Thursday, May 7, 2015

Three Good Things

I'm not sure when, exactly, we started doing this together, but we must have been going through a stressful time--when the "bad" or the "negative" seemed to fill our days. I'm sure I read about this somewhere--the idea seems too good for it to have been my own.

Of course, now you can find articles about this everywhere. . . .

But my daughter and I, as part of her bedtime routine, practice "Three Good Things About Today." We both have to play, and the rules are simple: you have to think back on your day and come up with three things that were good about it.

You can't pick something that's going to happen, or something that happened earlier in the week; the "things" have to come from that day--from the time you wake up until you play.

Sometimes life happens, bad days are had, and it feels like everything is going wrong. What I've discovered is that, even on the hardest of days, I can usually go back and find at least three things that were good about it.  

It's not always easy, and sometimes those "things" seem pretty mundane, but this gratefulness practice reminds us to focus on the positive. 

Some examples of my "good things":


My workload wasn't bad.
I got everything on my "list" accomplished.
I managed to sneak some writing time in.
I ate a brownie for dessert.
The baby took two really great naps.
I managed to get outside for a few minutes to enjoy the fresh air.

My daughter is more likely to mention playing outside or being with friends, starting a new book (or finishing it!), drawing or making something new, or seeing one of her grandparents. . . .

It seems simple, but the act is proven to make a difference in our attitudes and how we see the world. It's beneficial to our health--both physically and mentally.

It reminds us to be grateful for the little things in life--the "good" that is often overlooked.

A worthy endeavor, I think. :D

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~