🦆 Being Positively Contagious

Some daily experiences are significant, while others are less so. But they're all part of what can make most of our days positive. Highlighted below are typical obligations that fill daily life - & generate satisfaction for having accomplished them, as well as the liberties that bring an enhanced level of satisfaction. We should seek to achieve a good mix of both, to get the most out of every day.

Obligations That Generate Satisfaction

You have to do this; you have to do that. You have to go here; you have to go there. These demands, the things many consider essential to our social & economic survival. They likely include some combination of the following:

• Shop for groceries
• Straighten up the house
• Pay the bills
• Get the car serviced 
• Mow the lawn
• Get your health check-up
• Availability for family & friends 

The more things we check off the list, the better we feel at the end of the day. We have met the basic necessities of every day life. You're surviving, but are you thriving? Not unless your days also include some things you do simply because you want to do them.

Look over your list of obligations & check those that are on your list today...& add any others that you have to do but aren't listed there. Getting stuff done makes most everyone feel better,  even if that stuff is errands & small chores. To feel even better about your every day life, build in some of the liberties that balance things out noted in the section below.

Liberties That Add Sweetness to Satisfaction

This is your happiness agenda. You want to do something, you want to go somewhere, you want to see someone. These are basically the icing on the cake: You can live life without them, but they sure make life a lot sweeter! Consider the following examples of classic options:

• Take a leisurely walk in the park
• Learn a new hobby
• Chat with a neighbor 
• Check out a favorite blog
• Read a few chapters of a book
• Watch a funny video
• Browse your favorite store
• Meet a friend for lunch

These activities are the little things that brighten up our days. Use them to fill in the cracks between your obligations, such as meeting a friend for lunch in between errands.

How many wants did you do this week? What recurring errands or routes can be combined with a bit of adventure? Sometimes I visit  thrift  stores when traveling & will check out nearby places as well. I always ask about any local favorites.

If you're like most people, chances are you have plenty of things to do but also a bit burned out. If your life is full of to-do stuff & short on things that make you glow, try restructuring your weeks to include a better balance of choices from both lists & watch your overall satisfaction rise.

One of the most encouraging things we can do for ourselves is to make future plans. It gives us something to look forward to, a little ray of hope. An obligation to show up.. Invite some company & make someone's day.  🌺