I turned on the news the other day and saw a story about a missing child, a shooting at a college and a bunch of craziness in the government. We wonder why there is such a focus on mental health and anxiety anymore? This is an example of why! I think people, especially the media, build up the negative so much! That day I got frustrated, vetoed the news and turned off the television.
This last week I decided to make a list of things that were beautiful to me, brought me peace and made me smile. Here are the things that stood out to me:
- A great grandmother having a tea party with her great granddaughter
- Seeing my kids and their childhood friends grow up and continue to support each other
- Reuniting with great friends that I haven’t seen in a while
- Sitting back and watching as our adult kids and their friends celebrate each other's “adult accomplishments”: marriages, new jobs, new adventures. It’s kind of fun not worrying about the competition of playing time and win/loss records anymore!
- Observing the laughter and bond between a father and a son
- Embracing the unceasing love of a mother for her daughter
- Receiving constant smiles and questions from a 3 year old!
- Watching a wife take care of her husband while he is not feeling well. I wasn’t smiling because he was sick - but of the love, care and concern she had for him while he was under the weather.
- Walking my dogs in our neighborhood
- Sitting on our back porch as the weather changes
- Being reminded, that while I work so hard to fill so many other’s cups, I need to make sure I fill my own cup - thanks CC
I could go on and on! But when I get anxious or stressed out, sometimes I just have to stop and look around. Look for everyday things. Look for things that bring me peace. I need to look at relationships around me - not just mine. We need to be happy for other people. I think it is SO important that we teach our kids and future generations to celebrate each other and look for the good in everyday things. How about you? If you looked around right now could you find something that would make you smile? Keep a list for a week of the simple things and focus on them. What are the things that bring you peace? I promise…. doing this will make all the negative stuff the world throws at you easier to deal with.