PDA

View Full Version : Challenging myself to kindness and positivity



Stella
2-15-12, 9:51am
Maybe it's partly because it's February, maybe because it's an election year, but I am getting worn out of all of the negativity I am hearing from people. Not so much on the boards, but IRL. This "everyone is an idiot, especially people who disagree with me, get in my way or otherwise irritate me" meme is getting old. Really, really old.

This morning I got up early and went to the grocery store. My kids have been taking turns being sick for several days now and I needed to get some ginger ale and saltines. I was bagging my groceries and this older lady struck up a conversation with me. She was so blessedly pleasant and friendly that she just made my day. I came home and instead of being crabby and feeling justifiably over-tired, I feel really good. I am able to put this sickness and sleep deprivation in perspective and as a result I am being kinder to my family, who in turn is being kinder to each other. It's contagious.

This is the second reminder I've had in the last few days of how far little kindnesses can go. A neighbor reminded me of some small thing I'd done that didn't even register on my radar screen, but had apparently made a big difference to her.

All of this has me resolved to make an active effort to put more positivity and kindness out in the world. I'll have to think about practical ways to do this, but mostly, I am just going to try to see what good I can put out in the world each day. If anyone would like to join me, I would love to hear what you all are doing. It would make for a nice antidote to the crabbiness.

So far this morning I've been taking care of my sick daughter, getting her ginger ale and watching cartoons to distract her from her misery. Also, although we actually did it yesterday, I was just reading on facebook that the annonymous Valentine we left in a neighbor's mail box made her smile.

That's it so far today, but it is only 9AM. There's time left in the day.

Rosemary
2-15-12, 10:59am
It is amazing how much impact a simple smile can have on my day. I notice this more consciously now than I used to, but in retrospect I realize that I never made as much of an effort to keep up with friends who tended toward cynicism and negativity as I did friends who brought me smiles and laughs.

Sad Eyed Lady
2-15-12, 11:01am
How Wonderful Stella! I am very interested in this thread, and thanks for reminding me that I would like to put out more kindness, patience and love to the world. This is random acts of kindness week I think I heard, so I have been thinking of what I could do, but your thread reminds me that it needs to be ALL the time. We are just so darn busy, (whether real or in our minds), that we go through the day without taking time to interact with others we run into. Maybe "Hi, how are you?" are we pass them in a doorway, but that older lady at the grocery took time to actually start a conversation with you and look at what happened! A snowball was started!

I don't know that I have anything to report yet, but will certainly be looking for ways to spread this! I am also looking forward to what the rest of you may post as you spread this act of kindness around. Thanks Stella!

mtnlaurel
2-15-12, 11:11am
I've been singing Keep on the Sunny Side by Carter Family a lot lately. It really does help.

Stella
2-15-12, 1:01pm
mtnlaurel, I love that song. That was Cheyenne's favourite when she was a little girl.

Sad Eyed Lady, I am excited to read about your acts of kindness!

Rosemary, I can see the same pattern in my life. I am much more drawn to people who are positive.

I set up the coffee to brew tomorrow morning. DH usually does that, but he's been forgetting lately because he's tired too and then he doesn't get any before he leaves for school. I know he has a ton of homework tonight, so he'd probably forget. I was standing right there by the coffee pot so it only took a minute.

puglogic
2-15-12, 1:40pm
Stella, thanks for this thread, though I have to say you're one of the most relentlessly positive people on this board!

Today I thanked my yoga instructor for bringing peace and much-needed stillness to all of us, and I thought she was going to cry. Sometimes we forget -- or at least I forget -- that there are some people who go for many days at a time without hearing a kind word from anyone.

Mrs-M
2-15-12, 1:57pm
Originally posted by Stella.
My kids have been taking turns being sick for several days now and I needed to get some ginger ale and saltines.One of my favourite mommy remedies! How right you are Re: crossing paths with a cheery, friendly person, and how it rubs off in a pleasantly positive way. I know it always has the same effect on me, too, helping redirect my focus on all things happy!

puglogic
2-15-12, 3:03pm
Sometimes you just need to read a story like this one, too: http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/07/14/un.a.small.act/index.html

"If you do something good, it can spread in circles, like rings on the water."

Stella
2-15-12, 3:46pm
I love that article puglogic! That is exactly the kind of thing I needed to read today.

