Keeping A Positive Attitiude
Thinking about all that needs to be done in the course of a regular day used to leave me feeling overwhelmed and unfulfilled. It was difficult to keep a positive attitude when faced with a to do list that was filled with those things that needed to be done, none of which even came close to sounding like fun or meaningful.
I struggled with a way glorify the laundry pile, the grocery shopping, and the eight hours in my office and making dinner at the end of the day. No matter how I arranged the list, it still seemed like my day was filled with the mundane. I needed to bring a fresh newoutlook to my routine to readily accept the nagging list hanging on the magnetic notepad on my refrigerator.
The word gratitude came to mind as part of the solution to my to do list dilemma. I decided to work with it, since I had no better ideas. I rewrote my list in an effort to make each task sound more interesting. Perhaps I could lure myself into feeling good aboutall that I needed to accomplish during a typically routine day.
It was surprisingly easily to transform the everyday into the enlightening once I put my mind to it. With just one attempt this is what I was able to come up with:
Typical To Do List for an Ordinary Day in the Life of a Full-Time Working Mother
Pay the bills -
Compensate those who have provided goods and/or services that allow you to live as comfortably as possible.
Work in office -
Utilize your mind while providing your employer with the highest quality of work possible towards common goals, as an exchange for monetary compensation.
Grocery shopping -
Enjoy the abundance that life around you has to offer. Strive to provide a healthy and interesting diet for you and your family.
Clean the house -
Create and maintain an inviting and comfortable environment, which surrounds you and your family every day.
Pick up child from school -
Assist in the celebration of the end of another successful day at school. Embrace the opportunity to reflect on the day with your child, while driving home.
Laundry -
I'm stuck on this one. If you have an idea on how I might be able to look at this one in a positive manner, please contact me asap, as my laundry is piling up as you read on.
Exercise -
Enjoy the gifts of good health and strive to maintain it. Recognize that as long as you are on the treadmill you do not have to do any of the other tasks on your list.
Make dinner -
Celebrate the opportunity to provide proper nutrition to you and your family.
Clean up after dinner -
I could say something about creating the nice environment again, but in all honesty I think just knowing that this is the last thing on the list for the day is good enough.
The new version uses more words but it sounds a lot more meaningful. It has taken sometime to retrain my brain to accept the new descriptions that I have assigned to my daily routine tasks. If nothing else the new list makes me smile with acknowledgement at what great lengths I have gone to remain optimistic about every day life.
Part of me does wish that I could have re-worded at least one thing to sound like relaxing on a tropical beach far away from distraction. Knowing that the list is never-ending allows me to hang onto the promise that perhaps I will get a chance to work thatone in sometime in the future, during the course of another ordinary day.
Copyright © 2007 Shirley Warren
Shirley Warren describes her writing as the best excuse she can find for avoiding housework. Her works are based on her desire to find inspiration in ordinary day to day experiences.