And I have to tell you how very liberating it’s been.  Mistake? “Oh, well! Let’s move on and focus on something I did well and right.”  How fun is that??  

This doesn’t work in every circumstance nor for every day because we all screw up, make mistakes and sometimes need to make amends.  But I have to tell you, it’s working for me today.  I can’t tell you one little thing I’ve done wrong (well, actually I can I just choose not to today!).  I can tell you a whole lot of what I did right, though, but I’m not going to bore you with the mundane details of my day.  

Today has made me realize how much I need to implement this way of thinking to my kiddos ~ pointing out the positive.  I think I started it just a little the other day…

The other day I was rearranging furniture in our newly appointed guest room to make it cozy and welcoming for an upcoming house guest.  I was pushing, pulling and tugging the dresser, the desk and the new beds all around the room when Zach came by and said “Mom, can I help you?”  Unsolicited help?  Are you kidding me???  I gladly took him up on his offer.  He and I had a good time rearranging furniture (a “good time” might be a stretch but he didn’t even complain when I wanted to rearrange it again because I didn’t like the way it looked the first time around).  For his “reward” I took him to breakfast at WaWa…unsolicited help gets rewarded.  He did something right.

As Zach was sitting at the kitchen counter enjoying his Sizzlies from WaWa, Lucas came by and asked why I didn’t take him to WaWa for breakfast.  I explained the power of asking someone if they need help before they can ask for it themselves.  I was trying to point out the positive of doing something right to both Zach and Lucas.  Zach was sitting with his reward and Lucas was standing with a handful of nothing.  I hope it sunk in, even if just a little…doing something right get praise and a “reward.”

I hope I can keep up with the focus on doing things right.  I hope I can translate it to my kids…focus on the positive.  Positives are rewarding.  Negative feedback to yourself and others only seeks to bring you down. So I’m going to keep my focus on pointing out doing things right for the love of my children….