Also, that reminds me that I need to put stamps on the letters my kids wrote to the kid we sponsor in Uganda and actually mail them. They have been sitting in envelopes full of sparkly stickers awaiting mailing for a week.

razz
2-15-12, 6:27pm
Lovely thread and a wonderful reminder about February blahs being a good time to make a difference with a smile.

catherine
2-15-12, 6:41pm
Stella, somehow I don't think it would be a big stretch for YOU to be kinder than you already are. But I guess everyone has room for improvement.

I have always loved this "Just For Today" meditation that is recognizable to probably anyone who has gone to Al-Anon.

Just for today, I will try to live through this day only,
and not tackle my whole life problem
at once. I can do something for twelve hours
that would appall me if I felt that I had to
keep it up for a lifetime.

Just for today, I will be happy. This assumes to
be true what Abraham Lincoln said, that
"most folks are as happy as they make up
their minds to be."

Just for today, I will try to strengthen my mind.
I will study. I will learn something useful.
I will not be a mental loafer. I will read
something that requires effort, thought and
concentration.

Just for today, I will adjust myself to what is,
and not try to adjust everything to my own
desires. I will take my "luck" as it comes,
and fit myself to it.

Just for today, I will exercise my soul in three
ways: I will do somebody a good turn, and
not get found out. I will do at least two
things I don't want to--just for exercise.
I will not show anyone that my feelings are
hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not
show it

Just for today, I will be agreeable. I will look
as well as I can, dress becomingly, talk low,
act courteously, criticize not one bit, not
find fault with anything and not try to improve
or regulate anybody except myself.

Just for today, I will have a program. I may not
follow it exactly, but I will have it. I will
save myself from two pests: hurry and indecision.

Just for today, I will have a quiet half hour all
by myself, and relax. During this half hour,
sometime, I will try to get a better perspective
of my life.

Just for today, I will be unafraid. Especially I
will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful,
and to believe that as I give to the world, so
the world will give to me.

-Kenneth L. Holmes

fidgiegirl
2-15-12, 10:44pm
Lovely, catherine.

I was thinking of your thread tonight when I was irritated with my hubby for being late. Instead of being mad I got up and cleaned and started dinner so he didn't have to wait to eat. He stresses out when he has to wait to eat, and I usually just let him stress. But he was already stressed enough. :)

puglogic
2-16-12, 11:12am
I have a husband who's six years old sometimes. He loves to take treats to work to share with the other 3-4 guys he works with. So this morning I suggested he bring the remaining gingerbread sandwich cookies with him for them (even though I am very possessive of baked goods) and asked him to pass along my thanks for always watching his back. They're all nice guys and I know it will make them smile.

citrine
2-16-12, 11:32am
I will pick up Matt from work today and clean the house without getting upset that he did not help me :)

Mrs-M
2-16-12, 12:59pm
This is a make me feel all warm and fuzzy thread.

leslieann
2-16-12, 1:15pm
Yeah, me too, Mrs. M. I always get that warm and fuzzy feeling when I think about Stella and her children tucking secret valentine's into the neighbor's mailbox, for example. Catherine, it has been years since I have read that poem but I want to print it out and put it on the refrigerator to look at every day. Thank you for the reminder.

The month can be a long one, for such a short month. Good to remember that tempers can be short, too, just because of the winter blahs, and that a warm connection can make a big difference for a very small investment.

Stella
2-16-12, 4:29pm
I love reading all of your posts! I'm getting warm fuzzy feelings too!

I am wretchedly sick today, so for the most part my act of kindness has been to stay out of people's way. :)

I have been treated with a lot of kindness today, though. Zach just brought me tea and the girls have been doing nice little things for me all day.

Zach went out in the middle of the night and picked up a prescription the OB called in for me because being sick like this in the third trimester can cause preterm labor if you get dehydrated. He's been up since 5AM and taking care of everyone and everything.

Also, I was a little shocked that the medication was $200, which is the amount of our as-yet unmet prescription deductible. I was not expecting that this week. Then Cheyenne checked the mail and my mom and grandma had sent $500 as a Valentine's Day present. I thought that was very thoughtful of them.

Hopefully tomorrow I will be back in giving mode, but it's good to appreciate all of the kind things others are doing for me as well.

puglogic
2-16-12, 4:37pm
{{{hugs}}} to Stella (with my surgical mask on :) )

Stella
2-16-12, 5:06pm
:) Thanks puglogic!

fidgiegirl
2-16-12, 5:36pm
Yes, appreciating and noticing others' kindnesses is often what stirs my own desire to be kinder myself. So it is very important.

