This Week’s Top 10 Happy List
When all you see in the news these days is story after story of mayhem, violence, murder, destruction, injustice, fear, and complete pandemonium, it can be overwhelming, discouraging, and stressful. Quite frankly, I’m over it. It makes me sick to my stomach. We can’t ignore the bad, but if we focus on it too much without balancing it out with the good, we end up causing more harm to ourselves and others. Stress levels rise, hormones become out of balance, and we create a toxic environment for our brains and mental health. Over the past week or two, I have made the decision to focus more on the good and create memories that make me smile and bring joy to my heart in order to help counteract the overwhelming blasts of negativity we are being exposed to on a daily basis. One way to help shift your mindset from the negative to the positive is to list the things you’re grateful for. It changes your perspective on life and helps you get through the tough times with added stamina. For this week’s post, I thought I’d share with you some instances from the past couple of weeks that have made me happy:
- Feeding horses in the pouring rain and getting soaked to the skin. Although I felt like a drowned rat, it was an absolute blast.
- Walking on the beach with my husband and enjoying the most perfect weather. The sun was shining, there was a breeze, and the humidity level was low.
- Having an impromptu date lunch at the beach with my hubby … we split a burger, fries, and a blizzard from Dairy Queen. That juicy burger tasted amazing.
- Watching all of the gladiola bulbs I planted start to grow. I also planted hollyhocks, sunflower seeds, and more gladiola bulbs. It is going to be beautiful once everything blooms.
- Admiring a gorgeous green dragonfly that was perched on my back door.
- A deep, intellectual conversation with a dear friend.
- Going horseback riding again for the first time in over two months. It didn’t matter that it was hot and humid outside. I was just happy to be on the back of a horse again.
- Running full speed through the woods, dodging thorny vines and tangled branches, to help a friend get two escaped cows back into their pasture. That was quite the adventure. But the smile on my face afterwards was worth it.
- Being able to fellowship with family and friends at church again.
- Swimming in the Chesapeake Bay and then watching a beautiful sunset while enjoying a picnic dinner on the beach.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but by focusing on the events, memories made, and things I’m grateful for has helped me to cope with the stress of current events and to be more relaxed, focused, and intentional with my time and the family and friends I’ve been able to hang out with this past week. My husband has even commented to me that he’s noticed I’ve seemed happier and more relaxed lately because I have chosen to shift my perspective to one of gratitude and take the time to be intentional about creating happy memories. What are you grateful for this week? My hope is that as you ponder that question, you too are able to dig deep and find gratitude despite the chaos that surrounds us.
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