May proved to be full of little happiness experiments. My happiness goals for May were: Be loving and love will come looking for you. & Get creative with your life.
I mean “loving” in the broadest sense of the word. Examples are helping strangers, being more patient with irritating individuals, in general upping my social skills when itcomes to being a loving, caring person. You might say I made a conscious effort to be a better social version of myself. I don’t know anyone who has too many friends, so being present, open, and kind to others paid off in the making of some great new friends! Having fun events to look forward to lifts the spirits. The brighter and warmer weather also brings along more outdoor opportunities, so getting out and being active has become much easier to do! I love the outdoors and just being outside more often is having a great positive effect on my body and spirit.
As far as getting creative with my life…where to start? I added a third part-time job and creatively fit it into my other work schedules. I took some pictures of the biggest-brightest moon I’ve ever seen. I hiked in the Oregon gorge with my adventure dog. I took a poll from some friends on things that make them happy. Some ofthe results were: Traveling - A full tummy - A full tank of gas - Feeling rested - Sleeping in - Sunshine - Massage - Finding something lost - Getting mail - Swinging in a hammock -Dancing - A glass of wine - the smell of coffee - summer breeze - children laughing – friends – sleeping kids – cuddling with soft dogs – air conditioning in the desert - plane tickets - fresh baked cookies - holding hands - the sound of the ocean - the smell of a campfire – Savasana after a good yoga practice - banana bread - a family secret apple pie recipe - sailing on the lake - shell hunting at the beach– the smell of fresh cut grass – bubble baths. I have been listening to some amazing music and finding ways to laugh more and worry less. I organized a few areas of my life and have been trying new foods and looking for new experiences. Maybe more than any other month this one has brought more happiness to my life. The last five months of this project are paying off and I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the rest of this year! Next month’s goal is: Keep in touch with friends. & Get outdoors!
Rememberthese are not just mini-month long experiments, but things that I will continueto carry throughout the year. Next month I’ll continue to add to mygrowing list of ideas for how to live a happier life. Feel free to trythem out with me!
“But out of limitations comes creativity.” – Debbie Allen
January: Be Sarah- I am already enough. Smile when you wake up. Keep on top of health, work, living arrangements,chores, activities, exercise and be grateful.
February: Make mistakes. Do you best. Be Generous.
March: Be present. Be Patient. Don’t settle for “Iam here…” go for “Here I am!”
April: Go somewhere new! Make some “I was here”footprints. Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle your setbacks.
May: Be loving and love will come looking for you. Get creative with your life.
June: Keep in touch with friends. Get outside!