(and feel better soon . . . )

Pug, love the gingerbreads :)

Lainey
2-16-12, 8:11pm
I watched a co-worker thank a speaker who gave a talk this morning at a professional meeting. Just took a minute, but, as has been said, so many people never get a simple thank you for anything, so I was glad to witness her kindness.

Blackdog Lin
2-16-12, 8:42pm
This thread struck a chord with me. It makes me feel good to know that others are struggling with, and doing things, to better that negativity.

I don't know if I have the winter blues, or maybe the 32-years-of-working-in-the-same-building-and-I-want-out-of-it syndrome, but I've had to WORK lately at my naturally sunny personality (really, I am blessed with good body chemicals, I think. I rarely struggle with any depression issues - I think it's genetic luck as much as anything else) . But I'm struggling with
(1) my coworkers are stupider than ever; and (2) my husband is grumpier than ever; and (3) my life is suckier than ever, I can't seem to get a handle on being my usual organized self and getting things done.

My mantra for the last month has been (a quote I don't know where I got from): "Don't be yourself, be someone nicer." It has worked wonders in getting me through this time.

I offer it up for those of us that might make use of it.

Stella
2-16-12, 8:50pm
Thanks Kelli!

I am thinking of something nice I could do for my friend's kid. My friend has instituted a TV free month at her house after her kid fell way behind in school this semester. At first he was fighting her tooth and nail, losing his temper pretty badly, but my friend stuck to her guns and she said this week has been really positive. Saturday he came over here and spent 12 hours at my kitchen table getting caught up on his homework. He has started listening to audiobooks and is really getting into a series he got from the library. Normally this kid is not into books at all, so that's a step in the right direction. She said that with the TV off they have actually talked to each other this week and he has opened up about some of his troubles at school. Another day he asked his mom if they could go out and do something because he couldn't take being at home anymore. He said he just needed to do something. Anything. Normally this kid hates leaving the house and brags about how much he likes sitting around doing nothing. She took him to the bookstore and got him a book on how to draw monsters. Now he is spending his free time in the evenings working on his drawings and listening to his audiobooks.

I thought, since he has had such an incredible turn-around it would be fun to reward him. I'm thinking I might get him a nice sketchbook and a pencil set, since he's really into drawing right now. He needs a little encouragement to keep going in this direction.

Stella
2-16-12, 8:51pm
Blackdog Lin I hope things get better for you!

fidgiegirl
2-16-12, 9:07pm
Hugs for Blackdog Lin!!!!!

Sounds like a really nice idea, Stella. You mentioned this kid in another thread, and it sounds like Dad isn't really present. So I'm sure your kindness toward this child is as much a kindness for him as a kind support for his mother.

Stella
2-16-12, 9:29pm
Yes, his dad is long gone and a total deadbeat, so Zach and I try to help fill in some gaps where we can. His mom is always really helpful and kind to us as well. They've been through a lot lately and need some support. Everyone needs to know that someone has their back, especially kids.

puglogic
2-16-12, 9:46pm
"Don't be yourself, be someone nicer."

LOVE that.

puglogic
2-16-12, 9:52pm
I understand that completely, Stella. I have to tell you this story: When I was a kid, I was so introverted, such a misfit, few friends....miserable most of the time. My parents, shall we say, weren't the best at making their kids feel valued or valuable. When I was still a pre-teen I was at a school function, hiding off in a corner, trying to blend in with the tall potted plants, and a teacher came over and stood near me. She asked me how I was, complimented me on my science grades. And then she told me that I looked really good in yellow, and I should wear it more.

Now, I was a girl who had never had anyone tell her that she looked good in ANYTHING, or that she was good at ANYTHING. There is no way I could explain what an impact those few kind words had on me. I think she may have saved my life, and she probably doesn't even remember me, let alone saying that to me.

Never underestimate that small kindnesses can radically alter a kid's life.

lhamo
2-16-12, 10:50pm
Count me in on the "try to be more positive and proactive" wagon -- this is one of the bigger goals that a lot of my smaller goals have been oriented toward in the past year and this year. I have a tendency to be introverted, introspective, and pessimistic and am really trying to get out of the more negative headspace that can often put me in. I am also trying to be a better model for my kids. So my kind of internal response to my own negative head language, when it starts (which is still more often than I would like) is, "yeah, that sucks, so what can you do to change it?" Standard CBT type approach, but I find that as I have implemented a bunch of incremental, positive changes in my life in other areas (diet, exercise, being more proactive about seeking out new experiences and chances to connect with people), it has REALLY made a difference in my overall mood and sense of well-being. I think it also helps that in my job I get a lot of positive feeback when I play cheerleader for my grantees and help them make useful connections to other people and resources. Being in a position where I can help other people on a regular basis and get positive feedback for it definitely creates a positive feedback loop.

