BUILDING THE BEST YOU

As you know I do a lot of reading.  I came across some really good advise:

Build the things that make a life worth living your priority.  Notice the negative things you say to yourself.  Try an exercise:  pretend the negatives were said by someone "whose mission in life was to make [you] miserable,"  and then fight back.  That way, says Martin Seligman, "you don't blindly accept you own insults."

Nurture your strengths, not your negativity.

Nurture human virtues:  Satisfaction, Contentment, Fulfillment, Pride, Serenity.

Ask youself "What's right?" and live your life around those strengths.

So this evening I took an assessment.  Where am I in the scale of negative vs. positive.

I got up this morning; straightened the bathroom and started a load of laundry while getting ready for work.  I got to work and began my day and stayed organized completing the various goals that I had set for the day.  When I returned home I met my daughters in the backyard to see how their day went and then spent time harvesting produce from the garden. 

I felt like that I accomplished a great deal and that I have stayed organized while there was intermittent interuptions that pulled me from various tasks.  Only for a moment was I frustrated at work.  Personal issues at home made me sad for a little while.  Overall the day was good.

I am grateful that I have a job.  I am grateful I have a home.  I am grateful for my Dad, who is always there when I need to talk.

Today I was challenged by the mistakes of a co-worker.  The mistakes generated more work that required my immediate attention pulling me from my scheduled tasks.  I was able to overcome this challenge by coming up with a solution and found an opportunity to train and instruct preventing future errors.

I found a moment to spend some time savoring a nice warm cup of carmel chocolate latte (hot chocolate frothed up with carmel) while I wrapped up my work for the day.

INTEGRITY POINTS

This week I did a couple things to improve upon some areas in my life.

• During the week I had asked my children to do a few things around the house.  Aislyn has been helpful and pleasant about her assistance.  I was thinking about how she has been doing well in school.  I remembered that I hadn't really said anything to her or rewarded her.  So, when I got home Thursday evening from work I had Aislyn get dressed and we went to the movies just the two of us and watched "Voyage of the Dawn Treader."  I explained to her why I was treating her to a movie.
• While at work I pulled my calendar out and marked the days of birthdays and anniversaries for the month of January so that I can remember to send cards.  Now I need to take the time to make the cards.
• Victor took the boys to the Tri-Stake Youth New Year's Eve Dance Friday evening.  Aislyn, Allisa and I went to my bedroom; ate See's chocolates and watched a couple movies until midnight.  We had fun.  It was good to spend time with them.

I guess I just need to slow down a bit; be mindful of my family and let them know that I am thinking of them.  I plan to spend more quality time with my children.  This will take practice.

How did you do this week?