The Soulburgers Fictionary
A living guide to the language of Joy Mountain
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Words create your world. The Soulburgers Fictionary is a playful reminder of the language of joy you already know — but may have forgotten. Use these words to re-enter the Universe of Joy. Oh boy. More Joy.
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Everythingness (EV-ree-thing-ness) · n.
The living wholeness inside all things. The magical sense that nothing is separate, everything belongs, and all is perfect as it is — like being hugged by goodness. Also found on Joy Mountain at the Meadow of Everythingness.
Usage:
❖ Amid the morning rush — my wife looking for her keys, the dog jumping on my lap — I suddenly felt the Everythingness of it all… and had the Glow of Know.
Glow of Know (gloh uv NOH) · n.
The magnificent glow that shines when you know something is true deep in your heart — when you know without a doubt.
Usage:
❖ Even though she can get on my nerves, when my mom tells me she loves me, her Glow of Know gets so bright my plants start to perk up.
❖ My sister is my biggest fan. When she tells me I’ll succeed, her Glow of Know gets so bright I could get a tan.
Shmorris the Preposterasaurus (shMOR-iss the pre-pos-ter-a-SOR-us) · n.
A legendary Soulburger who lives in Frolic Field and is often seen swimming in the River of Forgotten Dreams. Pet Shmorris once and instantly regain your belief that anything is possible.
Usage:
❖ Every time I thought of giving up my dream as a gymnast, I imagined myself petting Shmorris, said the gold medalist, Shmedlana Shmoogalana.
❖ By breakfast I had given up twice. By lunch, I had petted Shmorris and started again. By dinner, I felt like a winner.
Cloud-spers (KLOUD-spurz) · n. plural
The magical whispers you hear from clouds when your heart is open.
Usage:
❖ I held her hand, we looked up at the sky and listened for Cloud-spers. Best first date ever.
❖ We kept banging our heads trying to find the solution. Total Tick Time. I finally said, “Let’s take a deep breath, go to the window, and listen to the Cloud-spers.” Two minutes later, he got all Shmiggy and screamed, “I’ve got it!”
Shmanna (shMAH-nah) · n.
Colorful magical food that falls from the sky on Joy Mountain. Tastes like whatever you imagine, but even more delicious.
Usage:
❖ When I tasted Hannah’s vegan steak, I got so Hurray-ful and screamed, “You’ve got to open a restaurant called Hannah’s Shmannas!”
❖ My wife was so Shmervous cooking for my mother. I couldn’t believe it when Mom said her apple pie tasted like Shmanna pie.
Judge Sludge (juhj sluhj) · n.
The gleefully judgy ruler of Sludge-ville, buried deep beneath the earth. Both a character and a state of being. Also the brown sloppy sludge that turns to quicksand around you: the more you judge yourself or others, the deeper you sink — until you’re pulled down to Sludge-ville and begin growing a Doubt Snout. Warning: you may also become a Gruntling.
His favorite put-down: “Who dressed you, a bat?”
His favorite put-down: “Who dressed you, a bat?”
Usage:
❖ We were all having a great time until he started getting so Judge Sludgy.
❖ Whenever I find myself getting Judge Sludgy and comparing myself to others, I remember to Shmoof Woof and celebrate my me-ness again.
Gruntling(s) (GRUNT-lings) · n. singular or plural
Small, grumbly creatures created by hanging around Judge Sludge in Sludge-ville for too long. They feed on all forms of judgy-ness. They live in little corners inside and outside your mind, whispering judgy limiting thoughts that feel like your own. They run away when you blow Trust Dust at them. Legend has it that if you compliment them enough, they turn into Great-lings.
Usage:
❖ I always smile when I remember my grandmother saying, “Gruntlings beware!” Then she’d hand me a warm, gooey Dump-It Crumpet.
❖ He’s the kind of friend who reminds you to kick the Gruntlings in the butt.
Doubt Snout (DOWT-snout) · n.
A magical snout that grows when you keep doubting yourself and others. The more you doubt, the larger your snout grows — until you can’t see the beauty in front of you.
Usage:
❖ I looked her right in the eyes and said, “Your Doubt Snout is getting so big, you make Pinocchio look like a supermodel.” She laughed, remembering who she really is, and her Doubt Snout disappeared. I could actually hug her again.
❖ I crashed so hard after that interview that I heard myself shout, “You just can’t do it!” I could feel my Doubt Snout starting to grow bigger and bigger. Then I remembered to run to the Shmeeror mirror Susan brought me. One look and my snout took a turnabout route. Ahhh…
Vex-icon (VEKS-i-kon) · n.
The gloomy vocabulary of Judge Sludge and the Gruntlings, designed to vex, shrink, and derail delight — including their sneary-cheery chant: “Destroy the joy! Oh boy!” Don’t worry — drown them out with a hurray-ful shout of: “Oh boy! More joy! I am here!”
Usage:
❖ I worked with a bully named Max. I can still hear his Vex-icon of Judge Sludgy put-downs, especially if you shared a dream. At one point I said, “Enough. You’re just scared to follow your own dreams, so you Soulburgle others. I know a good Shmerapist — and you’re going to see him!” He got all teary and said, “O.K.” After two Shmessions and a lot of Dump-It Crumpets, he came back a new man.
