Recently, research has shown that being positive and grateful for the little things in life make you happier, and indeed, more successful. (see previous post). Rodgers & Hammerstein probably weren't thinking of neuroscience when they wrote the song in 1959, but its relevance to overall wellbeing can't be denied.
Mindfulness and emotional intelligence play into the effectiveness of this strategy. When you practice mindfulness, you become aware of the moment to moment thoughts and emotions that play through your body in response to an event. When you find that moment between trigger and reaction, this is where choice comes in. Maria chooses to think of her favorite things when the event of the moment (being bitten or stung by a nasty, for example) causes her to feel sad. And not only does she choose to think of her favorite things, she chooses simple things for which to be grateful- raindrops on roses, doorbells and sleighbells. Schnitzel, for goodness-sake!
These days, we tend to think that the next BIG thing is what will make us happy. The new job, house, car or big-screen TV. It also tends to be about acquisition of something, rather than simple appreciation of the things that nature and the world already provide. The next, the next. When will the NEXT really be enough?
What if we practiced the simple wisdom of Maria- more gratitude for the simple joys of life? Ice cream & moonbeams & cheese macaroni. Momo & kisses & hot minestrone? Beautiful fairies with butterfly wings. These are a few of MY favorite things. (And the new verse tailored just for my girls).
Viktor Frankl said: "Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our happiness."
What do you choose to put in that space?
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