So the happiness challenge has finally come to a close. I started writing my experience about it and my life updates and then thought..wait a minute..why don’t I just tell you about it.
Hope it is ok to mix writing and video. Let me know your thoughts and how you got on with finishing this challenge! 🙂
Emma XO
Photo: Beautiful happy group of friends in India who shared their joy with me in a photo, taken in 2012! I hope they are still great friends!
Day 22 of our happiness challenge today and I’m feeling great. How are you getting on? The changes that are serving me the most are working out, meditating/breathwork/mindfulness, staying off social media for the most part, using my phone far less, expressing gratitude, being outside as much as possible, sitting under trees and grounding by having bare foot on the earth, practicing accepting myself as I am, releasing some expectations I put on myself and choosing to trust in the process of my life.
One week to go and since we already hit the 21 day mark it should be easy peasy 😉 You got this! Today’s blog is a bit difference as I reflected on a life lesson I want to share with you. Let me know your thoughts in the comments and if you have had an experience of your own please share with me how you learned it 🙂
Lesson: Do not waste any of your life defending your character. You know who you are and your intentions. Those who are meant to be in your life do too and won’t be making you jump through hoops to prove yourself. Call you out on your BS yes, but question who you are, nope.
How I learned it (Story Time): I once had a group of friends for over a decade of my life and the first time a situation like this arose, I was about 13, one of the girls who I spent most of my time with made up lies about my character and she successfully told our whole group of friends, boys and girls, to ignore me and that they did, completely ending their friendship with me, some for months, after knowing me already for about 3-4 years. I went out of my way be accepted again, even making mix tapes of the latest hits, remember those 😉
PROCRASTINATION
“When you’re stuck in a paralyzing thought loop of indecision, stop thinking and start doing. Make a move, no matter how tiny.” – Marie Forleo, Everything is Figureoutable
Starting with this blog post was a good move 😉 Once you feel inspired to take a tiny action in your own life’s journey, save this somewhere so you can come back to the resources.
ANXIETY
”…the biggest prison is in your own mind, and in your pocket you already hold the key: the willingness to risk; the willingness to release yourself from judgement and reclaim your innocence, accepting and loving yourself for who you really are–human, imperfect, and whole.” – Edith Eger, The Choice, Embrace the Possible
FUN
”Fun is your birthright” – Sahara Rose, Highest Self Podcast
FEAR
“Dearest Fear: Creativity and I are about to go on a road trip together. I understand you’ll be joining us, because you always do. I acknowledge that you believe you have an important job to do in my life, and that you take your job seriously.
Week 1 is over and we are back!! Back to #moanfree_mondays. I thought it best to repeat the practices for 1 month as they say 21 days to set the habit. If true that means the practices should flow with fluidity and ease that extra week.
So far I can say I am loving it!! It is bringing me more happiness for sure and that others are doing it with me and benefiting is simply fabulous.
FAVOURITE LESSON: Do not overcomplicate your life by thinking so much about what you are meant to be doing, who you are, what life is all about. Choose to focus on being present so you get to experience each precious moment. The past is over and the future is made up of choices/actions we make moment to moment.
Want to join us this week? Check out the challenge here:
Here are some of the lessons and benefits from my week 1!
#moanfree_mondays
This day actually brought me much joy.
Turns out the rest of the day no moans came out of me! 🙂 Moaning came back later in the week when my SIBO flared up. I’ll be working on that this week as moaning does not bring me joy. My hot water bottle, relaxation and nice chats does.
I’ve created a new challenge for us to do together! If you have been feeling blah physically, emotionally or maybe even both, take this challenge with me! A different focus each day, repeated for 4 weeks to fill us with more joy, energy and health. Let’s do this!
TAKE NOTE..
#moanfree_mondays
#trysomethingnew_tuesdays
#werkout_wednesdays
#turnoffyourphone_thursdays
#fulfilment_fridays
#shutoffsocialmedia_saturdays
#seekstillness_sundays
THE HOW? THE WHY?
#moanfree_mondays because when we moan we put all our attention on the things that don’t feel good in our lives leaving us with nothing but negativity and missing out on all that is good. If you catch yourself moaning, flip it and say or write down what you are grateful for or simply say stop! No time for moaning today, too busy seeking joy.
#trysomethingnew_tuesdays meaning you can try anything at all as long as it is a new experience for you! Perhaps it is something super adventurous such as a twerking class or learning a sentence in Russian. Maybe you’ll watch a foreign film, call a friend you have not spoken to in a long time or go mad and order a pink latte. Document it for more fun. One month = 4 opportunities to try something new.
#werkout_wednesdays as we know how good it makes us feel. Working out regularly can be tough but it has the capacity to change our lives for the better so let us choose to have fun with it. You could go for a beach run, attend an outdoor yoga class, try a pilates class on YouTube, do 500 jumping jacks or perhaps you would enjoy a virtual dance class. So much choice out there.
#turnoffyourphone_thursdays as you bet if you are not feeling great, that most likely your phone is making you feel worse, with it’s addictive nature and tiny bright screen. I get so many tension headaches and often put my phone down feeling sadder than when I picked it up. Let’s take back our power and turn it off for the day or even on airplane mode and in the drawer if we are not able to completely switch it off.
#fulfilment_fridays What fills you up? Is it being in nature, lost in a fiction novel, a trip to the cinema, hanging out with an animal companion, volunteering, making a donation or a night in over a meal with a friend? Well now is your chance! Make it happen. You deserve it!
#shutoffsocialmedia_saturdays because we all know the impact social media has on our life-force. Even with all it’s benefits and most of us feeling as though we need it in the modern world, it does not mean we need it 7 days a week. Now that it is Saturday it is time to deactivate the apps or maybe even wifi and stick to plain calls and texts. Like the good ol days!
#seekstillness_sundays when we’ll commit to spending more time in stillness. Whether relaxing on a picnic blanket, meditating at church or at home with candles, listening to an album start to finish without distractions or even dancing around your room, without performing, just feeling the music. Choose to be in a setting that helps your mind and body connect as one, whatever can bring you some peace.
Are you going to join me? If so live me a resounding ‘YES’ in the comments. I am stronger when I have you by my side!
I’ll be using my instagram @positivelyeventful to share some of the things I get up to! I welcome you to also by using the # relevant to your day or even send me a DM with what you get up to 🙂
See you there!
Emma XO
Imperfectly Positive