If you want to be happy, you have to be happy on purpose. When you wake up, you can't just wait to see what kind of day you'll have. You have to decide what kind of day you'll have.

- Joel Olsteen

So, when we wake up that's what Brian & I do. One or both of us will say soon after blinking our eyes open, "I'm alive. I'm awake and I feel great!". Truth be told, some mornings it's easier to say than others. And, that's exactly why we make sure to do it. Because life, is well, life. It has ups and downs. We've lived through enough of both of them individually and as a married couple to know we must decide what kind of day we're going to have.

This day started out completely crappy, but also included tears of joy and some amazing hard-earned smiles. Full story in my previous post: Turn Frustration to Elation.

We're both generally pretty happy people, but like anyone else we can get down, discouraged, questioning ourselves or each other. We're human. We're just very cognizant of when that happens and like a gardener we watch and tend to the landscape of our minds and moods. Working to clear the way, plucking out negativity, tossing it out like the weed it is and replacing it with the seeds of more fruitful, positive thoughts. It helps us individually and as a couple.

Although it can be work and we're well aware that negative feelings have they're place, we just do not allow ourselves to dwell in them too long. If we find we are we do something about it, especially at the start of our day. After all, we like to take charge and make the most of our days and lives. And, we know you do too!

So as cheesy as our little morning mantra sounds, we love it and stick to it. Saying those words is part of our morning routine along with putting on upbeat tunes and even dancing. Being silly & fun in the morning sets us in a good mood. We work to keep it there throughout the day too. And, surprisingly as I have learned over the course of my yoga studies, there's actually some ancient wisdom behind it. Yoga Sutra 2.33 from Patanjali (that's the traditional yoga text) says, "When disturbed by negative thoughts [doubt, uncertainty}, opposite [positive] ones should be thoughts of." Sounds a little like something Yoda would say, right!

With that, I'd like to know - What do you do to get your day headed in the right direction? Are there any morning mantras or mid-day Jedi mind tricks you have to keep you focused, happy, calm and productive? If so, share it in the comments or email the details to me at mary@marybosak.com. I'd love to hear from you!

Cheers to good mornings, and so many more good days of 2017!
Here's to enjoying your life & ALL GOOD THINGS my friends!
Xoxo,
Mary
P.S. - ALL GOOD THINGS is going on a brief break. We'll be recharging over vacation and ready to bring even more goodness to you on Tuesday, February 28th.
Want ALL GOOD THINGS delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for email notifications!

Yes, Please!