❖ I finally walked right up to Claire and said, “If you’re still mad at me, fine — but please stop hanging with those mean girls. You’re picking up their Vex-icon. You’re so much better than that.” Suddenly her eyes teared up and she said, “I miss you. I miss your kindness, your Shmoofiness, and your Shmiggy-ness.” We hugged. Tock Time friends, here we come!
Hum-drums (HUM-drumz) · n. plural
Drums used to play the dull, dreary beat of boredom, joyless routine, and thinking small. If you hear them, take heed — the Soulburglers are getting close.
Usage:
❖ She looked right into my eyes and said, “Your job is non-stop Hum-drums. You’ve lost your Shmoof. Take the leap and let’s open our mambo school together! Come on — give me your best Shmoof Woof!”
❖ We sat in silence. Then she gasped… “Listen, do you hear that?” “OMG, you’re right — those are the Hum-drums. Have things gotten that routine with us?” She looked a little sad until I said, “Pack, we’re going away for the weekend now!” “But it’s Wednesday!” “Yup! Let’s promise to be Shmizzy and Shmiggy all weekend!”
Soulburgler (SOLE-bur-gler) · n.
What every Gruntling trains for or aspires to become. A thief of joy who gurgles and burgles your momentous momentum, snatching dreams at the seems. Often seen trying to kidnap Soulburgers from Joy Mountain. If you hear the beat of their Hum-drums, beware.
Usage:
❖ She looked at me in disbelief. I got Shmargaloony and said, “OMG… was I being a Soulburgler just now? Of course I support your desire to release a Shmalbum!”
Trust Dust (TRUST-dust) · n.
The magical dust that restores your trust. Take a small handful, throw it up in the air, and breathe it in. “Trust Dust is a must!” is a favorite Soulburgers cheer on Joy Mountain.
Usage:
❖ When I got the bill, I remembered to breathe in my Trust Dust and change this from a Tick moment to a Tock moment.
❖ Being in nature is like breathing in Trust Dust for me.
❖ He’s always so encouraging, it’s like he’s got Trust Dust all around him, and he reminds you how easy it is to breathe it in.
Enoughs (EE-nufz) · n.
Sparkling hurray-ful orange flowers on Joy Mountain that, when smelled, remind you that you are enough. They may be picked only if you wish to share them with someone who has forgotten.
Usage:
❖ She smiled, a little tearful, as she texted: “Dad, I was so scared to write the exam today. While rushing around trying to get ready, the doorbell rang. I couldn’t believe you sent me a bouquet of Enoughs. One whiff and I knew I could ace it. And I did!! So blessed that you’re my dad.”
Dump-It Crumpets (DUMP-it KRUM-pets) · n. plural
Delicious Joy Mountain snacks with a magical power. Before eating one, you choose something you want to dump from your life — a fear, a grudge, a doubt. After just one gooey-goo bite, it’s gone in a poof, often followed by a Shmoof Woof!
Usage:
❖ I always smile when I remember my grandmother saying, “Gruntlings beware!” Then she’d hand me a warm, gooey Dump-It Crumpet.
❖ Susan and I went to a new therapist — actually, he’s a Shmerapist. I glared at Susan, explaining that she doesn’t appreciate me. Our Shmerapist gave me this crazy-good Dump-It Crumpet. After the first bite, I felt this respite and a new feeling of delight. She apologized, and I looked her in the eyes and, to my surprise, thought, “Wow… I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”
❖ I looked at my two buddies Jim and Stan, who had been feuding for almost a month. “Enough, guys.” I handed them each a Dump-It Crumpet. “Eat.” Jim and Stan wolfed them down. “Better?” I asked. They grumbled. “Eat again,” I Shmoof Woofed. They wolfed down a second, then a third, and by the fourth, Stan had some tears he said were allergies. They hugged like bros.
Shmeeror (shMEER-or) · n. or v.
A magical mirror that shows you who you really are — a “clearer” mirror reflecting the good inside you.
Usage:
❖ True friends Shmeeror back your best qualities.
❖ After that meeting I got really down on myself, and then when I looked into your eyes, you Shmeerored back what I’d forgotten, and I knew that I had what it takes — back in Tock Time thanks to you, my love.
❖ I took my friend Susan’s hand and said, “Thank you so much for bringing me that Shmeeror mirror from the Joy Mountain gift shop. Wow… I’d forgotten how special I really am — and how special you are! I haven’t been this Hurray-ful in way too long.”
Great-ling(s) (GRAYT-lings) · n. singular or plural
Former Gruntlings who learned to see and celebrate the good. They play inside and outside your mind, reminding you how great you are — and can be.
Usage:
❖ When I decided to quit my day job and be a mambo dancer like my dad, I expected her to shoot me down. I couldn’t believe the Great-lings she said to cheer me on.
❖ When my dad came running up to me backstage to say how good I was, I said, “You’re such a Great-ling in my life.”
Shmizzy · adj.
Super present, alive and IS-y — so fully in the moment that past and future simply disappear. Deeply, joyfully HERE.
