What do you do on those “blah” days to turn your attitude around? Because let’s face it, we all have days where we feel less than stellar. We may have good reason for feeling down or maybe we just feel “off”. Sometimes the blues seem to pop up for no reason.

On days like that, there are probably things you planned to get done but now you have no ambition, no energy. Maybe a friend, loved one, or co-worker can’t seem to say anything right and they are irritating the heck out of you. Often it isn’t anything they are doing wrong. We are just having a tough day.
I agree with the concept that we will be as happy as we chose to be. We can choose joy instead of focusing on the negative. Sounds easy, right?

Of course, it’s anything but easy. But I truly feel that the more you “practice” choosing to feel positive the more it becomes a habit. There are people out there facing incredible challenges that have “decided” to approach things with a positive attitude.  If they can do it, so can I. And so can you.
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I thought it would be fun to share some of the things I do to lift my own spirits and energy level when I’m slogging my way through one of those days. I’m sure you do many of these yourself:
 
1) Help someone! Giving the gift of assistance is like a miracle drug to turn around a crappy day. It could be something as simple as offering a word of encouragement. Give someone a legitimate compliment. If they are working on something and they’re stuck, help ‘em out. Share your hard-earned expertise. Lift a burden from someone else’s shoulders.

2) Change your environment. Get outside and enjoy nature. A quick walk around the block can rejuvenate your soul. Fill your lungs with fresh oxygen. Truly look at the beauty all around you. Listen. I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve pushed away from my desk when I could barely keep my eyes opened and took ten minutes to walk outside.

3) Call a friend. Ask them how their day is going. Celebrate any small successes they may share or help them out with an issue they may be having. Avoid the temptation to tell them about your sucky day. Let the joy of your friendship buoy you up. Don’t pull them down.

4) Turn up your favorite song, belt out the lyrics and dance. This is even better if you can do it in front of your kids. For some reason, showing them how weird I can be makes me happy!

5) Play with a pet. No one can give unconditional love like they can. Sometimes a quick snuggle or a puppy kiss can put a smile back on your face.

6) Pay it forward. If you are treating yourself to a cup of coffee, pick up the tab for the car behind you
in the drive-through, too. Then quietly drive off without a word about it to anyone. You just gave yourself and at least two others a quick reminder that there is good in the world.

7) Smile at people! Isn’t it amazing how something as simple as a smile can change the very atmosphere around you? Sure, some people will miss it because they are inwardly focused and avoiding eye contact. But most will automatically smile back. You may even strike up a fun little conversation.

8) Count your blessings, not your irritations. Take a few minutes to remind yourself of all the special people in your life and how they give light to your days.

9) Click on the photo icon on your phone and scroll through the many happy occasions you’ve captured. A trip down memory lane, whether it is just a quick stroll back to the fun night out with friends last week or last year’s summer vacation, is sure to put a smile back on your face. Now plan another fun outing to give yourself something to look forward to.

10) Soak up the wisdom of others. Replace your negative thoughts. For me, this might mean taking five minutes to go back and look at my favorite quote boards on Pinterest. Or pulling out one of my favorite self-help books, preferably one I scribbled in and highlighted back when I first read it so I can quickly find the nuggets of wisdom that inspire me.
 
So did anything jump out at you when you reviewed this quick list? How about the fact that all ten of these items involve getting out of your own head? It is incredible how shifting the focus away from yourself can reinvigorate you.

What are some of your favorite go-to things to pull yourself out of a slump? I would love to hear your ideas. We can all use more tools in our “toolbox” for living a great life.

​Remember… it is within your power to choose joy!    Kim
 

You know it’s spring in North Dakota when you have to use both the air conditioner and the furnace in the same week! The weather around here can be extreme. Today the wind howled but dazzling sunshine and a brilliant blue sky helped temper the bite of the gusts.

Bright green grass and fresh new leaves bring vivid color to the landscape. This was the week the crab apple trees blossomed, adding blushes of pinks and purples to the green. My kids know there will be pictures in front of that glorious tree every year. Is it possible we have twenty- four annual photos with that tree already? Where do the years go?

My favorite part of spring is the flowers. I love going from nursery to nursery, seeing what’s new this year and deciding what I want to plant where. I welcome the chance to create with gifts from nature. Part of my Sunday plans include my first round of flower shopping this year. Around here, if you plant before Memorial weekend, you run the risk of frost hurting your new babies.