I've been dealing with a really challenging situation at work lately and have spent a lot of time coaching myself and my boss to step back and try to see things from other people's perspectives and also think in terms of constructive, creative, proactive solutions that are likely to get buy in from all parties and move us forward, in spite of past problems. We both have the tendency to brood and feel hurt, but it really isn't productive. He has commented multiple times on how much he appreciates my skills and efforts in that area. Another positive feedback loop in what is otherwise a pretty negative situation.

I like the "Don't be yourself, be someone nicer" motto -- that is something worth striving for.

lhamo

danna
2-16-12, 11:17pm
Great thoughts and posts...I really need to be nicer to myself and all the wonderful people in my life....

Mrs-M
2-16-12, 11:32pm
Blackdog Lin. I know in speaking for myself, winter, always seems to have a way with me come January/February. I find myself longing for spring (more than ever), so I can get outside again and change things up a little (from the same-old- same-old, hum-drum, boring indoor routine), and my energy level (by this time of year) is right down the toilet!

leslieann
2-17-12, 8:22am
I am mulling the slogan, Lin. "Don't be yourself, be someone nicer." I like it for my grumpier days, though "nice" was a word that got me into trouble in my earlier life....when I valued niceness over myself. Anyway, I don't think I have that problem any more but I like danna's addition.....about being nicer to oneself, too.

So I will work with that...."Don't be yourself, be someone nicer.....to yourself as well as to others." It feels vaguely subversive and I like that. Like a covert operation. Maybe that's what is so attractive about those random acts of kindness; it subverts the everyday, everyone for himself kind of model, and does it covertly.

I think I could get into that.....a covert warrior for kindness and positivity.....hehehe....

Stella
2-17-12, 11:26am
LOL. I love it! A covert warrior for kindness and positivity!

Puglogic, that is a great story. I can remember some times when some small kindness like that made a big difference to me too.

I had such a blessed morning today. It was really amazing. I had ordered some handmade Vietnamese eggrolls from a nun at my church. She sells them to raise money for an orphanage she runs in Vietnam. I was supposed to pick them up yesterday, but I was sick, so I met her after morning mass today to get them. I had decided to round up to the nearest $20 and just give her the rest as a donation. She was so sweet and grateful and I was so excited to get the eggrolls. I love Vietnamese eggrolls and hers are fabulous. She told me that $7 feeds one of the orphans for a month, so the $40 I spent would actually go farther than I think. I told her that as tired as I get in late pregnancy the eggrolls will provide quite a few nice meals for my kids when I am not at my best, so it's a total win/win.

I also told her that Cheyenne had brought aluminum cans because Sister collects them to raise money for the orphanage. Cheyenne made up a flyer and took it around the neighborhood to collect them. That pleased her very much.

We walked outside and ran into an older lady I am friends with who was loading her own cans into Sister's truck. She was telling Sister very nice things about me and she slipped $20 into my pocket and told me to take the kids out for ice cream or something fun. She is such a sweet lady and she does that every once in a while. I know that kind of thing pleases her as much as it pleases me so I accepted it. I have had many experiences with people making such kind and loving gestures towards me and my family and I have decided that the best course of action is to accept the kindnesses and pay them forward.

I was talking to the kids on the way home. We talked about that when everyone is in the mindset of being kind, the blessings seem to just multiply. In this case, the orphans got money from our eggroll purchase, Cheyenne's cans and the older lady's cans. Sister Rose, who lives for her charitable works, gets the blessings of knowing that people really care. We get fresh handmade eggrolls, a fun afternoon out and a lesson in the power of good. My friend gets the fun of treating a bunch of little kids to something fun and the satisfaction of knowing that something she wasn't using anyway (the cans) is going to a good cause. We all get an increased sense of community too.

