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Welcome to Day 8 of the IN AWE 21-Day Challenge! Today, we spark inspiration, meaning and joy by finding pockets of happy!
“The grass is greener…
on the side you water!”
On Challenge Day 1, I remind us of this truth. What we choose to focus on tends to grow. Focus on good… find more good. Focus in stead on bad… you guessed it! Today, we revisit this idea.
CHALLENGE: Identify your pockets of happy.
INSPIRATION: That’s right, in the midst of the chaos you’re experiencing (working from home with little ones running around, financial distress because your place of work closed, a feeling of isolation while you’re quarantined) there are pockets of happy – but you have to train yourself to look for them and celebrate them.
Shawn Achor, positive psychologist and best-selling author of Happiness Advantage, joined me on my Live Inspired Podcast to talk about how to find happiness amidst the coronavirus. Join us for some refreshing, practical tips.
ACTION: Identify your pocket of happy by observing when you feel simple moments of joy today. Then, when you find yourself pulled into conversation, thinking or reading about the coronavirus or state of the economy, recalibrate the conversation to one about your pocket of happy. You will be better off for it, and so will the loved one you are connecting with.
My friend, today is your day! Live IN AWE.
John O’Leary
P.S. What’s your pocket of happy? Share on social media and tag three others, inviting them to find their “pocket of happy” too. Tag me + include #inawe to be entered to win a copy of IN AWE. (Or post on Day 8 Challenge page.)
Did you know? The 21-Day IN AWE Challenge is inspired by John’s new book IN AWE. Order your copy + see all the fun behind the scenes at ReadInAwe.com.
12 replies on “In Awe 21-Day Challenge – Day 8”
Yesterday pocket of happy was a spontaneous visit to the beach in Aruba with the family and some friends. Had a great time!
Today’s pockets of happiness include going to a friend’s house to pick tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden to take home with me, and chatting with them on their patio. Also, stopping on the way home from their house and taking a walk during the breezy evening, and watching others exercise and play. Later on, I found a very interesting podcast while looking for sound editing tutorials on YouTube.
Today I enjoyed the nature in the park I rode a bike through. It was amazing just to feel air, sun and see green light from trees.
Also, I liked the sun in my flat in 7am. It made me shining.
My pockets of happy are when I get to see my grandchildren. Even though I can’t hug or kids them, just seeing them makes me so happy.
I am a high school math teacher and have been frustrated by distance learning. I am able to send out material and assignments to my students but it has been a challenge to get and give feedback. I have spent hours compiling stuff from the Internet for my students but they feel lost. I was on khan academy today and it was actually one of my pockets of happy because I was just going through doing problems and when you get one correct confetti flies and I get excited. Also my son and I love top chef and we always watch Friday night and lent is over so we will have steaks and watch top chef
I am currently staying with my son’s family (3 hours from my home) so I can help out during the shelter in place order. My son is a high school teacher and my daughter in law still goes to work at the bank (tho the lobby is closed to the public).
My grandson is in 2nd grade and my granddaughter is in pre-school. I help out with their distance learning so my son can teach his HS students. My grandkids are my pockets of hope.
I’ve read Shawn’s book and enjoyed it very much.
My pocket of happiness – first one that came to mind is my students. I’m a high school business / computer / leadership teacher of 31 years & I had 2 amazing Zoom calls with two of my seniors today. The joy it brought to me, was amazing! It’s the same when I am reading my student responses, or their blog post assignments. I had to remind myself of that tonight as we watched the news a little bit (I only watch a little local & national news around dinner – and that’s all I can handle) 😉 Well tonight was too much politics, anger, and the negative side of people. Walked away with a headache and then I knew I had to change things up a bit and I moved getting back to John O’Leary’s 21 Day Challenge to help me out – and it did just that!
My pockets of happiness have been working on photo projects. My husband brought home a digital frame a few months ago from a conference. I finally opened it up this week and figured out how to use it. I am loading it up everyday with pictures from the same date (e.g., April 9th) from the past 18 years so the kids can see themselves “on this day” for many different years. A new group of pictures everyday and lots of laughs already!
I had a lot of simple joys today!
I made a cake with my daughter, a walk with my son, a live meditation with nice people this morning.
In awe!
I blogged this one for work! Posting tomorrow! Thank you. Pointing to you John O’Leary! So inspired by you – this is truly a gift to share.
This is an easy one!!!
Without a doubt, not withstanding family time or activities, my #1 pocket of happiness comes when I am working out.
For me, there is nothing like pushing your own limits. And while there are many ways to do that, during a workout (cardio/non cardio) I can see it, feel it, quantify it).
I am alive and creative when I am moving my body. And there have been many times that I’ve come home at the end of a workout with a new idea, concept, or a solution to a challenge that has had me stumped.
Joel my man! Great comment and love that you’re taking the challenge.
We’d like to send you a copy of IN AWE once it’s released in May. Can you send an email over to brian@johnolearyinspires.com and include the best address for shipping?