Welcome to Choose to See Good

I feel like everyone wants to find joy.  In a world where we are surrounded by a constant feed of bad news and negative commentary, I have a strong sense that we all long for stories of joy and happiness.  The stories of good deeds, love being shown, kindness, hard work, service, gentleness and generosity. These things are all around us and just as present as the negative headlines.  Sometimes we simply need to change our perspective and redirect our eyes.  We need to choose to see the good.

How do I choose to see good things?

I love to find the hidden moments of good as I go about the very plain and often routine tasks of my day.  Sometimes the moments just hit me.  Often the positive stories aren’t big, knock- you-over- the -head type of moments, but rather behind the scenes actions and things that get overlooked in the background. 

I see things best when I sit back and observe.  For instance, I use times of stillness and waiting (and sometimes boredom) to notice what is around me. Also, instead of busying myself with technology, to-do lists and multi-tasking, I try to let the moment be still and just look around.  It is then that I often notice someone going out of their way for someone else or someone offering a smile to a stranger or someone taking pride and joy in their work.  I love to “catch” the good in people and in my surroundings.

Motivation to change our perspective

Some people have a harder time finding the good than others.  The backgrounds of our lives are all different and our circumstances vary. However, we all have the same ability to view things from a selected angle.  We all have the ability to choose how we want to see our surroundings.  I think of finding the good as a skill that requires training.  Some people are better at it because they’ve been doing it for a long time. Some people really struggle because their minds get bogged down in the negative. As a result, they haven’t intentionally looked for the good around them. 

In an era of busy lives being a badge of honor, constant news feeds, instant gratification and 24/7 access, it can be hard to slow down.  It is hard to slow our pace to a point where we can just observe and change our perspective.  However, science shows that a positive outlook is powerful and healthy.

I have challenged myself to recognize and write about one good and positive thing I notice each week. I share my observations and present a challenge for how you, too, can change your perspective and see things in a more positive light. Keep checking back weekly to improve your point of view and uncover the power of positivity. You can also subscribe and receive a weekly email with a link to the latest blog post.

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My challenge :

I challenge myself to focus on a different good thing I notice each week. As I reflect on that one thing I will consider how it can change my life with a new perspective and put me on a path to happier and healthy living. Join me and be inspired to see the good!