Moments for Me Monday - week 3

I'm editing this post to add a Make Me Laugh Monday tidbit....My daughter made me laugh and I want to share!

I walk into the kitchen and my daughter is found giggling in her shy demure way with her hand covering her mouth and giggle.

Me: "What's so funny"
Smurfette: "I burped from my butt" (giggle giggle)




I had a difficult time this week squeezing in a Moment for me...Papa smurf was in Europe all week so I was playing the single parent role. And then when he finally returned Friday night I was sick....again....with a nasty head and chest cold that has me down and out. So my Moment for me was spent curled up in bed beside a mountain of snot rags....I don't think that counts! So, I leave you with this.....


Another Happiness Now quote...pg 34....

"True happiness is also very attractive in that it literally attracts great things. Happiness, by its very nature, encourages trust, spontaneity, optimism, and enthusiasm - all of which bring great gifts. In particular, when you dare to be happy, you find that people instinctively gravitate to you and like you, although they may not know why. Maybe it's something to do with your smile. Whatever it is, your happiness is an inspiration and a gift to everyone. Everyone benefits from true happiness...everyone benefits from your happiness."

This paragraph reminded me of one of the greatest complements I've ever received. I was a fresh college grad and interviewing for a RN position at a hospital. I had already been working at this hospital for 2 years as a Nurse Tech and thoroughly LOVED my job. My manager that was interviewing me told me that she liked me and was giving me the position because she thought "my enthusiasm and positive attitude were contagious". That one simple complement has stuck with me all these years....13 years to be exact.

Negativity and Positivity ARE contagious. It's extremely difficult to maintain a positive attitude when you're surrounded by negativity. Nurses tend to be an unhappy bunch. Complaints of being over worked and under paid are an epidemic. I certainly don't deny the nursing shortage ....BUT.... I remember as a nurse constantly observing the same group of nurses standing at the nurses station complaining about how short staffed it was and all I could think was....if you spent half as much time getting your work done as you do standing behind the desk complaining about the understaffed situation you'd have nothing to complain about. They literally made the situatuation worse than it had to be with all their complaining....because complaining takes time and effort.


It takes far greater time and energy to be negative.


So smack a smile on that kisser and just BE HAPPY!


I remember watching an Oprah show (surprise, surprise) and she had a guy on the show (can't remember who or what he was...so if someone reads this and can shed some light....I think he may have been a pastor) who was trying to promote happiness through the symbolism of a very simple bracelet. He was challenging the world to put the bracelet on and the goal was to keep the bracelet on the same wrist for X amount of days straight (I think it was like 30 days but I'm not positive). Everytime you complain about something or say ANYthing negative you have to switch the bracelet over to the opposite wrist. So the challenge was to try to go 30 straight days (or something like that) without a single complaint or negative statement. I didn't actually go out and buy a bracelet but it certainly made me more aware of my own negativity. Try it! It's not as easy as it sounds!


Again, I feel like I need to add a disclaimer here. I'm NOT trying to insinuate in any of these Moment For Me or Happiness Now posts that I walk around all day with a blissful smile and never complain about a thing and my life is just all roses and sugar! It's not. EVERYone has bad days. EVERYone complains. EVERY mom out there feels the fleeting urge to drop kick one of her children out the front door. And, EVERY wife gets an occasional itch that can't be scratched until she bips her husband in the head (figuratively speaking) for being stupid. These posts are about changing your general outlook on life and recognizing how your general outlook attracts negativity/positivity in your life.


So, come on, link to your own "Moment for Me" post...share your own smile today. Inspire others to do the same.