All of us want to feel good about ourselves. We all want the elusive sense of inner peace and the knowledge that we are living a life that is fulfilling and happy. One of the beauties of being unique individuals is that we each have unique “feel-good-about-ourselves” events. Here are five of mine. I’d love to hear yours. Please email me at Susan@SusanBock.com.
Reconnecting with friends from the past: The sign of a true friend is being able to start a conversation that has the feel of a warm blanket – whether it’s been a month, a year or a decade. It doesn’t matter who reaches out to whom or how long it’s been. The sense of goodness and caring spans the time, and genuine concern spans the distance.
Give-aways: What I love about this is the double feel-good-about-me. It’s great to de-clutter, clean out and unencumber my closets and bookshelves. I love to clean (yes, I’m weird like that) and I crave a sense of organization. Often, life interferes with that ongoing process, and all at once things have piled up and my psyche begins protesting. That’s the moment when the give-away pile is created – books donated to the library; clothing, various kitchen “stuff,” etc. to Goodwill; and, shocking as it is, some things go in the trash and, with a sigh, I mumble, “Why did I want to hang on to that?” My house is de-cluttered, and someone else gets a treasure that makes them happy! It’s a win/win!
Being complimented: There is nothing quite like the surge of pleasure when someone compliments me. Whether it’s the jewelry, shoes, decorating style, well-written blog or for being who I am, I love receiving compliments. It’s an all-over good feeling that makes my day. In the past, when compliments were bestowed upon me, my tendency was to dismiss them, minimize them, shrug them off and even openly discount them. It was a painful shock to me when I realized that in not accepting the compliment, I was doing a disservice to the person taking the time and effort to acknowledge me. How rude! That was the day I proclaimed that I would graciously accept compliments with a heartfelt thank you, pause a few seconds and really take them in.
Losing weight: This is a really powerful one for me. Most of my life I’ve been healthy, athletic, physically fit. In the past decade, however, that is no longer the case. The combination of menopause, medication and a slowing metabolism has created the perfect storm and is playing havoc with my fitness. It’s time to take action, get control and undo the damage. Regardless of how much weight I have to lose, seeing that scale drop even one pound is a great feeling. Yes, it’s about losing weight and, equally important, it’s about feeling good that I am accomplishing a goal and making strides to regain fitness. The added bonus is the additional energy that stays with me throughout the day.
Reading: I love to read, period. I read for pleasure, relaxation, escape, knowledge, understanding, curiosity. As a lifelong learner, one of my goals is to learn something new each day. I find equal joy in starting a book and finishing a book. I keep books in my car. That way, when I’m waiting for an appointment or I arrive early for one, I have a few minutes to read. The added benefit is that I never feel like I’m wasting time by doing nothing – I can always reach for a book and read.
Can you resonate with any of these? Please take a minute to send me your list – I’d love to read it!