Week #215 – Ten Weeks to Happyness! (Don’t pretend…make plans: “Go get your wings!”)

This has turned into an annual re-post — because it’s worth repeating!  (You can find the original here!)  

Starting today, there are exactly TEN Fridays left in 2018 — and where better to begin the Ten Weeks to Happyness countdown than with this refrain:

“Don’t dream it…be it!”

To recap the backstory: for Rob’s wake, a work friend of mine (who didn’t even know Rob) drove nearly two hours to attend his viewing.  While Jim H. waited patiently on line he saw the photos of the planes, Rob’s pilot log, his flight suit — and on the word board he wrote:

“He’s finally got his wings!”

Jim’s comment echoes as a poetic completion of Rob’s long held desire to BE a pilot.  And Rob didn’t just dream about it…he pursued it.  He spent time at airports, around planes, talking shop with pilots, logging hours, and enduring long hot summer days on the tarmac at airshows.  I still will never really know what it meant to a boy who never traveled very far from home to be miles high in the air with nothing but a propeller to keep him going!  But it made him happy…and he planned around it…and that was enough for me to believe he could be it!

Are you making pretend…or making plans?

Halloween is a day for pretending…pretending to be fierce or funny, scary or sexy.  To masquerade our secret selves…or maybe even disguise our real ones.  But look closer: is there more to your costume than an attempt to collect candy or win an award?  Is there a dream or desire or longing behind that mask that represents a calling to BE something more in your every day life?

Your Happyness Challenge for the Week Ahead: Don’t dream it…BE IT!  I’ll ask you again…if your “costume” became your clothing on November 1st and beyond…what would you pick?  What props or clues, habits or traits would you need to let people know…this is who I am, this is who I was meant to BE.  Then ask yourself…what is the ONE NEXT THING you can do to go from pretending to planning?  Write it down — and DO IT this weekend.

Don’t pretend…MAKE PLANS!  Go get your wings!

Spread Happyness — share your dream, your plans, and your support of others in the comments!

10/26/18 by Grace Church
© Grace Church
grace@spreadhappyness.com

Week #213 – Find a way to say “Thank You” this week!

Greetings Happyness Tribe!

This past week I was reminded of the simple art of expressing gratitude: saying “thank you”,  writing a note of appreciation, publicly acknowledging someone’s effort.

So here’s a throwback post to Week #162 and a reminder to find a way to say “thank you” this week!

• Someone in sales receives a letter from a customer (sent to the boss) praising his above-and-beyond efforts during a requisition.
• Someone else in a restaurant receives a nice note written on the bottom of their credit card slip thanking him for his excellent service (and hopefully accompanied by a nice big tip!).
• And finally, a performer at a local venue takes the time to publicly thank the facility’s staff for taking care of him and making him feel so welcome.

Three separate incidents…absolutely no cost to anyone…and plenty of benefit to go around.

It’s easy to complain.  It’s easy to notice what is wrong, what might not be up to par, or what was missed.  And the internet has made it SO convenient — we can even do it anonymously!

But it’s a lot more fun catching people doing things right!  There are probably people you encounter every day who take care of you, who serve you first, who meet your needs without you even asking or saying a word.

Have you thanked them?

Have you let them know you appreciate them?

Have you praised them?  Loudly?  Publicly?

Your Happyness Challenge for the Week Ahead: Find a way to say “Thank You!”  Be on the lookout for people doing things right this week!  And when you find them, be sure to thank them — loudly and publicly!  Be specific…and let them know what made the difference.  Our culture is saturated in complaints, criticisms, and score-keeping.  Be one of the good guys and let someone know you see them, you appreciate them, and you’re not afraid to say something nice!

Spread Happyness — catch someone doing something right!  (And better yet, tell someone about it!)

10/12/18 by Grace Church
© Grace Church
grace@spreadhappyness.com