Buddhist Meditation Beads = Mala Beads - 108 Beads, 1 Mantra

In my next step on my way to wholeness and being Joyful I went out today to get a set of Buddhist Meditation Beads. I have been wanting some for awhile and all the ones I could find were online and I didn't want to have to wait the week and a half to get them. So on an off chance I tried a store in the Burbank Mall and they had some. I got a black sandalwood one. They are so beautiful, so simple, yet so amazing. They don't have to be worn for religious purposes, anyone can use them. It is to help oneself with their intent and focus, a meditation tool. I won't pretend to know hardly anything at all, but I have been doing research over the years and more recently about what they are and what they mean. From my interpretation, they have been used many times throughout history. They are a tool for anyone to use to help each of us gain mindfulness and find our own personal Joy. 

They come is big and small, from bracelets to necklaces and even those range in shape, size, stone and color. Each one holds a different kind of energy and it is said that the person and their Mala pick each other, kind of like getting a wand in Harry Potter. I got a black sandalwood one for now, because I love the feel of the sandalwood on my fingers and the simplicity of it. I will probably order a pearl one later since pearl is my birthstone and a prayer/meditation chain connected like that would have a lot of energy between us to be held. That is being worked on as we speak. For now, I have my wooden ones and they are just fine with me. 

The use of Mala beads has been around for centuries and popped up in many a culture, above that it has lasted this long and is still thriving. Where is the power in that? It must have some spiritual power or significance. There are 108 beads plus the keystone and the tassel. Why 108? Well, it is not really known, but I have done some reading and compiling and to me this is what I get: "1" for whatever higher power or deity we believe in, "0" is for when we open ourselves up and become nothing except part of the world around us and lastly "8" for the infinite everlasting of that very world around us. 

Why have I gotten these beads do you ask? Because I am trying to focus more on myself and centering myself, focusing on my Joy and being a better happier person. Not just to benefit me, but for others around me too. I am hoping that this will become another tool to help me gain mindfulness, especially because it can mean pretty much whatever I need it to mean to me. It's really easy to do, you basically pick an "intent" to focus on or you use your mantra or code and you go from bead to bead repeating that mantra on each one, but repeating it with intent and thinking about just that. Being mindful of what you are doing. You go bead from bead moving around, you hold it in really either hand and move them with your thumb after you finish. When you get to the end you don't touch the keystone, you either turn back and go back around the other way or you stop. That is what I have come to understand and interpret and then tweak to make my own. Any input from you guys is more than welcome!!Please, try this with me, let me know what you think or if you do it already. I am truly hoping this will help me focus my intent and make me more mindful, especially of the things that are really bothering me. To me they are a symbol of hope and change and they remind me of my mantra, which I have finally decided on. I have also decided to wear it with me under my shirt, that way it won't be showy but it will still be on my skin and close to my heart where it belongs. It's always there to remind be of my mantra and what I am trying to accomplish. Reminding me of my Joy, my own personal Joy, and how to get there. 

Tattoo #7 - Targaryen Fire & Blood, Fire Cannot Kill A Dragon⚔🛡🐉🔥🐲🔥

"Fire cannot kill a dragon." A famous line from the series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, it reminds me of a time that seems so long ago and how far I have come from there. How much stronger I am now. Not that I don't have plenty farther left to go. This next tattoo was going to be a sigil of strength, something to remind me of what I am strong enough to do. Now when I look down at my upper right arm it makes me want to flex my hand because I feel that strength. A symbol can be a very powerful thing, and it can mean very different things to very different people. Again that is the beauty of the individualism of Joy, we each have our own to pursue. My joy includes this three headed dragon, it's a part of me in a way. In a way that may seem hard for someone on the outside to understand. To someone else it may seem like just an obsession with a tv show or a passing craze, but to me it is more. 

When I was 17-years-old I went through a really really difficult time in my life and faced a lot of things that most people never have to face in a lifetime. After my first ever boyfriend/fiancé broke up with me and pretty much kicked me out I needed a lot of help and support. I sought out solace in the worlds I would find in books. My ex had introduced Game of Thrones to me when we were together because he was a huge fantasy nerd too. I thought they were really cool though, especially this character of Daenerys Targaryen. This young girl on the run with nothing but a family name must build a life from nothing. She is abused by her brother and sold off into marriage in order for him to gain an army. She went to her lowest point before she rose again. Even when her new life seemed perfect, her son on the way and her husband a strong warrior everything goes wrong and she loses it all again. The man she loved and the son she had living inside her. In return though she did gain three living breathing dragons from her three ancient dragon eggs, born from the fires of her sacrifice. Her story is much more detailed and goes on for much longer, but you get the idea. Her character, her voice, her pain all felt so tangible to me. It's like I could feel it in my soul, I identified with so many parts of her and admired so many others. She made me feel a little bit better, and her character inspired in me courage and strength that I really needed at that time in my life. 

