Day 18 - of 30 Days of Happiness

Day 18 - Make a list of your gifts and talents ( and don't be modest)

We live in a world that can give us a lot of negative and hurtful messages. The media tells us that our bodies are not perfect enough, all those childhood messages that we still occasionally allow into our thoughts, and even friends and family (although not meaning to hurt) will occasionally say or do things that cause us to feel bad about ourselves. Just by our nature of being human we can get 5 compliments in a day and one criticism and it will be the criticism we will dwell on all day long.

So how do we keep from allowing these negative messages from destroying our self-confidence and making us unhappy - After all this is a happiness challenge blog!

Here are some tips on how to give yourself the gift of positive messages:

• Make a list of the good and positive things about yourself - What you like about yourself, what others have said they like about you. Write as many as you can think of, then go through your list and acknowledge it and accept it.
  
• Encourage Yourself - In Samuel 30:6 David encouraged himself - Be aware of when you do something good like being kind to someone, feeling compassion, accomplishing something whether it is big or small....then give yourself some praise.
  
• Allow "real" compliments and affirmations to sink in - This is something you have to consciously do - if you have a hard time remembering the good things people say about you then write them down and look at them often.
• Put scriptures that tell you how God sees you all around you - write or type out scripture that speak who you are to God...His daughter, the apple of His eye, His workmanship, made in His image.
  
• Quickly turn around negative thoughts about yourself - the moment you notice you are thinking something negative about yourself - turn it around to a positive.
  

Well, I hope you have completed this challenge today because I think we can all use a little extra affirmation and encouragement. And in the mist of your encouraging yourself make sure you are encouraging someone else too!

Here are a few of the things from my list:

• I have the wisdom that comes with age and experience
• I have a great smile and laugh
  
• I have empathy and care for people
  
• I am open to change
• I love life
  

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. 1 Samuel 30:6 (King James Version)

Tomorrow: Nature Day - spend some time with nature - enjoy this one! Nothing like being outside in weather like this - whether it's in the garden, going for a walk, to the beach
(Bev ) or just sitting on your porch in the evening.