My Happy Place Day Nineteen

My Happy Place Day Nineteen

Since starting the Happy Place Challenge, the time I have taken to actively reflect on Happy Moments has really made me a stronger and more positive person.

Even on days when I’ve been sad about mum, I’ve been able to see beyond the Alzheimer’s and enjoy practically every moment with her. I’m not annoyed anymore – we still have moments of complete confusion both hers and mine but I’ve accepted the situation for what it is. Every day she has the same routine, yet everyday I have to reteach her, previously this used to wind me up a fair bit and get me feeling quite flat and  now I have a lot more humour and patience.

Working with children I can teach them something and they remember it, someone with Alzheimer’s cannot be taught to remember anything, I know that now and I’ve adadpted the way I think and do things around my mother.

My Happy Place – Where is Everyone ?

At the launch of the behaviour challenge, there were about sixty lovelies signed up to participate. The numbers have dropped and that’s OK I understand its hard to commit to writing  about happy moments everyday especially when your day has been a real shocker.

Some of you come by every now and then and that’s great too. Yet I was going back reading through the participants keen to change their behaviour and changing behaviour whether in adults or children does not happen over night.

It is a new way of thinking and a changing of habits/patterns which only comes when you take the time to do it. The odd stumble along the way, is normal but you pick yourself up and forge ahead.

Spending a few minutes reflecting on those happy pockets can make a big difference to your behaviour: the guilt, the stress and the anxiety.

These last few days I’ve noticed that I can see happy moments where perhaps in the past I would have missed them as I so caught up in my URGH feelings.

I still experience flat moments, but I am sure bouncing out of them much quicker. Being Happy starts from within.

My Happy Place – Is You Making The Change

So my Happy Place today is right here, right now. I’m pleased I  started this challenge because I can definitely see the change in me and I can see it in all your comments and blog posts too. Oh and I’m happy my Miss 15 is back from camp and went straight to her drama production and she did so well. A happy proud mum.

You Can Link Up Your Blog Below, Or Leave Your Happy Thoughts  In The Comments Section.
Love Nathalie X

All comments go through moderation, sometimes they may take a while to appear and that’s because I’m the moderator and may not be here to moderate. I will also try and respond to all comments but that may not be straight away.

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Nathalie Brown

Child Behaviour Consultant at Easy Peasy Kids
Child Behaviourist and researcher. Creator of "Less tantrums. More smiles". I look at the bigger picture and think outside the box when working with children and their behaviour. Their world is different. As adults we sometimes forget this. Happiness Creator in my spare time. Eater of chocolate and cake.

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Comments

  1. michelle s says

    My happy place today was in the car with Michael Buble playing really loud and me singing even louder not caring if anyone saw.

  2. Hey Nat – I am still here – but I am doing my Happy Place weekly now … and in fact, I want to keep doing it even once the challenge is over.

    This challenge is forcing me to practice mindfulness and really REALLY appreciate those little points in the day that are worth stopping and savouring 🙂

  3. I am seeing happy moments where I may not have in the past. I realized that happiness is contagous and the more I outwardly expressed it, I noticed my children, students, and coworkers acting a touch happier!

    Life is too short to be bitter, especially toward folk who differ in culture, color, or opinion. That kind of unhappiness is based off of judgement and assumptions. I have learned to love myself with all my flaws. I embrace that I am a bit loony. I enjoy laughing at myself.

    • Tiana I too see a lot more happy moments now – which just rocks. The mood at home is lifted and I can see it in my whole family. I realise now I was sort of going through the motions and it was affecting everyone. Now we all have smiles most of the time. Looney is good You soundlike me. xx

  4. … I’ve been feeling guilty about not writing (not the point, huh?!). BUT, every day I DID think about this challenge and the great efforts being made – and it HAS made me think about things a little differently. So, my apologies for not checking in officially, but you’ve had a great impact.
    I’ve been excited to share today’s happy place since this afternoon: My mom is visiting from the States and we were around the table painting our nails – yes, both my children’s nails too. Mr 4 (in two months) asked for pink, red and brown. Done. Miss 5,5 asked for one hand green and the other pink. When they were done and I finally got around to mine, I asked my daughter what colour she thought I should paint mine and she said: just like mine mom. I said, honey, it’s ok for you to have two different colours, but not really for a grown woman. And then it hit me… WHY suppress the child in me, and for whom?! For the last 10 years I have purposely worn different coloured socks, and my daughter loves that and follows suit. When her friends say something, she tells them “this is my and my mom’s thing.” The other day the teacher mentioned it (nicely) and I just lifted my track suit trousers and showed her my socks, saying: It’s a family thing 🙂
    So, I went ahead and painted my nails green on one hand and pink on the other. And I went to my daughter and showed her. Her eyes lit up… And I said to her, I love YOU more than anything in the world so YOUR opinion is the most important to me. I’m tearing up now again as I think of the expression on her face…
    Thank you for challenging us and helping me challenge myself.
    Have a happy morning, I’m off to sleep with a smile on my face 🙂

    • Sylva Whoops didn’t mean to make you feel guilty must be the old teacher tone inside of me. I know you are always around 🙂 It is fab to release your inner child, who makes the rules anyway ? How wonderful the connection you have with your daughter an incredible happy place. xx

  5. debbie says

    You are amazing and Im glad to hear the dark cloudy thoughts are clearing and allowing room for you to grab hold of the beauty and joy in your life.

