Ten Things I'm Happy About Today
1. Beautiful weather
2. Homemade chicken salad
3. On Guard oil in the diffuser
4. Kids who can entertain themselves
5. A cool science experiment
6. The opportunity to homeschool my kids
7. My wooden utensil collection
8. Date Night
9. Pumpkin Spice Martinis
10. A text from my SIL saying she's coming for a visit
{The truth is, today didn't really feel like the happiest of days. And, I was discouraged because I couldn't come up with a single meaningful thing to post for Feel Good Friday, which kind of felt like a failure and only served to make me feel worse. But then, I realized that the whole point of this weekly segment is to create happiness and positivity. So, I decided that I would take a break from thinking about all the things that could make me unhappy and focus only on the things that could make me HAPPY instead. I'll admit, it took some time to get started on my list. It took even more time to finish the list. It was an exercise in mindfulness, and I was forced to deliberately sift through the data in my brain, passing up the negative thoughts and picking out the positive ones. It wasn't exactly easy, but I'm really glad I did it. I wish I would have taken the time to make the list earlier in the day because I can now see how much I have to be happy about. Negative thoughts tend to build on one another inside my head and can quickly snowball out of control. Making a happy list (in writing!) takes away the momentum of the melancholy and allows my brain to reset. In my opinion, the harder it is to make the list, the more important it is to do it. Do you have a happy list? I would love for you share, if you're willing, because I think we could both benefit from it.}
So, the best "Feel Good Friday" things was your ability to shift your thinking from negative to positive. And that is the biggest positive thing you could do. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI also struggle with the negative snowballing thoughts. In a similar way to combat this I make a list of 5 things I am grateful for or happy about every single day. Yesterday's list: good writing day, a walk with a friend, taking a nap when I felt extra sleepy, avoiding sugar, and our relaxed Friday nights.
Thanks for sharing, Kathy! I really appreciate seeing your happy list. I used to keep a thankful board in my closet (blank pieces of paper attached to a clipboard), which I would write on every night before bed. I haven't put one up since we've been in this house, and your post reminded me that I need to do that, so I can be more mindful and deliberate about counting my blessings EACH day.
DeleteMandi,
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of repeating myself, I must say how inspiring you are to me. Writing is healing and restorative to me, but I have been less than diligent in my practice of it. Your blog and your Feel Good Fridays remind me what good can come from forcing myself to sit down and focus, write, record, and release my thoughts. It's surprising to me that the posts in which you share your struggles encourage me the most. Thanks again,
Jhenisa
Jhenisa, thank you so much for commenting and for your kind remarks! I'm so glad that you find value and inspiration on this blog, and I'm thankful that we can encourage one another!
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