If you're just tuning in (sometimes I secretly wish this blog was my own little tv show), I have been taking the last 30 days to find something positive in my day rather than focus on the negative BS that generally seems to creep up. It started after some righteous chocolate milk a co-worker brought me.
I figured it was a good start to shifting my paradigm. The things I began noticing weren't always a big deal, it was more about focusing on the positive rather than the negative. As a result: I'm a bit of a believer. Yeah me - always the cynic. I'm on-board with this positive schtuff. It really works wonders on the soul.
In fact: last Friday I came home to a beat down Mr. Maillet. He was having the kind of day where you want to turn off the world and hide under a blanket. I, however, was in an upbeat mood and decided I would bring some good in to his life since he could not muster any on his own.
We went to Home Depot that afternoon, and on the way I asked him, "What is something good that happened to you today?" He responded, "nothing." I explained my little positive project to him but he really wasn't in to it. We bought what we needed and I could tell the sheer change in physical space was improving his mood. At checkout, D whispered in my ear that he was going to order a big, fat, greasy pizza, if I wanted in (hells yeah - when do I pass up a chance for pizza). I suggested we pick one up from Anthony’s since it was in the area (and I knew that would really cheer him up). I called and placed the order and we drove over and waited out front while the pizza finished cooking. As we waited, some woman tried to parallel park in the space in front of us. I use the term "parallel park" loosely because at one point she was literally perpendicular to the sidewalk. D said, “See! this is the type of stuff I was talking about.” He took it as another sign of his bullshit day. I was laughing so hard and said, “are you kidding? This is pure comedy provided for our entertainment!” Thinking it was so absurdly funny it must have been put there to make us laugh. Never has there been a clearer lesson to me about shifting the old paradigm.
Later at home when the mood had settled, and the cheesy-goodness of the pizza was in our bellies, and the crown molding was painted, I came in to the house from a walk with Gingy to hear Mr. Maillet say, “your blog is pretty cool.” It set my heart soaring. Admittedly, I might have done a little dance too. I said "thanks" and went up to see him to talk about it, to show him how to post a comment, and to point out other entries he might like, if he has a second. Sure I’m obsessed with him supporting me this way. It's always awesome to have friends comment that they read the blog (especially since I view it as wholly indulgent and secretly my own tv show), but since D's not online a fair amount, that was the best part of my Friday. D told me that his best part was the pizza, which made me happy.
Saturday when I was in the mix of sleep deprivation and manual labor and getting ready to head up to Boulder to see Pete Yorn, I stopped for a tick to talk to him about Sunday manual labor plans and my schedule. He told me what he wanted to do as I fiddled with my money and ID like some college kid ready to rock the night off. Then he said, "So the good thing that happened today was getting the trim hung". I did one of those, “oh, that's nice honey” comments and almost shrugged it off when suddenly I stopped in my tracks and looked at him and thought, “cool”. That was the good thing that happened to me Saturday.
It's been a month of that: the little things. It's been a good month. So as promised, here is my list of what happened:
I figured it was a good start to shifting my paradigm. The things I began noticing weren't always a big deal, it was more about focusing on the positive rather than the negative. As a result: I'm a bit of a believer. Yeah me - always the cynic. I'm on-board with this positive schtuff. It really works wonders on the soul.
In fact: last Friday I came home to a beat down Mr. Maillet. He was having the kind of day where you want to turn off the world and hide under a blanket. I, however, was in an upbeat mood and decided I would bring some good in to his life since he could not muster any on his own.
We went to Home Depot that afternoon, and on the way I asked him, "What is something good that happened to you today?" He responded, "nothing." I explained my little positive project to him but he really wasn't in to it. We bought what we needed and I could tell the sheer change in physical space was improving his mood. At checkout, D whispered in my ear that he was going to order a big, fat, greasy pizza, if I wanted in (hells yeah - when do I pass up a chance for pizza). I suggested we pick one up from Anthony’s since it was in the area (and I knew that would really cheer him up). I called and placed the order and we drove over and waited out front while the pizza finished cooking. As we waited, some woman tried to parallel park in the space in front of us. I use the term "parallel park" loosely because at one point she was literally perpendicular to the sidewalk. D said, “See! this is the type of stuff I was talking about.” He took it as another sign of his bullshit day. I was laughing so hard and said, “are you kidding? This is pure comedy provided for our entertainment!” Thinking it was so absurdly funny it must have been put there to make us laugh. Never has there been a clearer lesson to me about shifting the old paradigm.
