Let’s Get Happy

I realized today that I have two problems with trying to keep this blog super “real”. First, a lot of my thoughts are super negative. I’m sorry, but they are. I wish I was all, “My life is so pretty, and awesome, and stylish, and upbeat so read my blog!” Psssh. So, I hesitate to write everything that is in my head because it is often very negative. I need to change that. Stat.

I mean if this kid can look like this after having 3 hours of sleep…why can’t I slap a smile on my face once in a while?

So, in church yesterday, we had a great lesson and the teacher diverted from the topic a little to talk about Ted talks. Maybe I’m the last one to hear about these motivational talks, but I’m interested in them. Because Lord knows I need a little motivation in my life. But she shared a talk by Shawn Achor of GoodThinkInc. It is this one. He talks about how to re-wire your brain to be happier and more positive in just two minutes a day.

But, I wrote down the highlights or rules she shared in the lesson:

1. Write down 3 things you’re grateful for everyday

2. Journal about a positive experience that happened to you in the last 24 hours

3. Exercise

4. Meditate

5. Do a random act of kindness

Here’s how HE (the speaker) explains it:

We’ve found that there are ways that you can train your brain to be able to become more positive. In just a two-minute span of time done for 21 days in a row, we can actually rewire your brain, allowing your brain to actually work more optimistically and more successfully.We’ve done these things in research now in every single company that I’ve worked with,getting them to write down three new things that they’re grateful for for 21 days in a row, three new things each day. And at the end of that, their brain starts to retain a pattern of scanning the world, not for the negative, but for the positive first.

Journaling about one positive experience you’ve had over the past 24 hours allows your brain to relive it. Exercise teaches your brain that your behavior matters. We find that meditation allows your brain to get over the cultural ADHD that we’ve been creating by trying to do multiple tasks at once and allows our brains to focus on the task at hand. And finally, random acts of kindness are conscious acts of kindness. We get people, when they open up their inbox, to write one positive email praising or thanking somebody in their social support network.

I loved this idea. So, I’m going to try it. Want to do it with me? Let me know. We will see how I do. I’ll blog about it of course, and hopefully it will give me more positive things to think about. I’m going to do what she said she does which is try and combine the exercise/mediation into one. We’ll see if I’m happier, and if I can share more positivity on my blog. Because who wants to read about Ms. Negativity all the time? Not me.

My second issue with being “real” is that so much of my life is my interaction with other people. That read. my. blog. I just wish sometimes I could really tell you what’s bugging me, or better yet WHO’S bugging me. Or an interaction I’ve had with someone that I really want to vent about, but I can’t always do that. I guess that is what therapy is for? Too bad I’m not in therapy. Hmmm. Maybe I need to look into that too?

But, all in all, I’m super happy with my new found blogging voice. I wish I would have figured it out 5 years ago when I started blogging. But, hey, I’m a slow learner I guess. I also started a pinterest board that I’ve dedicated to a “look” I want my blog to have if and when I ever pay someone to make it look pretty. I have to just say, that creating this board today really made me happy. The extremely right brained Virgo side of me loves looking at pretty pictures and organizing them into categories. That is why pinterest is such a HUGE time sucker for me. I have to stay away from it as much as possible. Anyway, here’s the link to the board if you also like looking at pretty things: Blog Design Inspiration What do you think? I’m pretty much in love with this color palette and can’t get enough. Did I mention my living room is orange and green? And that if I could be as cool as anyone it would be Elsie Larson? And that I love retro/vintage-y stuff but just don’t feel cool enough to really pull it off? True story.

I mean, I wear shirts that look like this out in public.

Why do all of my shirts get holes in the exact same spot? Right over the button of my jeans. Oh wait! I know why. Because I buy cheap, crappy clothes from Target.

Last, a little confession. Today I saw a Mom driving in her car, pulling into McDonald’s with her kid as I was leaving (for my Mon/Wed Diet Coke treat after picking up Kyle from preschool…why did they put a McDonald’s right next to his preschool to tempt me with their delicious mix of diet coke perfection?) and she looked like me. I mean, not physically, but her hair was crazy (like me). No make-up (like me), toddler in the back seat (like me), not a speck of jewelry or anything cutesie on (like me). And, she was pulling into McDonalds. (maybe for her Diet Coke treat?)

And, it made me happy.