Happy Secret Challenge: Day Seven

I am creating/participating in a Happy Secret Challenge inspired by a TED video I recently watched.  

I've made it one week, and my goal for the next 14 days is to write three gratitudes and to journal/write about one positive experience from the day.  The gratitudes can be trivial or deep.  And even on the toughest of days there is at least ONE thing that is positive or goes well.  

Gratitude: thankfulness, gratefulness or appreciation; 

a feeling or attitude in recognition of a benefit that someone has received.

Positive:  favorable, good, approving, enthusiastic, supportive, encouraging

The goal is to retrain your brain to begin to look for the positives instead of the negatives.  There are other pieces to the challenge as well but for today we start with these two:

Three Gratitudes:

19. I am thankful for smiles.  Whether it's from a stranger, friend or family member it doesn't matter.  It can provide an instant connection when we feel alone.  A moment of happiness.  A turn in the road on a bad to make it better.  It doesn't matter if your 1, 15, 40, 90 or anywhere in between.  Smiles are something to be thankful for.

20. I appreciate my colleagues. They are a cast of characters.  The ones that I'm referring to are the group I most often interact with, or their rooms are near mine.  They are funny, supportive, encouraging, sometimes frustrating or aggravating, but they are great.  

21. I am grateful for words.  I can't imagine going through life without words.  Writing them, reading them, speaking them.  They are powerful, hurtful, encouraging, loving, beautiful, bold, strong... and the list goes on.

I am grateful.

One Positive From The Last 24 Hours:

I was driving my mom to a party and wanted to avoid some traffic on the way home.  In the end I got turned around and had to take a highway for awhile.  I was cut off, not allowed to merge.  I was frustrated.  And then I got off the highway to take a backroad and some some really pretty Holiday lights.  I love holiday lights.  They are beautiful.  In that moment I was really glad I was on a detour so I could see those beautiful bright lights on a windy road.

"Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day." 

-Author Unknown

Many things in life can wait... but The Sunset Won't!