Reading has always an important aspect of my life. From my mom reading to both my brother and I when we were in the womb to reading to us every day as we grew up until we learned how to read ourselves, we were always surrounded by books. When we were little we would get books on tape and read more than we watched tv. We spent so much time at the library reading, looking for books, getting online, joining book groups and so much more. I loved every second and it benefited me in more ways than I can express. It gave me an appreciation for reading that I still have. When I read a book it's like entering another world and the deeper you go the more attached you get. Becoming emotionally involved in a book is the whole point, why tell a story that doesn't make you think or feel anything? Reading these books I became attached to Daenerys Stormborn Targeryen and she began to mean something much more than just a character in a book. A symbol. 

The day I went to get it I remember being angry at another one of my exes, I could feel it flowing through my veins like fire. A fire that burned in my chest too. At this point I was probably 25 or 26 and living in West Hollywood, CA. I walked less than half a block up to Sunset Boukevard to get my tattoo in the shop directly across from the Viper Room and next to Whiskey-A-Go-Go. It was an amazing place and I got out all the hurt and pain. I channeled all my anger and frustration into that little needle and I put that symbol on my arm. It's been over ten years and I feel more connected to her character than ever as it still continues to evolve. She has left a lasting impression on me, for which I thank Mr. Martin. Thank you for giving me the hope I needed to keep going when all I wanted to do was give up. The three-headed-dragon is the sigil of House Targaryen, marking me as a dragon - and a symbol of strength. Strength from within. 

Introducing "The Wisdom of Joy From Jerry" - Who You Are

What do we do?  We Find Our Joy & Share It! Find and seek out those around us who have Joy and more Joy to share. It only makes sense to find people with an abundance of Joy built up and befriend them. Gain from their knowledge. What's crazy is that so many of these people are all around us and we don't even see. Our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and so many more. Take advantage of this, and of the people you come across in your day to day life. Be more patient and slow down, observe the world around you and interact with the people in it. There are all different kinds of us, with our own personal paths to Joy. This next voice has seen a lot, from being an elected civil servant to being an active duty military officer overseas; his Joy has come from many places and evolved over all this time. It still continues to evolve. He retired from the telecommunications industry with a history being an electrician, fireman and an engineer and having worked both in the public and private sectors, including working for the government. A new and unique perspective I can't wait to hear. The reason I go on and on is because this voice is actually really very special to me, the voice of a man that I love and respect very much. One I have heard my whole life, the voice of my father.

🌲🌳🌿🍃🌲🌳🌿🍃🌲🌳🌿🍃🌲🌳🌿🍃🌲🌳🌿🍃🌲🌳🌿🍃🌲🌳🌿🍃

Joy. What gives you Joy in life changes over time. It's not the same now as it was before or it will be someday. You evolve, your outlook evolves, and as a person you grow. You have to be careful as well; you can think something brings you Joy one minute and quickly find out it doesn't. Life is full of ups and downs, there are disappointments all the time. There is really only one way to survive - perspective. As you grow older you begin to overcome the ups and downs easier and easier. There is a lot of bad, it doesn't always go the way you want or the way you plan. The important thing is how you handle it, how you take it and your faith throughout it.
We go through life working, raising a family, and living a life. Along with that we all want nice things like new cars or phones and all kinds of other earthly things. We get happiness and Joy from different things as we age, and with those different things come different levels of fulfillment and tangible, usable, Joy. As a young man and growing up I got Joy from the success of getting and accomplishing the things I wanted for my family. Now, being finally retired, I get the gift of spending three to four days a week watching my grandson. I get to watch him play and grow up and laugh and learn, things I didn't get to always see before as I worked. This time that I have now really is a gift, and my grandson brings me so much Joy. I love the time that we have together, it's invaluable. 
Just remember this, who you are is what you do with everything that comes at you in life - the good and the bad.