    Im really enjoying the challenge it has helped me focus more on the beautiful things in my life instead of whats not making me feel good. It doesn’t make the bad stuff go away but it has aloud me to put them aside so I can enjoy and focus on the things that make me smile.

    I have liked doing it on line as a group instead on just in a journal with only my own thoughts. Reading everyone else happy moments has made me smile and helped me see that we are all the same, its the little things the things we would normally underestimate their power. Everyday happy moments don’t seem to be the ones that draw crowds there the small personal moment. I was putting to much on Happy Moments and expecting then to be like excitement of jumping out of a plane feelings when I know a simple cuddle from my little ones is way better any day and the moment I would always pick!!!

    Thanks for taking me along on your journey. 🙂

    My Happy 19; Is watching a funny movie last night and having a good chat with a great friend who has been a rock for me in a hard time.

    • Debbie it is great reading the comments and blog they always make me smile and love seeing other moments of happiness which remind me where to look too.
      Love laughing at funny movies and chatting with friends is always a great pick me xx

  6. Kate – My Dear Angel says

    I’m still here! Couldn’t get in for a while due to ‘exceeded bandwidth’. Talk about Happy Place withdrawal. I NEED THIS! Glad I got back in.

    Your post the other day reminded me of many things I too have done. Including sky diving. I got a dive for my twenty first birthday. My dad took me while my mother stayed home, walking around the garden praying! I really must get my video transferred to DVD so I can relive it. The dive started with my dad seeing me off on the light plane, begging the instructor to look after me or else ‘his wife will kill me’. Off and up we went and I asked, ‘when should I start getting nervous?’ Turned out I never got nervous. Just looking at my face on the video and in the photos, you could see I was in a very Happy Place.

    • Hi Kate, yes the site had exceeded bandwidth and now all back up. How exhilarating the sky dive must of been, I can imagine your grin and that makes me happy xx

  7. Suzanne says

    Hi Nathalie
    Yes, I do need to do this more often! It’s so easy to get caught up with everything without taking time to think about the happy positives.
    One thing I’m trying to do at the same time is enjoy being ‘present’ at home and having less time on the net. It has been my ‘escape’ from the realities for too long!!

    Maybe it’s due to the wonderful progress in the long anticipated backyard, or the combination of that with “my happy place”, but I am definitely more able to find the positives each day. It’s wonderful being able to enjoy time with people, rather than constantly being in a state of negativity. I had been struggling for quite a while, so it’s nice to start to enjoy again.

    Yesterday my happy place was catching up with friends for brunch. I had a cuddle with a gorgeous 12 week old baby boy, and 6 week old puppy :o) Brunch was lovely, and so was the nice long nanna nap afterwards!!
    Looking forward to catching up with a close friend today :o)

    xxx

    • Hi Suzanne being present is such a vital part of being happier. It doesn’t matter that you are not on here as it sounds like you are doing just great. How good are baby and puppy cuddles xx

  8. Nathalie, I have been loving the challenge – and having an outlet to share. Don’t worry if people drop in and out, I am sure there are lots of silent readers out there who don’t comment.

    My happy moment was the delight on my son’s face when I told him I had found his favourite missing beyblade. All was right with his world after that.

    Hope you are having a nice weekend.

    Sooz.

    • Hi Sooz , I think my tone came across wrong, I just wanted to make sure everyone was ok 🙂 I can such picture your son’s face , their treasures mean so much. Have a lovely weekend xx

  9. Georgie U says

    I haven’t been here for a few days because they have been rough! (depression which I’m attacking with every tool I know but it is oh so persistant!) Today my happy place is difficult to accept, but much needed. My parents have had my children for the day and it sounds like they have had a blast, – gardens, baby ducklings and icecream, ball games with grandad. I feel happy knowing they are loved and having fun. Plus my bestest friend in the world came for a visit because she was also child free. We’ve decided we are going to get some best friend pictures done!

    • Georgie sorry to hear to hear you’ve had some rough days, so here’s a GIANT HUG. It’s good for you to have some time for yourself, and your children are having fun with their grandparents, its a win win situation. Have fun having you pictures done.xx

  10. I’m doing catch up as well. Sylva put it so well…I think we are ALL probably thinking about the happy place challenge daily, even if we don’t get around to writing about it. I know it’s definitely helped changed my thinking and has made an impact on my life, so THANK YOU!! My happy place now… getting to see my mom who just returned from being away for 3 months…SO happy to have her back!

  11. Natalie Villa says

    Sorry for late reply, feeling a little tired today. We packed the family up & headed for Bathurst today. Lots of fun in the car, cause I love to sing at the top of my lungs! We had a good day, ate breakfast & lunch at some nice cafes & walked around the antique stores. So, I guess my whole day was a happy one 🙂

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