January 21, 2016

• Three gratitudes: 1.—My family; 2.—My friends; 3—My job
• Exercise: I went to the gym.  Yes.  That's right.  45 minutes.
• Meditation: Prayed a rosary with special intentions for those who battle depression.
• Random Act of Kindness email: A text
• Journal about one positive experience in the past 24 hours:

Well, it's my last day of this challenge, and I guess my positive experience is right now, typing this final reflection.  What have I learned from the past three weeks?  Most importantly it's this:  the gift of observation.  On days when I dreaded the "positive experience" writing, knowing full well that nothing spectacular took place that day, I dug deeper.  The people by which I'm surrounded makes the digging an easy fix, but it's something I forget to do on a daily basis.  I hope this gift of observation is habit-forming.  The other thing I learned is that I really need to find time to exercise.  There's truth in the idea that exerting energy gives you energy, that exercise puts you in a better mood.  I know this.  I've been there.  I know how I felt, inside and out, when I walked regularly.  It was more than the physical health benefits, which were many; I just felt good... all the time. So, today I went to Walgreens and bought a lock (with a key, not a combination like the one in my dusty gym bag that sat for so long I couldn't remember the numbers). I went to the gym, swiped my bent up card with fingers crossed that it still worked, and I headed up to the lockers.  My old locker was empty, just waiting for me.  My old treadmill stared at me, like a mom running late with arms crossed across her chest and toes tapping on the floor.  I'm on my way, I thought.  

Until the weather warms up and I can get back to the walking path at my local park, I hope I can at least get reacquainted with that treadmill.

​Here's my Happiness Challenge Motto: Be grateful. Be kind. Exercise.  :)

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