Do you know what it feels like to be stuck in a rut? Every day seems the same and the Joy Meter is reading empty. I hate when I get stuck like this. It is a gnawing feeling in my gut and an emptiness in my mind. I go through the motions of living but in reality I am just trying to get through each and every day. I think that in order to get out of the rut, we have to do something different. We have to step out of our comfort zones and take a small step in the direction we want to be going.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be something huge but it has to be out of character. It has to be something that makes you think, feel, believe just a little bit differently than you do when stuck in the rut.
When stuck in a financial rut you may be racking up debt, spending money mindlessly on stuff you don’t need while your bills pile up. Get out of the rut – your future depends on it. Take a small step towards putting the brakes on spending and accelerating your earnings and savings. No one can do this for you. No one.
When stuck in an unhealthy rut you may be eating processed junk food, drinking sugary beverages, doing your best couch potato impression and binge watching your favorite shows at midnight. Get out of the rut – your life depends on it. Take a small step towards eating healthy, getting some exercise and sleeping a solid 8 hours. No one can do this for you. No one.
When stuck in an unhappy rut you may be unable to feel joy, excitement or gratitude. I have a friend who calls it “feeling gray”. As a nation we don’t make the Top 10 happiest countries list (according to The World Economic Forum). That seems like a lot of “gray” feelings that we could all do without.
The medical community tries to medicate the gray away. Roughly 1 in 6 Americans take medications to deal with depression. I bet the percentage of people who try to self medicate the gray away with alcohol or drugs is even higher. We try to dull the pain, the monotony, the feeling of helplessness. Maybe it is time to do something different to dial-up the Joy Meter from empty to full. Pills, drugs and booze don’t really seem to be helping.
I came across this You Tube video this morning and I think this lady has one of the keys to improving happiness. The video offers a path that could potentially help the world be a happier place. That sounds like a tall tale but watch it and tell me what you think! I am all for spreading some joy to dissipate the gray!
She seems to be on a mission to teach kids to do what she calls the 365 GIVE. Every day for one year do something for another person, an animal or the environment. One small step every single day for 365 days. This began as a fun family project with her 3-year-old and now she has entire schools participating.
Imagine thousands of school aged children giving a little of themselves to their peers, family, community or world every single day. There are plenty of research studies out there that say giving improves happiness. I just googled “giving and happiness research” and got about 70,800,000 results.
This woman took 1 small step with her 3-year-old child and has had a tremendous impact on the happiness of thousands. She is helping children learn to be kinder, more generous and happier by teaching them that giving brings joy. I think her story deserves to be shared – please help me share it!
At some point in the future I will find a way to incorporate this idea into my strategic life! I’m not sure I am ready to commit to 365 days but I think a week is a good place to start. 7 Days/ 7 Gives. I can do that! This just got added to my 2018 Happiness Goal list! You know me… I am all about those baby steps to success!
Choose Happiness by Giving!
Lake Girl