For some reason, memories of a springtime walk to school when I was in first grade hold tight in my mind. We lived in Wisconsin so Dad could complete his schooling for his master’s degree. We lived in ramshackle family housing. My walk to school took me by a beautiful spring garden and the morning I recall so vividly was grey and drizzly. Perhaps that is why the colors were so vibrant. The rain brought the scent of all those blossoms to life. The only smudge on that perfect memory was the guilt I felt for plucking one of those pretty flowers. I knew immediately I shouldn’t have done it.

Spring is all about fresh starts. For us, it’s time to open our cabin in preparation for summer weekends to be spent at the lake. There will be campfires, fishing and barbecues with family and friends. But before all that, there is work to be done. For me, that work began today. For my husband, he’s already put in some time out there this year.

Next weekend will be Memorial Day. The unofficial kickoff to summer. I’ll pick up more flowers and go out and freshen the grave sites of family and a few close friends. My mom started me on the tradition. Spending a few hours showing respect and remembering those that have gone before us leaves me with a sense of peace.

Springtime is a season of anticipation for what is to come. Maybe if we lived somewhere that didn’t have four distinct seasons the glory of spring might be dampened. But here spring means the days of ice and snow are behind us and warm weather is coming. We have teaser-days where temperatures can reach into the 80’s but then fall back again to close to freezing. Sitting on the deck is such a treat right now, before the mosquitoes start buzzing. The sunsets stretch far into the evening. My first cup of early morning coffee now includes a serenade by noisy song birds.

I find comfort in the rhythm of the changing of the seasons.
 
There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.   Rachel Carson      

So if you have been weighted down by life’s troubles and the past season has felt cold and dark, my hope for you is that your spirit is buoyed by the promise of all the changes that spring can initiate. Sit in the sunshine, feel the warmth on your shoulders, smell the fresh green grass, and gaze upon the fresh colors of new blooms. Welcome the season and enjoy.  Kim

Does the arrival of spring have you itching to clear out the clutter and clean things up? I know the change in season has that effect on me. But then the big question is “What do I do with all this stuff?”

Spring cleaning is the perfect time to weed out those items we no longer want. A strange phenomenon happens in my closet over the long winter months where some of my clothes inexplicably seem to shrink. Must be something in the air. Can you relate? Oh wait….maybe it isn’t the clothes that have changed shape. I could hang onto those items until I lose the extra weight that snuck up on me but, if I’m being totally honest, having to look at those clothes hanging in my closet every day that no longer fit is downright depressing. My vote is to donate the items. I’ll appreciate a less stuffed closet and someone else will certainly appreciate having “new” clothes to wear.

That’s just one small example of a way we can be generous with others. There are so many people out there, doing amazing things to help others, day after day. They are shining a light on a need and providing a platform to help meet those needs.

I have a friend getting married this summer and we gathered to celebrate her upcoming marriage. She requested that guests consider donating to our local YWCA if they wanted to bring a gift to the party. It was fun to see all of the supplies the guests carefully selected for donation to the worthy organization. Many of those everyday items are things most of us take for granted but are sorely needed by others.

I also heard an inspiring story on the local news this week. A man named Paul works at a home improvement store and he needed a new bicycle. Paul is a stellar employee and well loved by customers. Todd is one of those customers that appreciates Paul. When Todd found out Paul needed a bike, he wanted to help. Even though Todd doesn’t do much on social media, he set up a GoFundMe page, hoping to raise $500 for Paul. You see, Paul was born in Liberia and was adopted by missionaries. Traumatic events in his childhood left him with disabilities. He isn’t able to drive a car. Many people, including other customers as well as people from around the world stepped up. At the time of the news broadcast, more than $16,000 in donations had already been raised and the number was still climbing. Paul expressed how blessed he feels and he hopes to use the extra money to outfit the home he shares with his wife who also has disabilities.

I was blown away by how one person made such a difference in Paul’s life simply by recognizing the need and figuring out how he might be able to help meet that need. Todd provided the platform and the world responded.

It’s also rewarding to give unanimously. I was recently scrolling through a list of the top 25 TED talks of all times. When I saw one on the list by Tony Robbins, one of the most influential life and business coaches in the United States today, I knew it would be worth watching. I love his energy and enthusiasm. In this TED talk, Tony gave a personal account of how someone else’s generosity when he was a child forever changed the trajectory of his life. He began to replicate that act of kindness himself, quietly donating holiday meals to other needy families. It started him on the path where he still finds himself today. Just take a minute to think about the millions of people he has helped encourage and inspire over the years. The world is a better place because of that single act of kindness to his family during a difficult time.

There are as many ways to be generous as there are people in need. Mother Theresa said it well:
Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are.

Try to find ways to be generous every day. A kind smile, a “new” jacket, or $1 donated to a needy cause all help to make this world a better place.    You will feel great!  Kim