Beyond the immediately obvious blessings, my dad also gets a kid-free house this afternoon. He is sick and needs to get some sleep.

puglogic
2-17-12, 1:28pm
Today I patronized our local coffee shop instead of a chain, and counseled the owner on how to fix his Facebook page. Very self-serving, really, since I prefer working with local entrepreneurs, not huge corporations, and if he does better, I get to have him around longer! (he makes amazing coffees, and is always quick with a kind word to everyone)

JaneV2.0
2-17-12, 4:25pm
I effusively thanked the customer service rep at my local telco (an actual U.S.-based human!) when she informed me there would be no need for a service call, as my problem was part of a known outage. Yay! I was so thrilled not to have to deal with an installer (I had just a touch too much of that in a past life) that my good humor spilled over onto her. At this point, I don't care when they fix it...

Stella
2-19-12, 8:04pm
I sewed a button on my dad's pants today. It wasn't a big kindness, but every bit helps.

puglogic
2-19-12, 9:36pm
We ate at a restaurant today (very special occasion if we're eating out! :) ) The place was jam-packed, with cranky hipsters waiting in the lobby, employees running to & fro, every table full of loud, boisterous diners....it's one of the dining meccas in Denver and it must be incredibly hard to please everyone. For example, we overheard the women at the table next to us who were vegan, ate gluten-free, and were also avoiding fat, sugar, and salt. C'mon, really?

Anyway, our server was this little oasis of peace & calm floating (quickly) around the restaurant, quick with a smile, smart, accommodating, friendly, and professional. She took the time to make us feel like we mattered, on a day when I really needed to feel like I was more than just "table 4". We were so impressed that the three of us chipped in and tipped her 50%, and completed the comment card so her managers would know she's darned good at her job.

Stella
2-21-12, 9:20am
puglogic I love when I get service like that. When I worked at coffee shops I always tried to be that person. People appreciated it.

This morning I got up really early after sleeping almost all day yesterday, so I made pancakes and sausage for everyone for breakfast as a little Mardi Gras celebration and to say thanks to everyone for taking such good care of me when I was sick. They enjoyed it.

iris lily
2-21-12, 9:25am
Today I patronized our local coffee shop instead of a chain, and counseled the owner on how to fix his Facebook page. Very self-serving, really, since I prefer working with local entrepreneurs, not huge corporations, and if he does better, I get to have him around longer! (he makes amazing coffees, and is always quick with a kind word to everyone)

Here, the Biggest Cofffee Chain (you know who) went out of business within a year after putting up a stooooopid strip mall building in the nearby historic neighborhood, but our local independent guy is going strong and is growing. yay.

puglogic
2-21-12, 10:18am
I think local businesses (patronizing them and having your own) are what's going to save our bacon in the years to come. I love watching people crack out of the corporate machine and succeed at this.

Stella
2-21-12, 10:35am
I totally agree with you puglogic. Iris I'm glad to hear your local guy is doing so well!

Rose_
2-21-12, 11:07am
February blahs ... the one thing I can truly count on each year. I love the idea of paying it forward, and try to do so as much as I can, but I've never really considered it from a kindness standpoint.

I can fully appreciate how far one act can go though. Turning around someones day might be as simple as holding the door for them and just saying hello. It's nice to know that a little effort can make a big difference. I'm fully on board with this idea, and am going to work on challenging myself to send kindness to others.

puglogic
2-21-12, 2:24pm
This video today singlehandedly wiped the February blahs from my day: http://www.youtube.com/user/PeaceOnEarth123
So nice. Hug somebody today!

catherine
2-21-12, 2:34pm
This video today singlehandedly wiped the February blahs from my day: http://www.youtube.com/user/PeaceOnEarth123
So nice. Hug somebody today!

:thankyou:

Anyone have a teary-eyed smiley face emoticon??

puglogic
2-21-12, 2:44pm
Definitely needed the kleenex. The first lady he hugged in his campaign had a story:

"And for 15 minutes, people just stared right through me. The first person who stopped, tapped me on the shoulder and told me how her dog had just died that morning. How that morning had been the one year anniversary of her only daughter dying in a car accident. How what she needed now, when she felt most alone in the world, was a hug. I got down on one knee, we put our arms around each other and when we parted, she was smiling."
Oh heck, where are those kleenex again? LOL

Stella
2-21-12, 2:50pm
I saw that video on facebook a while back and I absolutely love it! Thanks for posting it! I love hugs.

