MmamabearR wrote: »

This so what I needed today. I have not been showing up here in quite some time. My job has kept me very busy and at home I'm very busy or just tired.

I've not been very motivated lately, but I really, really want to get back to the same spirit I had last year. When I realize how fortunate I am, my spirit is uplifted, and I feel so much better.

I get to go to work at a job that is indoors, away from this triple digit Texas heat. I get a drive an affordable, air conditioned car, too. I get to eat a meal three times a day. I get to skip a meal if my day gets too hectic, that's how luxurious my life is! I can forego food because there is something waiting for me when I do have have time.

I may not get to go on amazing vacations or drive a vehicle with the latest and greatest technology, but what I do have on a daily basis is far more than what a lot of people have, even here in the US. And for that, I am utterly grateful.

@MmamabearR, I was so excited to see your post. I’ve missed you! No, make that — we’ve missed you! But we can certainly understand your need tor step away for awhile. Welcome Back!

I really like your focus on uplifting your spirit. No matter what we have going on in our lives, ignoring self care and the core of what makes us happy makes every other aspect of our lives more difficult. Pausing each day to appreciate small and large gifts in our lives is both important and makes for a happier life.

mxchana wrote: »

Perfect timing - I just got a book from the library today, Hardwiring Happiness by neuropsychologist Rick Hanson. It's about how our brains are hard-wired to focus on and learn quickly from negative experiences and not so much from the good ones: "It's an ancient survival mechanism that turned the brain into Velcro for the negative, but Teflon for the positive."

So I am definitely employing this easy word swap, while I am getting to read about the details of how I can "re-wire" my brain by how I choose to look at things.

I’ve read this book and I am a big fan. Our tendencies to think positively or negatively about things become habits over time...well worn tire tracks in our brains for how we think about and react to things, both positively and negatively. Apparently it’s rooted in our evolution. Our prehistoric ancestors had to worry about tigers hiding behind bushes ready to pounce and that evolutionary predisposition to fear and worry is something we’ve inherited. But the good news is with practice we can change our negative thinking patterns and become more positive if we’re willing to put in the hard work, time, and effort that is needed.

Enjoy the book!

Hard to put into our "Have to - Get to" framework for this week, but since ultimately this challenge is about gratitude, here goes.

I've gotten a reminder this week what a gift and luxury it is to have clean water for both drinking and household use. My well pump failed this week and we had no water. Fortunately, we found an excellent well and pump company who fixed the problem on Friday in a matter of hours. We can once again wash clothes, take showers, run the dishwasher, and have the drinking water we need for ourselves and our pets.

Water has special significance for me. For 10 years my small town in New Hampshire fought a water bottling company from coming into our community and pumping 300,000 gallons a day of water. Repeated scientific studies demonstrated that level could not be sustained...many of our homes near the bottling plant could lose their well water and a house without water has no market value whatsoever. It took us 10 years and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears but my town eventually prevailed and the water bottling company gave up and left town. I never buy bottled water now (unless it's an emergency) because I know that that water was likely taken (stolen is really the more appropriate word) from a community whose residents need their water and can't afford to have it taken. Reusable water bottles work just fine!

Glad to have water back! Much of the rest of the world does not have access to clean drinking water. We are indeed very fortunate.