Today is Wednesday June 17th ---21 days from now will be Tuesday July 7, 2015
After watching a TED talk by Shawn Achor I am going to follow his advice and start a 21 day thankful journal in the form of this Blog. The 'rules' are that I need to reflect on 3 things I'm thankful for each day without repeating one. The goal is that my positive outlook will lead to success. I am concerned lately about my success as (to say it positively) I am 'between' jobs right now and I'm not at all sure what direction my career is going next. I am 46 years of age and this is an unsettling, scary and exciting time.
Shawn Achor (he is Google worthy) advises to train your brain to be positive by:
1) Journal-ing 3 new things you're thankful daily/21 days
2) Daily Exercise (I will walk/jog or go to Curves)
3) Meditate (I'm using a book called 'Jesus Calling' by Sarah Young)
4) Daily Acts of Kindness - Send a positive email, invite someone out/over, write a note etc,
Hmmmm where to start.....I like to write in the morning but may not have all my tasks/goals done when I do so I may need to fill you in on the full account of all 4 above the next day (ex. today I will report my 3 thanks/meditation and possibly fill you in on the exercise/kindness tomorrow.)
Today's Meditaion: Sarah Young's book has daily thoughts/reflections that relate to versus from the Bible she lists below each. The first 3 words today are 'Learn to Laugh' wow this is so timely as I recently made a conscience decision to embrace my laugh. As I left my job of 7 years recently many people wrote to me and told me that they would 'miss my laugh' This was tough to take because I am actually self-conscious about my laugh. Someone who observes me would never think that because I am often a full out laugh-er. One particularly special friend gave me a wall hanging that says, "Friends are the people in life that make you laugh a little louder, smile a little brighter and live a little better" What a compliment to be given this charge and affirmation. May it be so daily. I even changed my Twitter account Bio to "Find the humor it's always there" (this led me to discovering the FB page; "Secret Society of Happy People")
Today's Thankfulness:
1) Family- I am limiting myself in this area because I could easily have 21 days of naming 3 different family members I'm thankful for and why etc. I don't want to negate this at all, in fact I am giving them all this first journal entry because my family means everything to me. I am challenging myself to be thankful beyond my family. I spent over a year of my daughter and son's child-rearing years writing a thankful journal for each them to help me focus on the positive parts of parenting. I am also very blessed by my husband and I could spend 21 days focusing on 3 things about him alone for which I am thankful. My parents and my sisters are such a source of who I am and still provide (Dad is no longer here physically but his presence in my life for 45 years lives on in me.) unwavering support. My in-laws both through my sisters marriages and my husband's side have provided me with unconventional support and created in me an appreciation of family in deep and profound ways. My niece and nephews are an ever-present joy and pride in my life. My countless cousins and many aunts/uncles are an extension of support in my life that I often take for granted but are valuable beyond measure.
2) Friends- much the same as family I could spend 21 days for the people in my life both past and present that are like family to me in that they shape and support who I am in ways that are countless. Some of these people I often think of as sisters or family but I have recently found that I don't want to blur these important lines. The reason I think this distinction is important is because there are some things for which I can only go to family for support and some things I can only go to friends. I also believe I supply this support and love in different ways. This is a big part of why the in-law relationship is so profound because these are the family members who went from friend to family and provide such a unique part of our lives because of this. I have always loved that my name 'Amy' has its roots in the word friend. I value being a friend and having friends highly and am thankful for each and everyone one. Facebook Friend-ing can often make us question what a friend is but I say the more the merrier because I need them in every place on the spectrum of the friend continuum.
3) God- why is that so hard to write? There was a time in my life when God would have been no doubt the very first thing I would have listed and now I hesitate to write God at all. I have been shaken spiritually the last couple of years. It started probably sometime in 2012 and then my dog died and a year later my father died. Both of these loses continue to be obstacles in my spirituality but not the root of it. The root of my God 'struggle' is that I realized that I don't actually believe in hell. If I don't believe in hell does that mean I don't believe in heaven? I have come to terms with this in some ways but I still continue to wrestle with how this impacts my faith in general. How is this something I'm thankful for? I am thankful for God because He has taught me through the Bible, songs and teachings of Jesus how to live life in a positive, giving and loving way. Maybe this life and our way of impacting others is 'heaven'. Mozart lives on. Shakespeare lives on. Einstein lives on. My Dad lives on. etc. The goal of this Blog is to be positive through thankfulness and hoping it brings me to 'success' leads me to the question, 'what is success?' Living a life that has an impact beyond my physical breath is one definition I value.
Wow! I am so inspired by you right now, Amy. For the record, I have always, always, always enjoyed your laugh. I also have so many of the same questions you have in regards to your "God struggle," and so much LESS courage than you, as I rarely speak about these questions openly. A few years ago, I read a book called "Love Wins," written by Rob Bell. It really offered me some great perspective on the ideas of judging and being judged, and what God might really want for all of us. I have reread the book at least once, and should probably do it again. I would be honored if you would ever like to borrow it (I know I can lend a Kindle book out, but I have to remember how it is done...).
ReplyDeleteYou have already lived a life that will have an impact beyond your physical breath. It is important that you know that truth. Your current journey toward the definition of success will do nothing but broaden that impact as you move forward.
Way to knock your first (second?) blog post out of the park! I look forward to more (no pressure...).
Thanks! I think I will Kindle buy the book. Brave you say? You just joined me in my first time sharing it. I don't take your words lightly. -Amy
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