Sometimes I feel the sour, painful pit in my stomach growing to the size of a watermelon, chocking out any room for happiness. Has that ever happened to you?
Getting dragged into the negativity pit is greased with feelings of worry, guilt, and fear, making it a slippery slope, easily fallen into.
I write, speak, and coach to help people (including myself) to promote and protect their own happiness so I’m always on the lookout for ways to increase and guard happiness.
In my research I found Gretchen Rubin’s blog: “Can a Simple Act of Making a List Boost Your Happiness?”
Of course, I had to try it. I started with “Things that make my heart sing”. That was an easy list to begin with.
I then moved to a David Letterman’s style of list, “The 10 most Significant Memories”. This list took a little longer:
1) my convent experience,
2) the day I had the courage to file for divorce,
3) my first date with Joe,
4) our move to Montana,
5) seeing my book in print for the first time
6) neighbors hovering around the stove waiting the turkey to FINALLY be done,
7) family celebrations, etc.
And then the “aha” hit me….memories are similar to earthquakes shifting us into new positions. They can be big…like the 7 or 8 point earthquakes causing great rearrangement of the terrain, or they can be smaller, like the aftershocks on the scale of 2.
The larger quakes, causing the most disruption, usually involve something scary, like leaving the safety and comfort of what is known and moving into that unpredictable and unknown future. We would never grow if we didn’t have these moves.
The smaller ones, cause smaller movements, usually of the heart, opening up with gratitude or forgiveness. These smaller “after shocks” although not tremendous in our outer world, do cause an important inner shift. We would never enjoy the gifts of the present if we didn’t see the beauty and opportunity in each moment, no matter how small on the scale.
So as you go about your daily routines today remember that you are creating memories for tomorrow to put in your memory bank.
I challenge you to start your own “The 10 Most Significant Memories” list. In so doing you will observe how everyday decisions are creating your life today and memories for tomorrow.
The simple act of making a list does help refine and focus our thinking. Let me know your ideas for others lists promoting happiness.
Here’s to your happiness….
