be nice and only say positive things for one day!

Yesterday I did a good job of being positive. I don’t recall any negative comments, however 24 hours is a long time so I don’t remember everything I said. I am going to continue to work on this goal, since it is a life changing goal. I want to be positive at all times, and this goal was a start at getting to that mindset.

So I will work on this today, and tomorrow, and the next day. :)

Now that I am looking for the best in situations, it is AMAZING how easy it is to do this! Sometimes it even surprises me that I hear words coming out of my mouth that are so positive. :) However I got this “glass half full” view is not as important as the fact that I have it now, and life is much more enjoyable.

Is this goal completed? I’m not sure so it will stay here for a while. What I really wanted was a more positive attitude – and I have that now. :) And I’m lovin’ it!

I spent yesterday with family going to lunch, and enjoying a perfect day at the beach! The ocean was like glass and a deep blue. The islands looked so close that you could almost touch them. The waves were crashing on the shore, the sky was blue and white clouds were scattered around. Lovely!

Because the day was so beautiful, and I am working on being positive, I noticed how many negative comments people made. Instead of wanting something positive (I hope that we get to sit by the window), they phrased things negatively (I bet that there aren’t any tables left by the windows). It’s sad. However I understand that since I was raised around this type of talk, it explains why I used to talk like this.

I spent a lot of time listening, and rephrasing things in my head.

What a perfect day to accomplish this goal! A day when people are supposed to be happy and loving. I want to wish everyone on 43Things “Happy Holidays”.

For me the holidays are about gratitude, love, happiness, peace, acceptance, forgiveness, and community. I know that the culture in the U.S. makes it difficult at times for people to remember this. My perfect Xmas is when I spend time with people I love, having fun and playing games. It is not about getting things, it’s about giving. And the most important gifts we can give each other are these gifts.

I hope that everyone reading this post feels the spirit of my gift to you. You are part of a very special community – one that teaches these values on a daily basis. Most of you will never know how much that means to me, and others on 43Things. Thank you for being part of this community!!!

The best to you -

PasadenaSue

While I have made progress in thinking fewer negative thoughts, I caught myself thinking one today. So to break the habit I am going to rephrase 3 negative thoughts per day into positive ones. That should help me be aware of when I am thinking negative thoughts, and work on changing the habit.

Cart, horse. If I think positive thoughts, then I will focus on the good things. So when I speak, my words will be positive. Simple.

I learned at an early age to be very negative. Find what is wrong. Focus on what doesn’t work, instead of what does. While I understand where I was going with this goal, it is the second part of a larger goal – think positive thoughts. I won’t add that goal so I will change the initial focus of this goal to “think positive thoughts for one day”.

The self-hypnosis tapes should help here. I have been working on shifting my thoughts to “the glass is half full” thoughts. :)

And I made it through being positive. It was fun, relaxing, hot and humid, and a nice birthday.

I could have done more, however I am satisfied with what I did today. It wasn’t a particularly unique day, but I enjoyed it. And I allowed myself to have two, yes TWO starbucks drinks. OK, that’s a lot of calories and I have never had 2 starbucks in one day before. I am not going to worry about it and I enjoyed it.

The evening concert in the park was fun. My friends had to leave early and I stayed. The music gets your feet moving and I just had to get out on the floor and dance! This is not my strong point, however I didn’t care and I had fun.

So I give myself a cheer for today. I was nice and positive all day long.

I was at the Farmer’s market and I talked with a lot of the vendors. It was fine, everyone is happy and nice there. My sister was taking a class in Pasadena, that they cancelled at the last minute, so she joined me at the market. A gentleman was selling cold brined olives, and I talked with him for quite some time, getting information on brining olives.

Then I went to Vons and bought a venti coconut frappucino. Yummy! I don’t get these very often however I certainly enjoy them. :) A special treat. I did talk with people in the store.

Today my goal is to be nice and only say positive things. And I am going to accomplish this goal by thinking positive thoughts and finding the up side to anything that happens. This is my gift to myself on my BDay.

The cats are helping, giving me opportunities to focus on the positive… Vespa has parasites and needs treatment. And I have extra time this morning because the conference call didn’t work.

Let’s see what else life has in store for me today. :)

I was going to visit my brother’s family a few weeks ago. Long story but we stopped along the way to run some errands (which took longer than planned and made us late to the party). I was determined not to get upset, since I couldn’t control what was going on as a passenger. When I was waiting for the others to finish their errands, I sat in a parking lot and people watched.

I decided to find one thing positive about each person who walked by. When I got stuck after three people, I realized that I need to change my attitude! I am rather critical of things, a habit that I developed from my parents – however it is my habit, and my responsibility to change.

Today, I may go visit a mall, sit with a coffee and find positive things to say about everyone who walks by. :)