Dream Bigger

Write a list of my 5 top dreams. Now, dream bigger. Feel the freedom to stretch my thinking to what I really want in my life. Build on my dreams, transform my hopes, and go above and beyond my current thinking.

Job Well Done

Remind others how good they are. If you hear someone has committed an act of kindness, tell them what a kind, wonderful act they performed. It can be grand or something relatively simple: cooking dinner for a caregiver, picking up a neighbors mail while they are away, or giving a friend a ride to the doctors office. Appreciating others for their thoughtfulness is always a good thing.

Shopping Trip Experiment

My daughter and I did an experiment of niceness. We went to the food store and it was packed. We expected to be hit by shopping carts and other rude behavior. To keep our attitudes positive, we decided to be extremely nice and ignore any bad behavior we experienced. Everywhere we went, aisle to aisle, we were friendly and courteous, smiling, and letting others go ahead of us. The people around us responded by letting us pass first instead and smiling back. It really diffused a lot of the me, me behavior we expected. I guess like attracts like and the trip wasn't so bad after all.

Share Stories

Share positive, happy stories. Call a friend, sibling, or other loved one and share a wonderful memory you made with them. Sharing happy stories is a great way to feel gratitude.
In building community among groups, friends, workplaces etc., it is important to share stories.

Wag More

I saw a bumper sticker recently. It read, Wag More, Bark Less.
That is what I am going to do.

Wake Up, Wake Up

Wake up and appreciate the beauty of a sunset. I am lucky enough to see the sunrise each morning as I start my work day with the sunrise. Feel gratitude for the beauty of the sunrise. Enjoy the reds, oranges and intensity of the colors.

Will I See My Shadow

It's Ground Hogs Day and the yearly forecast from Punxsutawney Phil is an early spring. Winter snow and ice storms have hit a lot of the the US. Here in NJ, I'm witnessing my second day of an ice storm. There is the danger of driving on the roads, potential power outages, water damage from ice dams and other winter hazards. But, as I look out my backyard, I see the pretty ice covered limbs, the icicles dripping, and the birds landing on the snow. There really is beauty to be found in the most unpleasant of circumstances.

Today I will practice seeing beauty and feeling gratitude as I go throughout my day.

Update: I was grateful for the beauty that surrounds me and ever grateful for the beauty to be in a few short months.