A Day’s Personal Outlook: What Is Your Glass?

I recently came back from a trip to Maui with my hubby.  It was one of those trips that couples sometimes need to be selfish for a few days and just wake up without wondering whose mouths need to be fed … what activity needs to fill the day’s space … or play referee to the latest squabble happening in the back seat between twelve and nine-something siblings.  Seriously, I could live for days off of Cheerios – no problem.  But, I understand I am unique in that respect 🙂

Coming home from a long trip I had a package awaiting me …. one that I wasn’t planning for.  I put it in my home office that afternoon I arrived home thinking to myself, “I’ll unpack and get back to this package”.  I kid you not, days later I still hadn’t gotten around to opening the package.  But, eventually, I did and I could have kicked myself for not having opened it sooner because it was such the sweetest surprise waiting for me from a stranger that I now want to reach out and hug.

In the box was a card that read:

… You really made a difference!!.  Thanks for your positive energy & Total great spirit!. Consider yourself most appreciated!! … you know you’re doing a great job of spreading joy when others see things made of happy & think of you!”

I was befuddled … dumbfounded in as positive light that can be shed … at a moment where a happy tear was forming in the corner of my eye.  I realized my other blog, https://tobesimplyhappy.com, that I set on a quest as a platform to chronicle inspiration, was making a difference … even one heart at a time.  My vision for that blog was with hopes to just remind us all of the simple things that can influence happiness.  I sat in my chair for probably twenty minutes re-reading that card (I have it pinned up on my inspiration board now 🙂 )… and just adored the items that accompanied the card, like an ice tray with chatty-teeth molds (hilarious!) … a booklet of happy cards I can now ninja-style send to innocent people as I please … and a journal: I’m Doing My Best.

 

The journal has been staring at me for weeks now and I have purposely been waiting for 2017 to begin because I’ve already set out a goal to incorporate more reflection in my days.   This journal is one like I haven’t seen before because, first of all, it doesn’t “require” an entry, per day.  There are probably about 100 sheets for you to write on … and the lines are quite wide, which only tells me the intent is not to write a novel, but to be artful in the choice of words.  Not a biggie – I need to work on my wordiness anyways!

Along the left-hand side of each written entry page is a full-page quote.  Some quotes are short, and some can take up a half page easily.  And, the quotes aren’t all motivational … some have sarcasm, quirkiness, or humor.  A bit of a cocktail mix if you ask me … like this one from Julia Childs: “You can’t turn a sow’s ear into veal Orloff, but you can do something very good with a sow’s ear”!  Now tell me that doesn’t leave you wondering what she was smoking?!?!

But, the overarching dynamic of the journal is one that poses:

How I’m working on myself today.

And, something I’ve not seen before in journals is the framework of giving you the opportunity to note what your day’s personal outlook is.  It is provided in an illustrative view of a glass full … glass half full / half empty (depending on how you view it) … glass empty and spilled over … or a glass broken!  So, if I were to sit in reflect on that alone what I feel it is asking me is:

1. Are you personally fulfilled today and feel well-rounded and full?
2. Are you missing something today that, had you accomplished it or done it, would make you feel more full?
3. Are you spilling all over the place today?
4. Are you completely broken, but standing?

I have to laugh at this approach for self-reflection because I don’t believe I have ever had these options to choose from when evaluating my day.  It does have me, however, intrigued to complete my journal in 2017 and go back to chronicle my stats on how many days I felt any one of these daily personal outlooks.  Am I scared?  Nah … I feel I’d be higher on the counts of: (a) glass full, or (b) glass half full.

If you had to predict your glass for 2017, which would it be?  Put in the comments below!

OHH … and if you actually want this journal for yourself, here you go: Knock Knock: I’m Doing My Best