkling JOY-maker.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

REAL JOY is meant to be shared! Abundant gratitude to each of you! Our shared joy has made my life so wondrously rich and overflowing with love.

Thank you! Thank you!

Wendy, Carol, Elaine, Sue, Eva, Cina,

Concetta, Debra, Vicki

You have filled my life with endless sparkles!

INTRODUCTION

If you will, please, think of the word JOY and observe your immediate response. What just happened? Did you bubble up into smiles? Or did you frown with thoughts of, I wish; I don’t remember when?

Okay, let’s do it again. This time, bring back a memory of a truly JOY-ful time. Stay focused upon it. Remember as many details as possible. Recall the people, places, colors, aromas, and season. Just stay in these images for a moment and just relax into the splendor of this recollection. Just breathe and melt into this pleasurable reflection.

Isn’t it amazing how quickly a happy flashback can cause a shift in the moment? A simple image may seem to be a distant experience, yet when recalled can fill the present with a dazzlingly good feeling that can lift your consciousness into new and exciting possibilities.

Yes, for sure, JOY can be quite powerful. In fact, JOY is power. JOY is a divine spark that spontaneously releases the heart of God from within our own hearts. It’s powerful, beautiful, and so often unpredictable.

REAL JOY has its own signature. It is not to be confused with happiness. Happiness, although good and highly regarded, is not the same as JOY. Happiness typically has a cause and effect. For example, happiness is felt when a goal, desire or dream is set forth and achieved – such as, "I will be happy