H is for Happiness

.. and that's the elusive thing I've been pursuing, with some success.

At the beginning of this year I'd decided 2014 would be a year of positivity for me. Fortunately I stumbled upon this site here - 100happydays.com and have been focussing pretty consistently on finding one happy thing everyday, 100 days in a row.


It has done me a world of good. The traffic lights turn red right after I go across, my queue at the billing counter seems to be moving faster and the kids seem to be behaving better.

Two things I specifically gained from the challenge


To look for the good in not so good situations

This Saturday I got back from the gym and as I entered the house "Ta Da!!", said the kids, "look what we made for you!" Even before I could see what they'd made I saw pink... Everywhere.. dry pink colour was over their hands, their faces, their clothes and all over the balcony. Yeah the instinct definitely was to let go. But one look at their smiles and I couldn't. Then instead of focusing on this...


I focused on this...



and this...



After a few deep breaths I noticed they had kept the mess to the balcony and had also laid out newspapers just like I've taught them to, before they start something messy. And I felt the anger melting away. After exclaiming at their artwork, together we swept and mopped and then I sent them off for a bath. Bad situation salvaged!


The other thing the challenge has done is made me 

think about ME..

..beyond the kids and family, I got thinking what makes me happy. Of course I love the kids and of course my life revolves around them.. a lot. However, I was glad to realise I find pleasure in so many other little things - watching the sun rise with the husband, a good book, a blogpost that made me go 'WOW', a quiet meal, a delicious salad, a hot cup of tea. Of course I was enjoying all of that all along, i just became more aware of it.

Sure, is fun.

Linking to ABC Wednesday

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