I opened it up wanting to get the secret to being happy, but honestly skeptical that I would actually gain anything from it.
I'm glad to say, I was wrong, wrong, wrong.
Today I tried two suggestions in the book, just for a lark. Suggestion one was to try not to complain today. Suggestion two was to be be aware of the things that gave me pleasure during the day: to be truly aware for a good 30 seconds as it was happening. I mean, even if these things didn't work, they were hardly going to harm me, right?
I got through the entire day with only two complaints, and when I heard myself kvetching, I was able to catch myself immediately and stop. And the things that gave me pleasure? I was so aware of them throughout the day. I wrote them in a journal when I got home and was pleasantly surprised to find that they had filled an entire page. Little things, like the smell of freshly baked pastries in Osterman's Bakery; watching my kids play "bumper cars" on the slide after school; waking up early enough to not have to rush our morning routine.
And from these little changes, the oddest thing happened. By early evening, I found myself walking around with a smile on my face, for no reason at all. I found myself speaking more lovingly to my kids, and actually listening to my husband with interest when he told me about his day. And the feeling in my house tonight is so much more positive than usual. You know the saying, "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Well it seems that if Mama's happy, everybody else feels more happy too.
No comments:
Post a Comment