Week Three: Positive Attitude
Peace begins with a smile.
Mother Theresa
My goals for this week were to offer help to others, and continue to give sincere compliments. My experience has shown me that just offering assistance makes people happy, even if they didn’t take me up on it! I can’t even begin to guess how many doors I have held open for people this week. For every door I held open, I got a big smile in return.
Each morning on my train platform, all my fellow riders look straight ahead and don’t talk to each other. Friday morning I broke the silence by complimenting a fellow passenger on her adorable rain boots which made her smile. A few minutes later I complimented another passenger on her coat, then she proceeded to tell me that she liked my boots, and we ended up enjoying a nice chat on the ride downtown.
I stated in my last post that a positive attitude could also be a decision to “choose happiness”. While researching “happiness” I came across this post. It got me wondering, what are the things that make me happy?
Here is a list of the first 10 that popped into my head:
-Going to bed on Saturday night knowing I don’t have to set my alarm for 5:30 a.m.
-Watching my daughter run track events and play percussion
-Riding any bike any where
-Eating a chewy, homemade chocolate chip cookie
-Seeing my husband smile
-Spending time with my parents, brother and sisters
-Having a clean house
-Making homemade soup
-Walking on a warm beach on a sunny day
-Knowing that I have worked successfully in my profession for 24 years, and counting…
Will you take a minute to jot down 10 things that make you happy? If you are ever having a bad day, pull out that list and see if it makes you smile.
For those of you that have been participating in this challenge, has the process helped you realize what our patients may experience when analyzing their current behaviors, and the process of beginning to set and reach goals? Have you come to appreciate barriers and difficulties that arise when making behavioral changes? I realized that when I am working on a goal, be it sleep, exercise, or stress reduction, the goal for the week is always on my mind.
As John Belushi said in the movie National Lampoon’s Animal House, “ What? Over? Did you say over?” Nothing is over until we decide it is!”
Well, it is decided- my routine reboot is complete! After four weeks, I continue to feel less stressed, I am sleeping better, getting more physical activity and have increased feelings of optimism.
Will I try to continue to incorporate these behavioral changes into my day? The answer is a resounding “yes”! Many of these behaviors have become part of my daily routine. Cutting back on caffeine, not eating after 8 p.m., biking more, practicing yoga and deep breathing continue to be a part of my day, every day. I hope that you will be able to continue on with many of your behavioral changes too.
Did you enjoy the challenge? Do you have any new ideas for topics that you would like to see addressed here? Let me know!
Be well,
Cathy