Later at home when the mood had settled, and the cheesy-goodness of the pizza was in our bellies, and the crown molding was painted, I came in to the house from a walk with Gingy to hear Mr. Maillet say, “your blog is pretty cool.” It set my heart soaring. Admittedly, I might have done a little dance too. I said "thanks" and went up to see him to talk about it, to show him how to post a comment, and to point out other entries he might like, if he has a second. Sure I’m obsessed with him supporting me this way. It's always awesome to have friends comment that they read the blog (especially since I view it as wholly indulgent and secretly my own tv show), but since D's not online a fair amount, that was the best part of my Friday. D told me that his best part was the pizza, which made me happy.
Saturday when I was in the mix of sleep deprivation and manual labor and getting ready to head up to Boulder to see Pete Yorn, I stopped for a tick to talk to him about Sunday manual labor plans and my schedule. He told me what he wanted to do as I fiddled with my money and ID like some college kid ready to rock the night off. Then he said, "So the good thing that happened today was getting the trim hung". I did one of those, “oh, that's nice honey” comments and almost shrugged it off when suddenly I stopped in my tracks and looked at him and thought, “cool”. That was the good thing that happened to me Saturday.
It's been a month of that: the little things. It's been a good month. So as promised, here is my list of what happened:
- November 17 – Birthday Dinner with Mom and Andy at Maggiano’s
- November 18 – No parking ticket for being 45 minutes over the limit outside the Denver Art Museum while I had lunch with Nancy
- November 19 – Jim H. at the Safeway on 6th bagged my groceries in my bags all on his own... even though I offered to help, he refused. At my usual (UN)Safeway, the clerks act like they don’t understand the concept of bagging some one's home brought bags (D reminds me I am presenting them with my gross, germ-ridden bags from who knows where, but my argument is: it's not friggin' brain surgery) Jim did it all on his own, with a smile
- November 20 – Unfriggin' believably yummy Gyro at the Gastro Cart on 18th and Curtis
- November 21 – Free Starbucks coffee at Safeway
- November 22 – D dropping me off to run from Lake Dillon to Keystone and I got to use my new snow running guards
- November 23 – HRR (and free parking at work because I was so desperate to leave)
- November 24 – Drinks with old coworkers
- November 25 – Coming home to a lovely clam pasta dish made by Chef Maillet
- November 26 – Turkey cooking in the Swinger while we drove to Red Feather Lakes and Pecan Pie from D Bar
- November 27 – Laughing, laughing, laughing on the way to take the trash out
- November 28 – Gorgeous sunrise across the lake
- November 29 – Time talking with D about house projects
- November 30 – An early morning run with the moon setting and the sun rising
- December 1 – Two blocks away from a free tire fill up when I left work to find my scoot had a flat
- December 2 – Waking up with a clear mind
- December 3 – Art night
- December 4 – D reading my blog
- December 5 – In the midst of his bad weekend, D telling me what was the good part of his day
- December 6 – Clean sheets to fall asleep in
- December 7 – A long lost file for my portfolio and the first holiday card of the season
- December 8 – A friend swinging by for a White Russian and some good insight
- December 9 – Many well wishes
- December 10 – Synchronicity in transport: meaning easy traffic to my haircut, got to the light rail twice before it was coming not right after it left, and the flow of errands on the way home (and the nice guy at the deli counter at Safeway)
- December 11 – Randomly running in to a gal I was trying to touch base with on the phone all morning
- December 12 – A clean, put back together house that got a pretty good face-lift
- December 13 – The sheer sweetness my besties' kids for a few hours, and then getting to hang out afterward with said friend
- December 14 – Four holiday cards to come home to and finally hanging up my bow to display them all
- December 15 – Buying two yummy-looking cookies from Starbucks and giving them to co-workers to cheer up their day and say thanks for the help they gave me
- December 16 - Dinner at La Loma