Usage:
❖ She walked in so Shmizzy I felt like dancing again.
❖ When Dad asked why I wanted to marry Steve, I said, “Because he’s so Shmizzy — he keeps me so in the moment that every day feels like a holiday.”
Shmoofy · adj.
Being joyfully, authentically you — the glorious state of being 100% yourself. Unabashedly You-ey. Note: A Shmoof doesn’t bark. He Shmoof Woofs. Shmoof Woofs are sounds of joyful authenticity that inspire others to Shmoof Woof with you.
Usage:
❖ Dad walked in so Shmoofy I immediately let my guard down and gave him a hug.
❖ When I walked in and saw everyone else was wearing a tux, I got all insecure. Then I decided to get Shmoofy and ended up having such a great time — and I met a future investor for my mambo school.
Shmiggy · adj.
Playful, hurray-ful, and spontaneously alive. The state of feeling fully free to play — and inspiring others to express their childlike wonder.
Usage:
❖ I remember my camp counsellor Dave was so Shmiggy he even made cleaning the cabins fun.
❖ I knew she was the one when she grabbed me and started dancing in the kitchen. I’d never met anyone so Shmiggy.
Hurray-ful (huh-RAY-ful) · adj.
Overflowing with spontaneous joy and a delightful need to celebrate.
Usage:
❖ She walked in so Hurray-ful I thought she’d won the lottery — and that was before coffee!
❖ No matter how my day goes, I can’t wait to see my dog. He’s always so Hurray-ful to see me.
You-ey (YOO-ee) · adj.
The gooey-goo of being you. The joyful art of being true to you, discovering your newer, you-er you, and sharing it with joy.
Usage:
❖ She looked into my eyes and said, “You’re so You-ey you make me feel like I don’t have to pretend anymore.” Then she smiled.
❖ My friend Sam the actor came in beaming. “I went into the audition trying to give them what I thought they wanted. Then I heard your voice in my head saying, ‘Be more You-ey.’ I did it again the way I felt it — and I got the part.”
Tick Time (TIK-tyme) · n.
The draining, doubtful, pressure-filled experience of time. When time tick ticks with a “can’t wait till it’s over” drudge of sludge.
Usage:
❖ When I let him annoy me, this giant Tick Time clock started pounding in my head.
❖ Ever notice how you can change Tick Time to Tock Time with one heartfelt apology?
❖ “Bring me your Tick, and we’ll turn it to Tock,” attributed to Winston Churchill by absolutely no reliable historian.
Tock Time (TOK-tyme) · n.
The creative, expansive, joyful experience of time. When time tock tocks with aliveness, wonder, and “I wish this could last forever” joy.
Usage:
❖ She kept telling me I needed some Tock Time, so we went for a great hike and by the end I felt like myself again.
❖ I told the kids dinner was phone-free Tock Time, Talk Time.
❖ The night we met, we talked and laughed till 3:00 A.M. — like six hours of pure Tock Time.
Shmervous (SHMER-vus) · adj.
The delicious state of being excited and scared before something big — or something that feels big.
Usage:
❖ I was so Shmervous but I knew I had to do it. So I leaned in and said, “I love you.”
❖ At the restaurant on our date I was so Shmervous I tried to order in French. I ordered “snails, popcorn and a haircut.”
Syn-tax (SIN-taks) · n.
A tax levied by the crusty “Syntaxians” whenever someone invents a silly, happy, or wonderfully unnecessary new word.
Usage:
❖ Shmiz, the headmaster at the Academy of Unlearning, shouted Shmeefully, “I’ll need you all to start doing some Shmee-search!” He looked mischievously at his Stew-dents. “Wait for it… one, two, three…” And just like that, there was a loud clomp at the door. He swung it open with a big smile, and a Shmargled Syntaxian handed him a bright red Syn-tax ticket.
Shmargaloon (shmar-gah-LOON) · n.
A beloved Soulburger from Joy Mountain whose message is simple: You already know. Breathe in your Trust Dust.
Shmargaloony (shmar-gah-LOO-nee) · adj.
The quality, feeling, or moment when you joyously remember what you knew all along.
Usage:
❖ She gave me an ultimatum: commit or she was leaving. I started to walk away, then had a total Shmargaloony moment. I turned back and said, “I’m in. I forgot how much I love you.”
❖ My dad’s my Shmuru. He’s always so Shmargaloony it’s contagious! He smiles at me and I remember how much I already know. Wow!
Soular Power (SOH-lar POW-er) · n.
The superpower you awaken when you connect to your soul through joy.
Usage:
❖ Famous icons who tapped their Soular Power to change the world include Martin Luther King Jr., Moses, Mother Teresa, and Mickey Mouse. Note: Soular-powered people are not limited to names that start with “M”… in case you were wondering.
❖ I always love that Shmission Impossible scene where Shmoonie says, “I… I don’t think I can go on. I’ve lost my Soular Power.” Shmarnie says, “You can. You just need some joy. Give me your best Shmoof Woof!” “I… I… don’t…” And then suddenly he does the craziest Woof. They both start laughing, he magically gets his Soular Power back, and they escape to Joy Mountain.