Notice the Good

Depressing news headlines. Facebook rants. Loved ones battling illness. The cat puking a hairball on the rug. The idiot that cut in front of you… We are surrounded by a million reasons to notice the bad, ugly, and upsetting. It takes effort to notice the good stuff instead—the positive news, random acts of kindness, small victories, touching moments.

How often do you notice the good?

I find it as difficult as the next human to see the beauty in a world filled with ugliness, but I want to be intentional about looking for the good .

• Because I have found that what I focus on affects every area of my life.
• Because I believe a life built on gratitude will lead to a healthier, more satisfying life.
• And because I believe that we will see what we look for, whether good or bad.

Choosing to see the good around us

Just as an artist trains herself to see nuances of light and color the rest of miss, so we can train ourselves to notice the good. We can practice the habit of looking for beauty and kindness wherever we are. It may not come naturally, but the more we practice, the easier it will become.

The more we are able to see the good, the easier it is to:

• maintain an outlook of gratitude
• pass on encouragement and kindness
• hold onto hope
• stay motivated to pursue our dreams

Choosing to see the good inside us

I am not perfect. I make mistakes, say stupid things, and turn grumpy when I’m not feeling too hot. There are a million ways I could finish the sentence: “I am not ___ enough.”

I can dwell on all that not-enoughness or I can focus on what I like about myself, the positive choices I have made today, and what others appreciate about me.

For some of us seeing what is about ourselves is harder than seeing beauty and goodness around us, but it’s just as important for maintaining a mindset of growth, purpose and value. Perhaps you need to practice seeing what is good about you, reminding yourself that you matter and you can make a difference.

What messages are you consuming that blind you to what is good?

It’s awfully hard to notice the good when we live on a diet of negative messages. Do you have a healthy balance in your “diet” or are you allowing Hollywood, the news media and your negative friends to fill your head and heart with depressing stories? We need to take control of what we watch and who we listen to. Are there sources of negativity in your life that you can choose to turn off? Do you need to bring balance into your life by adding some positive messages? Where might you find positive “food” to add to your “diet”?

9 simple ways to notice the good today

• Start each day with gratitude. Find three things you are genuinely grateful for and spend a moment thanking God for them.
• Begin a gratitude journal. Add your grateful thoughts each day.
• Identify a source of negativity in your life that you can get rid of. For example, my husband stopped reading Dilbert when he realized it was giving him a bad attitude at work.
• Find a new source of positive messages that will help you hold onto what is good. What inspires you? What reminds you that good exists in the world? Be intentional about adding it to your “diet” today.
• Challenge yourself to notice beauty today. Keep a tally of how many times you spot something beautiful. Can you beat your score tomorrow?
• Pay attention to small milestones and celebrate them. Imagine you have a “Fitbit” that keeps track of your “steps” towards healthy goals, and reward yourself for your progress. You may be doing better than you thought.
• Take a mental reset walk. Go for a short walk and intentionally think about what is good, true, or admirable about your life. Choose to fill your head with good. Let the fear and anxiety go and hold onto gratitude and hope instead.
• Before bed, write down what went right today. What made you smile? What choices did you make that you are happy about? Whose life did you touch?
• Bring something to work that reminds you of joy and goodness. It may be a special piece of jewelry, a favorite perfume, a vase with a single flower, or a photo of a loved one. Let it help you remember the good.

I hope these ideas help you see the lovely things that exist in our world, and help you enjoy the simple pleasures in your life today.

“Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 NLT