MINDFULNESS MONDAY
This week, we are looking at learning to live more positively. This is a longer based activity since we are trying to change old habits or even our nature. I encourage you to try to stay with it and hopefully you, and those around you, will notice more positivity in daily interactions.
A suggestion for the week: Live with more Positivity
This activity broken down into 3 parts:
· Take up the practice of being actively constructive in at least 3-5 conversations each week for a month. Each week take 10 minutes and write down what your experience was with this practice.
o Actively constructive means 1) keeping close, warm contact with those we are talking to 2) showing our pleasure or excitement in hearing their good news 3) congratulating them with specifics connected to their story 4) asking them to retell what happened in as much detail as possible
· In at least one conversation each day, please note how much encouragement you gave vs how much you criticized or complained.
o Ask yourself what effect attending to the ratio of encouragement : criticism have on your relationships today? What was it like to work on that ratio- easy, awkward, hard? Do you find yourself looking forward to attending to this practice? Why or why not?
· During this month please take on working with a difficult relationship you have. Please correct as you go and notice how working on this affects you and others in your life. Take 10 minutes each week and summarize what you are learning.
We all have, at different times, periods where we may act or feel more negative due to various causes. Performing an activity like this one and learning about ourselves will help over time with those negative periods and possibly make us have a more positive outlook overall.
Have a very positive week!