Things That Went Right Today

It's raining outside. The car won't start. The dog had an accident on the carpet. Your son has a fever. Your back and feet hurt. Your daughter got a speeding ticket. You lost a big account at work. Your spouse forgot to pick up the dry cleaning. Your best friend is moving. The toilet is leaking. You can't find your keys, and are late for an appointment...and so on...and so on.

On any given day there are so many things that can go wrong aren't there? It's enough to put a person in a really bad mood. Wouldn't it be great if you could wake up every day knowing that things would go right? Guess what? You can!!!

Life's little (and sometimes big) trials and annoyances can't entirely be avoided. They must be dealt with, both physically and emotionally. Cultivating a spirit of gratitude, however, can help us manage those stressful realities by giving us the perspective of our blessings to offset them. Things DO go wrong almost daily it's true. But it's equally true that things also go right every day as well. Do we take the time to notice the excellent parts of our days? The happy moments? The positive interactions? Or are we too busy wallowing in the stuff we aren't thrilled about? Let's cut that out. 

Every night before you go to bed, I challenge you to take a moment and identify three "things that went right today." You can say them out loud to yourself, or better yet, start a journal to jot them down in. That way you'll have them to refer to on extra hard days, when you need a boost and reminder. Some days this exercise will be easy. You got a new job. Had a particularly great hair day. Got promoted. Your favorite Aunt came to visit. It's your birthday!! Those days you are welcome to write more than three. Some days will be hard. You may have to reach a little through the gloom to find three events to celebrate. But reach - and don't stop until you do. Some days it may be as simple as the sun was shining. Your teenager gave you a hug. You had a piece of chocolate. The birds were singing. 

The more you do this the easier it will be to identify things to be glad about. You'll find yourself taking note of them throughout the day to write down later. Perhaps you'll even discover that you can create them. On a difficult afternoon you might stop for a moment to listen to a beautiful song or enjoy the fresh air, so you'll have something good to say in your journal that night. Most importantly you'll be focusing on joy and blessings, whether large or small. You'll be seeing life through grateful eyes, and paying attention. This changes everything. Don't believe me? Try it for a few weeks and see.