It’s a Perfect Time to Make Plans … to be Happy
Looking through the medicine cabinet, we have bandages, salve, alcohol, calamine lotion, and some natural remedies. Sounds like I’m planning for hurt or discomfort. Do you have lots of canned goods, dry milk, dried fruits, tea, and even bottles of liquids a big bag of food for your pets? Does that make you feel secure? Alright. Good work! Let’s see … what did we forget to plan for?
How’s your happy plan?
Do you have
a “Emergency Happy Plan” for the day when you are out of it and need a plan ready to set in motion? Well then, let’s get going! Some of the simple actions you can take now in planning for your happiness can give you a boost when you most need them. It’s a perfect time to make plans to be happy!
In a box, small or large, gather some “Emergency Happy Care Box” items. These can be items that are pleasing to the touch, sound joyful, visually appear interesting and some that smell nice (but not living flowers). Include a poem that inspires you on some level that it makes you take a breath and sigh (i.e. Desiderata), which is lovely for your mind. If you have a puppet you can talk to (or it can talk to you from your hand/food), and maybe some bubbles. Now, as you can tell, I’m making up a list of sensory items that may be pleasing to you… personally.
My third grade teacher gave me a card that said, “put a poem in your pocket and a song in your head and you’ll never be lonely at night when you’re in bed.” As you can tell, it hung around… probably because it made me happy. I used to actually have a bunch of items in my cedar chest (also referred to as a Hope Chest) that when I pulled them out, I could imagine myself all grown up and happy. It was my escape to happy when I was a teenager.
Grumble, Grumble, Grumble
Recently, when I was in the middle of a “mood” I tried one of Rich’s “inner emergency happy tricks.” He grumbles. No, not his stomach, he says it literally over and over. Makes me feel good and I suggest you put this idea in your head for emergencies when you can’t get to your “Happy Box” in time. The first time I saw it in action:
Rich walked out of the kitchen, making fists and squeezing his eyes mumbling. “Grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble.” (Try saying that over and over.)
I laughed and said, “Oh, yeah?”
He laughed and explained, “When you run dry on happy you may as well “grumble n a funny, silly happy way. Shakes it loose. Let me know how it goes when you have a chance.”
Right now, it is a perfect time to make plans to be happy, and if you don’t have an emergency box, get going. You can also make plans with another person to get together for a cup of hot tea. How about planning a walk on Sunday? Pick up special items that will make someone else happy, wrap it, hide it in their drawer, or mail it if they are at a distance. Just knowing that you sent something to someone will give you happy anticipation.
Grab anything that is querky, fun, a child’s story book, a funny photo, a sea shell, a $10 bill! Put it with your sealed bag of dried cherries in a box and put a sign on it that labels it “Happy Emergency Kit” or something along that line. Sort of like we suggested a while back with a Dream Jar. (Talk to me if you missed that one.)
Happy Bottom Line
The bottom line is, don’t just prepare for bandages, plan happy time for puppets and bubbles, too! If you need more suggestions, call me or join our Pediatric Workshop this week-end on Saturday/Sunday, February 9-10th. We will be giving lots more ideas and demonstrations for happiness there! One of our instructors will be demonstrating a fun process with a little girl there. How fun! Gotta go! Call me at 503-525-0595.
Remember, it’s always a perfect time to make plans to be happy!
