Calendar Perspective

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed something. I was looking at my calendar in my kitchen at home. It's a dry erase board calendar that I update each month. I fill in all the things I have planned, all my commitments, and all my regularly scheduled events (such as Gilmore Girl nights with Jennifer and giving my cats IV fluids subcutaneously every other day). What I noticed was that I was crossing off the days by putting a line through the day after it ended, or a large X.

This is what many people do.

But I stood in my kitchen, staring at my calendar, and I realized that every time I drew an X through a day, I was feeling like this:

Well, I made it through another day.

OR

Yup, another day over.

And I really, really didn't like that. It felt like the wrong attitude. So I decided that I would no longer draw an X through each day.

Instead, when the day is over, I now draw a smiley face. I feel so much better already. It makes a big difference. Envision yourself drawing a line or an X through your calendar day today. Now, envision yourself drawing a smiley face to mark the day as complete. It's really hard to feel negative or sad when you're drawing a smiley face to say the day is done.

I highly recommend it.

Take it from the cat widow.