Making it Happen in March--"Experiment" Reboot

Musical Monday ~ Grati-Tuesday

Happy Tuesday! What a gorgeous day in NH. I hope you were able to enjoy a bit of the beautiful sunshine either this morning or afternoon.  T'was a little gift from Mother Nature to lull us before tonight's predicted snow.

 

Your response to the "Experiment" is delightful! :) Love the discussions both at the center and reading/responding to your posts on FB.  Athena Henchey, one of my fabulous Jazzercise babysitters, took an idea from pinterest to help her visualize her daily tasks and RAK's.  Super!

 

  

By engaging the power of music, yesterday's assignment was meant to take some of the Manic out of your Monday. :) As reported in a recent study conducted by the University of Missouri and published in the Journal of Positive Psychology...

 

“We found that people were successful at raising their positive mood as long as the music they listened to was happy and upbeat.” ~Dr. Yana Ferguson

 

Neurological studies of music on the brain indicate that we're hardwired to react emotionally to music.  Benefits can range from the reduced stress to increased happiness.  Music may even be the most potent happiness trigger because it feeds a way to build social bonds.  When in a room with those who like the same music you do, friendships can blossom, which results in more happiness! So... how 'bout a lil...

 

...Music, Maestro, Please!  I'd love to hear what songs you picked in the comments below.  My Pandora Pick is a station based on an old jazz standard, Polka Dots & Moonbeams.  Here's the John Coltrane Version...

 

 

 

Moving on to Today ... Grati-Tuesday! Oh those 2 little magical words. 

 

The daily challenge:
"Find a reason to smile & say 'Thank You' to everyone you come in contact today. Notice and appreciate those around you."

This task would be a piece of cake for my Mother. She is the quintessential picture of politeness and charm.  My husband, on the other hand, he likes to say he doesn't discriminate, he hates EVERY-body.  Like you, I fall somewhere between these 2 extremes. 

While I'm not exactly face to face with you... I'd like to say Thank YOU for reading this blog. I appreciate the time you're taking to participate in the Experiment to be happier and healthier, inside & out!

 Tomorrow? Snow & Planking

Anticipation is making me ... Happy?

Remember this vintage Heinz Ketchup commercial? It made regular old ketchup sound & look soooo good, didn't it? If anticipation did that for a burger condiment, then I gotta get me some of that! Anticipation that is.

Have you ever noticed that anticipating something is almost as enjoyable (sometimes more so) than the actual event? That's the positive brain at work compounding your measure of pleasure! It works in a parallel vein as our daily 2 minute positive pondering.  The chemistry in our brains reacts nearly the same in recall as does during the actual event; so by pondering and/or recording the best part of your day, you reap double the effect of that positive experience.

Even being mindful in ordinary tasks brings a positivity to any activity. Had you ever really thought about your teeth when you brushed them? When I started in on mine last night, my mind was going a million miles an hour--then I glanced at the mirror and realized, oh, right!  I slowed down, started over and concentrated only about was I was doing in that moment. Heck, I even flossed. :)

If you're willing, let's hear some of these events/dates/tangible goals. Mine? You bet!  A big family trip with my folks. They're celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary later this year and for the first time ever, I get to meet my niece Zoe and we'll ALL be together.  This is posted late due to my mom & I spending 6 hours on the phone and online discussing the myriad of options from plane tickets to transfers.  Are we all booked? NOPE!  We didn't even make any rock solid decisions.  That's OK though, because where we're going and what we're doing isn't half as important as the anticipation of being together.

... 5, 6, 7, 8!

Welcome!

This is my first foray into the blog-o-sphere. I've often thought I had the voice for this venue, but I just needed a purpose in putting it out there. And rather than fully thresh it out, I'm hoping that you, the readers, will thresh it out with me and join me in your comments to create something bigger and better than I could have on my own.   

Are you ready to be motivated, challenged, moved and inspired in the days, weeks and months to come?!

We step off ... February 1.

:) Susanne