Beautiful Day

Lisa's picture
Submitted by Lisa on Sat, 03/01/2008 - 5:11pm.

Positive Psychology

Activity 4 “A Beautiful Day”

Lisa Wilson

            In order to complete my activity for a beautiful day by today, I had to do it during the week which was not my preference because I would like to have started my day off by sleeping in and not having to go to work.  However, with that being said, I decided to have a positive attitude and make it work.  I started off by dressing in something pretty for work.  Generally I wear pants to work but on this day I thought I would begin my “beautiful day” by wearing something more feminine and beautiful, so I put on a skirt.  It worked.  I felt good and looked forward to my day at the office. 

            My positive attitude stayed with me throughout the day and I found myself feeling quite happy and more relaxed.  The work day was soon over and then the rest of my plans for a beautiful day began.

            I like to eat out, so I planned on meeting my mom and my children for dinner.  We went to a restaurant that is fun and has an enjoyable atmosphere.  The conversation went well and everyone seemed to have a good time.  I don’t see my mom that often, so I was glad to include her in this day.  It was nice to catch up and to spend some time with her.  My children also got to spend some time with their grandma and she was happy to hear all the things that they have been doing.  It was a reminder for me to take the time out of my busy schedule to make time for those that I love.  Dinner was great, especially since I didn’t have to lift a finger to make it. 

            After dinner the kids and I said goodbye to my mom and then we headed off to the grocery store.  Yes, this was actually planned, more out of necessity than for fun.  Grocery shopping is not high on our list of things to do and usually I am doing it by myself but the kids said they wanted to go and help out plus it gave me more time to spend with them.  Generally when I go grocery shopping I have a list and rarely deflect from it.   However, with the kids at my side we went through the isles looking for new things to try.  It was a lot of fun discovering different foods.  We laughed and joked the entire time and before we knew it we were checking out with a cart full of good food.

            On the way home, we decided to rent a movie to finish up our evening.  We went to a store nearby our home and picked out a new release.  Amazingly enough we all decided on the same flick.  There weren’t any arguments nor were there any hurt feelings over the video that was chosen. 

            As we pulled into our driveway, my kids told me they would empty the groceries out of the car.  So I went into the house, changed my clothes, and prepared a dessert for our movie.  Once the groceries were put away we all settled down and watched the show.  It was a great ending to a beautiful day. 

                         


Walter L. Harris's picture
Submitted by Walter L. Harris on Fri, 03/07/2008 - 7:56am.
I found that including love one's in your life is always a good day and the way that you made up your mind to have a good day at work really works out  because your mind set is what lets you expand your senses to take in the sights and other trivial things and move foward in life without the attitude coming foward from the wrong interpetations. 

Sandy's picture
Submitted by Sandy on Thu, 03/06/2008 - 6:35pm.
Lisa, You reminded me that when I take a bit of extra time to look nice, I feel nicer.  You had an especially good idea in wearing the skirt to help you feel more feminine.  It does make a difference.  Spending time with the kids and your mom also hit a note with me, as well as not having to cook dinner.  Good move!  I like how including your family members made your day better as well as theirs.  This type of action that builds relationships has so many positive repercussions.  It just goes to show, you don’t have to do something exotic or grand to have a really good time together.  You just need people you love, good humor, and time together.

Karen Jones's picture
Submitted by Karen Jones on Wed, 03/05/2008 - 7:10pm.

I was also hoping for a day off to enjoy my beautiful day. In retrospect I’m glad I incorporated it into an ordinary day. I was more aware of the little pleasures than ever. It’s interesting that most of us find beauty in the “little things” such as enjoying time with our family and friends. Those are savor moments for sure.