Stella
2-27-12, 9:22am
Yesterday Zach cleaned my Dad's room. Dad has been stressed out this month. He just isn't a February person and he's been working some late nights. We had moved an unused dresser from James' room to Dad's room and he meant to put all of the stuff from his underbed boxes in it, but by Sunday night he still hadn't gotten to it. While Zach cleaned I put the stuff away.

Last night I set up the coffee to brew before Dad left and this morning Zach made him a bagel for breakfast. He's been skipping breakfast lately, which I don't think helps with the funk. He seemed genuinely grateful for our efforts.

leslieann
2-27-12, 10:04am
Okay, I am supposed to be working but instead I finally went to watch the video...that's a good one for sure! I posted a link to it to my practice site..lovely to see.

Stella
2-29-12, 11:23am
My son James, who is two, was really sick yesterday. Fever, cough, congestion and misery. He woke up last night in the middle of the night and came into bed with us and he sounded just awful, panting and moaning. It was painful as a mom to listen to. I got up and took him into the bathroom. I steamed up the room with the shower and some peppermint oil and ran a warm bath for him.

After the bath I gave him some vapor rub and made him some Sleepytime tea with honey for his sore throat and to help clear out his sinuses. He didn't eat much for dinner because he was so miserable so I made him some toast. He ate about half of it and drank his tea. Then we went back to my room and Daddy, who is the official Sick Baby Snuggler in this house, snuggled him to sleep. It was nice to hear him breathing relatively well.

In a kindness to me Zach went into school about half an hour late and let me sleep in an extra hour. I really needed that. I wouldn't have been OK today without that.

James is feeling well enough to be a crab today. :) At least with my kids, that's a good sign. Super sick kids are listless and snuggly. About one day before they are mostly better they are crabby. Hopefully that means the worst of it is over.

early morning
2-29-12, 11:18pm
Stella, I hope James is better. DD is sick too, but since she's 29, she doesn't get snuggled to sleep, lol.

fidgiegirl
3-1-12, 11:54am
Oh, that reminds me of the first time I was sick without my mom. I was puking in the guest bathroom in the dorms so the other girls didn't have to listen to it in the community bathroom . . . uffda. Ah, adulthood.

Last night a random kindness was done to my husband and I. We went over to our old house to meet the tenants and to shovel the corner lot one last time, yippee! But someone had blown 90% of it out! That was a HUGE kindness because the snow we had was very, very heavy and the remaining 10% clogged our snowblower almost immediately, leaving us to shovel. No one's done that in a lot of years over there so it was really, really nice that it happened that day. I didn't feel well and DH had already shoveled our place.

That, in turn, made me think of this thread, and how I could be kinder.

I'm going to try to direct more kindness to my DH. I have been really cranky with him lately, and picky. Like, he isn't putting away the Tupperware the way I want it. Well, first of all, how dumb to get worked up over that. Secondly, I haven't let him know how I've had in mind how we should do the Tupperware, anyway. Third, there really isn't enough room in the cupboard where I started to put it, so what was he supposed to do?

catherine
3-1-12, 8:31pm
Oh, that reminds me of the first time I was sick without my mom.


Thanks, fidgiegirl...when you say that, I realize that being a mom emeritus makes me feel so good... My kids are just starting to tell me how much they appreciated my being by their sides when they were sick: Most notably they recall one incident when I made Hamburger Helper when the hamburger was bad, and as a result the WHOLE FAMILY was sick. My kids were so impressed that I was sick as a dog, but cleaned up their sickness. So nice to have our small motherly sacrifices acknowledged. And BTW, we NEVER ate Hamburger Helper again.

So consider that comment to all mothers your random act of kindness for the day.

Kestrel
3-1-12, 11:53pm
In our church a group is studying Karen Armstrong's book, "Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life" -- very good. Very good.

mira
3-2-12, 5:36am
This is a very motivating thread! I know that my daily disposition really does affect my overall mood and the people around me. Lately at work I've felt demoralised and my disposition has been sour. I do notice that if I make a conscious effort to be more upbeat, mindful and take things less seriously, I come out smiling at the end of the day.

I'm in this with you Stella; I'm going to make it a daily aim!

puglogic
3-9-12, 11:54am
I was delighted to stumble over these sites this morning, as they really helped me back into a positive place from the grey gloom I had descended into:

http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/RAK-Week/ (watch the video if you have a moment...I want to be like that woman)
http://positivenews.org.uk/ (wow.....you mean there's good news in the world? who knew!! :) )

Happy day, everyone!