How to be Happy: Be AMAZING!

This didn’t happen to me; it happened to Better Half, but I liked the story so much I shamelessly stole it. Without even asking! So let’s hope he’s okay with that. Plus I probably am getting part of it wrong, but we’ll call that “artistic license”.

He was at Subway recently and doing the usual check-out thing and the cashier asks him how he’s doing.

He says, “I’m good. How are you?” (standard socially-acceptable reply)

Subway Guy replies, “I’m AMAZING!”

“Wow! I don’t know if I’m THAT good, but I’m fine.”

“WHY NOT? Did you get out of bed this morning?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, isn’t THAT amazing?”

(Can’t recall what Better Half said in reply, but probably agreed, smiled, took sandwich.)

He told me the story later. And you know what I said, don’t you?

THAT SUBWAY GUY IS AWESOME!

He’s happy he got up. No, scratch that. He finds the fact that he got up amazing. I don’t know about you, but that’s not usually the kind of thing I put in the category “amazing”…but maybe I should. I’ve posted something similar earlier, about gratitude and that just being alive is a gift. This guy definitely has that message. He doesn’t have to have his own jet, or win the lottery, or have a supermodel lady friend. (Maybe he has all those things, but still chooses to work at Subway. It could happen. But probably not.) He got up today and he’s thrilled about it.

The quote-pic I chose for today suggests that we can keep working hard to get more of what we want, or we can want what we have, which is “less” than continuing to get more. Nothing wrong with working toward goals, but the thing is, you have to be happy with where you are right now, as you continue to work toward those shiny, happy goals.

I think this Subway guy is on to that. He wants to get up in the morning, and everything else is gravy. Just getting up = fulfillment. I don’t know a darn thing about his particular life story or what he goes through on a daily basis, I wasn’t even there. But I do know that he spread his little bit of joy out into the world, for anyone who wanted some Subway that day. And now I’m sharing it with you.

Go on and have an AMAZING day. 🙂

How to be Happy: Just Do It!

 It’s right about this time of year that, if we made any resolutions at all (or as a wise friend of mine relabeled hers, simply “goals”), we’re maybe starting to flag a little. Or a lot. Let’s be honest, here. The gyms are starting to be a bit less packed, the fresh produce is rotting in the crisper…you get the idea. It’s the season of giving up! Or at least “letting-it-slip” time.

Side note – I wonder if anyone has done research to see if fast food companies have a slump in the first few weeks of the new year..and then a lovely little rebound? (mmm, fries.)

Anyhow, as you know, I made two resolutions.  They were simple but broad, and I’ve since modified them somewhat (which is FINE by the way; go ahead and tweak yours if it works for you).

NEW AND IMPROVED 2013 GOALS: (ta da!)

1) Be kinder than necessary

2) Follow through whenever possible – especially using the one-minute rule: If it takes less than a minute, do it NOW.  Thank you, Gretchen Rubin and Rita Emmett for both, individually, introducing me to that lil’ bit o’ wisdom. Sometimes I mutter it to myself as I dash around the house, doing whatever it is that should only take a minute or less. That’s weird, I know, but we’ve already established that I’m fine with that.

Today’s post is about that special time when we begin lose that motivation, when we start to question whether or not this ONE TIME only will it make any difference if we just loaf on the couch for another hour, or put off making the phone call to check in on someone, or push that one task to our list for another day.  A lot of our goals/resolutions/what-have-you are going to take time to really pay off, and it’s hard to wait! It’s way more fun to surf the Internet, or watch TV, or chat about nothing in particular. Instant gratification, baby.

And actually, the answer is, it doesn’t make much difference at all. You can put it off.

This time.  And maybe, the next time.

But here’s the rub: If we consistently give ourselves one more hour on the couch, or put off the call, etc., what then? We have goals that go nowhere. We have self-fulfilling prophecies that we work incredibly hard to fulfill without realizing it. Boo!

“It’s going to take too long” is a great excuse for not doing something. “It’ll be hard” is another. I’ve heard ’em all. I’ve used ’em all.  100% correct. Most things worth doing don’t come easily.  Which is not to say that the pursuit of our goals has to be a joyless, grim struggle. No way! Hard work can be FUN.

Yes, I just said that. Hard work can be fun. And even if it’s not “fun”, it can be fulfilling, if you remember why you’re doing it in the first place. And that’s sort of fun, too. Acceptance and Commitment therapy is big on this – values. That’s the “commitment” part in the model. We have to decide what’s worth doing in our life (values) and then decide the steps we need to take to move in that direction (goals) and then…..just do it.

Even if it takes time. Even if it’s hard. Even if it’s scary. The time will pass anyway, and you can either look back and congratulate yourself on a job well done (or at least well in progress, or at least well started), or you can make excuses.  You don’t have to be perfect. Fall seven times, stand up eight – but keep standing up!

The time will pass anyway, of that we can be certain. Let’s make it time well spent!

Happy New Year!

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” – Lao-Tzu

Oh, it’s been too long…but I’m back! Another shortie, I’m afraid, but I have plenty o’ topics to discuss. All in good time.

A lot of people I know are NOT making New Year’s resolutions.  They say, “I’m not going to keep them anyway, so why bother?”

I think the reason most people don’t keep their New Year’s resolutions is (a) they bite off more than they can chew, which is rather easily fixable – (hint: take smaller bites) –  or (b) they don’t actually REALLY want to change that particular thingy anyhow.  They THINK they want to change, but they don’t. To really want to change, you have to want to do things differently. Scary concept. Maybe there’s also a (c) group who thinks they’re quite hot stuff as it is. But I’m guessing most of us are (a) or (b) or both…

So, this year, I made only two, and they’re pretty general/broad.

1) be kind

2) follow through as much as possible

These can apply to many areas of life, and I figured two was about all I could keep in my addled Holiday Brain.

Are you resolving this year? If so, to do what?