Happiness Challenge Round 3 - Starting June 1

[Froggie]

June 1st
1. Write down three new things you are grateful for each day :
a) my friend J came over to help me wash my windows!
b) my daughter and husband set up the air conditionner YEAHHHHHH!!!
c) my grandson managed to retrieve the power bar that had fallen behind the TV furniture, his parents and I are overweight and couldn't reach it.
2. Journal about a positive experience experience in the last 24 hours :my neighbors took me out for supper last night to celebrate my 2 year cancer survival. Really great folks
3. Exercise :walk
4. Meditation :meditated on the nature through clean windows ;)
5. A random act of kindness : told my grandson that he was my hero because he really helped me when he got that power bar.

1/6 Pillars

1. The Practice of Living Consciously
Be open to everything around you, live in the present and constantly seek out knowledge.
Eating more slowly and taking the time to sense the food - a practicing bouddhist told me this lately and I've been putting it into action; result : I've been losing weight !

 

[therapybankrupt]

Day 1
* Grateful
1 For my Mom for putting cash in my account to cover bills cause x did not pay.
2 For my brother for having me over.
3 For the challenge that keeps me positive.
* Exercise none
*Random act of kindness. Pulled over so someone speeding could pass me and get a ticket.
*Am looking forward to meditation at bedtime.
*A positive experience is getting in touch with an old friend that moved back to the area and also enjoyed lunch with a friend from my old home town in the last 24 hrs. I am also practicing learned tools to deal with my feelings in a positive and productive way.
Best wishes to all the new and old challengers:)

 

[Whitneys story]

6 Pillar Challenge, I have noticed a few comments regarding this. Pencil and Eleanor will be hosting this down the road in a separate thread.

I know it sounds really exciting but we should allow them time to get their books and plans. I am sure we can appreciate they are bringing something special. I would feel bad if we put the cart before the horse. Poor Horse would need to push the cart:eek:

 

[Changing4Best]

Psalm 118:15
"Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!"
New Living Translation of the Bible

 

[Changing4Best]

More Thoughts on Meditation:

Meditation is said to be focusing upon one's breath or breathings and letting one's mind unfill from all its wordiness as a by product (my thoughts upon what I have read about the Eastern practice).

In the Bible we are taught that God gave us breath and that breath is how He gives us life. Also, when breathing ceases we no longer have life, He has taken it from us. Catholic monks like Thomas Merton did this Eastern practice daily. He wrote poetry too, incidentally.

And so I conclude that meditation is focusing upon LIFE, the life that is in us. Not our thoughts, not our ideas, but upon what God has given us.

And that is pretty basic!

And as a side note, Achor, in his book, THE HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE, says that meditation actually increases the SIZE of the section of our brains that is responsible for happiness! Neat.

 

[Changing4Best]

"In addition to broadening our intellectual and creative capacities, positive emotions also provide a swift antidote to physical stress and anxiety, ... a quick burst of positive emotions doesn't just broaden our cognitive capacity; it also provides a quick and powerful antidote to stress and anxiety, which in turn improves our focus and our ability to function at our best level."
Shawn Achor, THE HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE

I (Sheila) am gaining so much more info about all this by reading the book. I will share quotes from the book here that I think will benefit us further. This one is my fav so far. Basically he says that even a 5 minute phone call to your kids, going for a short walk outside or even eating a candy bar will bring that short burst of happiness enough to counteract the jitters you might have before (for instance) giving a presentation at work.

 

[therapybankrupt]

Day 2

Really working hard on symptom's this week. Positive is that I am still here an trudging along. \

I am grateful for the weather today it was perfect!
I am grateful for clouds. They are so neat and I like guessing what they look like.
I am grateful for my back yard and its privacy and peacefulness!

Exercise was hauling all the christmas boxes and tree from upstairs to the shed so I can put some friends up next week. I will free up the spare bedroom.

Meditation many times today in the yard on a lawn chair trying to stop the mind. It helps for a while.

Have a great week Challengers!

 

[Changing4Best]

"When our brains constantly scan for and focus on the positive, we profit from three of the most important tools available to us: happiness, gratitude, and optimism".
Shawn Achor, from THE HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE.

 

[Whitneys story]

Sheila, I am so glad you got the book. So appreciate "AskALibrarian" US library service coming through for you.

So appreciate you for posting. You can count these as random acts too! Whitney

 

[therapybankrupt]

DAY 3

Grateful for the check coming today!
Grateful for my neighbor. She came over to say hello!
Grateful for another beautiful day out. Perfect for working in the front yard.

Journaling a positive experience. I am happy with the way I cut my hedges. The front of my house looks better.

Exercise- Mowed the front lawn trimmed and cleaned up the bushes and tree in the front.

Meditation is before bed tonight.

Random act of kindness. I helped a woman find a air conditioner on sale at walmart.

tb

 

[therapybankrupt]

Am I on the right Challenge? Were is everybody?

 

[Changing4Best]

Were is everybody?

Most of us have been sharing in the private message, maybe you did not get an invitation to be in it yet? I share my thoughts and quotes here, but my progress with the challenge is there in the private one.