A Little Bit of Happiness

Welcome to the Three Good Things blog!  This is a daily exercise in positive thinking.  The goal is to write down three good things that happen each day.  (Or at least a few times a week; let's not get carried away, here.)  It's such a quick little thing, but it really can change your mindset, as over time you'll find that you focus more on the positive things that happen in your day rather than the negative.  That's not to say that you'll never have a bad day (bad days are allowed), but I think you'll be surprised at how much this small exercise will change your thought process.

I’ve been doing this for a few months just by myself, but it’s such a great way to add a little happiness to one’s life that I want everyone to play!  Write down your three good things in your diary, your day planner, spell them out in magnetic letters on your fridge, or, if you feel like sharing, post them as a comment here.  I will not force participation, but I would love to hear your three good things whenever you feel like it.  Here are my rules:

Rule #1.  Repeats are allowed, but strongly discouraged.  Try to be creative.  I’ll admit that this is the most tempting rule to break; I mean, let’s face it—my life isn’t exactly a thrilling adventure novel right now, so I understand.  I won’t judge you if you repeat yourself, but do try to think of new things as often as you can.  It helps one stay positive, and I think you’ll be surprised at how many good things you begin to notice. 

Rule #2.  No thing is too big or too small.  Whether you’ve just followed a double rainbow all the way to its end and discovered a portal that leads to the magical land of the unicorns (oh my god please let this happen), or your favorite kind of cereal is on sale at the market—if it makes you feel good, it counts. 

Rule #3.  Good things that hurt other people don’t count.  This may be kind of a fine line to walk.  For example, the other day I took great pleasure in driving at the exact speed limit all the way to work, because the driver in the car behind me was clearly suffering from an advanced case of Road Rage and it was really fun to watch his over-the-top freak-outs in my rear view mirror every time I purposely lingered for an extra second at a stop sign.  This situation is something that I consider to be borderline, but acceptable, because although it was (admittedly) slightly mean-spirited, no one was hurt.  Also, it tickled me and he probably needed a lesson in patience anyway.  However, something like, say, stealing eleven babies from a hospital would be entirely unacceptable.  It might be a great day for you if you are a compulsive psycho baby-snatcher, but if you are a new mother whose baby was just stolen, it was most likely not a very pleasant experience.  

So there's the introductory post, and the rules of the game.  My lists start tomorrow.  I really want to see how many people I can get to do this, because it really works.  Feel free to follow the blog, and please pass it on to your friends and family.  And let me know about your three good things!  I can't wait to hear them!!