100 Happy Days

Last night I had an experience that was a bit of a wake up call.  I was having a rough experience with a patient at work - acting out, calling me names, saying I am incompetent and the usual types of things people say in the heat of the moment when they are upset. So while I left him to calm down, I began talking negatively about him to my coworkers, something we do regularly in the privacy of our own whispers and staff lounges (which doesn't mean it's a good thing).  I wasn't mean or nasty, but I did call him a name. 

And he heard it.  Sh*t!!!

He retaliated with his own insults (which were plentiful), and I doubt he will even remember it today, but I know I should not have been talking like that in the first place.  What good does it do, I ask you? Besides stroke my own ego?

I am now officially on a quest to build a habit of positivity and remove negative things from my life.

So as a start, I signed up for the 100 Happy Days project!  It's a very cool idea.  Every day for 100 days in a row you take a picture of something that made you happy and share it on social media, like a public gratitude journal.  If you finish the 100 days they will send you a book of all of your happy pictures!

http://www.100happydays.com #100happydays. If anyone happens to actually read this someday, you can follow me on Instagram at lmm789.

Since it's my first day, I'm going to cheat a little and go back to something from a few weeks ago. I got accepted to the grad program I applied for!  In almost one year from now I will have a master's degree in social work. Woo hoo!  I'm really quite proud of myself for getting in this year.

On another note, but similar, I read a post at the Becoming Minimalist blog this morning. He talks about living authentically and recognizing/taking responsibility for his own flaws.  Perfect timing for me.  It can be so hard for us to face our flaws, to face the feelings of shame and guilt that come with it.  But it's important to feel those things.  Those feelings are part of what motivate us to be better, to do what's right.  There's a balance, of course, where you are able to feel these emotions without being crushed or controlled by them, but it's a normal and important thing for us to feel shame and embarrassment at some points in our lives.  If nothing else, these painful feelings we have over our flaws show us that our conscience is still working, that we are still a good person and have a desire to do what's right.

Because if you're conscience doesn't work... it means you're a sociopath.  Just saying.

So, read the post! It is excellent. http://www.becomingminimalist.com/i-am-flawed/

I leave you with this.

Our old family dog, Maggie. How can your heart not melt at this?

 

 

Have a great day :)