How to change Big attitudes with Tiny turns.
You know that feeling when you are half way to somewhere and you realise you have forgotton something that you need. Or you cannot carry everything you need down the back in one wheelbarrow and must make two or three trips. And you think – Dammit now I have to walk all the way back. Lately when I have these realisations I am pleased.
All this has come down to a little plastic gadget my daughter has me wearing that counts my footsteps. There are a number of such bracelets, I don’t want to advertise mine as I am not in the business of advertising, and that is not the aim of this discussion, you may even have one on your phone but counting my footsteps has turned my attitude on its head. Now instead of being frugal with movement, efficient with my feet, time and motion and all that stuff, I think YES – extra footsteps. Better for my body. Now, I move even more. Instead of being annoyed that I forgot something and must walk all the way back up to the house to get it I think. Excellent – more footsteps!
Interesting isn’t it. Here is another one. Another small change that has changed my attitude immensely. I came across a Happiness Study. It was on a Ted talk. I can’t remember who is doing it or even what it is called as the app just says Happiness. They are collecting data on happiness. It is an app on my phone. It asks you questions two or three times a day, runs for 30 days and takes only seconds. The app asks you to grade your happiness right at that moment. Then a few other questions – are you alone – are you at work – etc).
It is not the app as much, it is an interesting change happening in me because of the app. I am thinking about it more. And I am happier than I thought. I am happiest alone and working on the farm. I am happy when I am blogging. I am happy when I am cooking. What has changed is my take on the WORD happy. The label. I am more focused on remembering whether I am feeling happy so I can report it than all the things that make me feel unhappy. And this change in conscious thought is changing how I feel overall.
Now, I realise that I am gently happy most of the time. If I were to grade my self as happy ONLY when I get that great shot of sublime happiness then my scale would always be in the middle. So – I am thinking that happiness has a lot to do with actually ALLOWING ourselves to be happy. Using the word properly. Looking inside our own heads all alone, with no-one judging and saying to oneself – this is OK – this is my normal – and I am finding happiness here today.
Yup. I am quite happy sitting here at sunrise writing to you.
The smallest changes in your daily life can create big changes in your attitude to that life. I am happy to be walking further and further every day to get about the same amount of work done. Happy is such a cheerful word! Fit is a good word too!
Change is possible.
WILD!
No sunrise again – but there is light. So off I go into my world.
Have a lovely day.
Love celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
78 responses to “Waste not those feet”
oh hah! wish I had one of those step counters! The last few weeks we have shoveled, snow blowed and plowed every day for 3-5 hours. Just to keep our driveway ( 2/10ths of a mile long up a steep hill ) clear and safe for our access. I can only imagine how many steps I have taken and my sweetie pie also! and then you wrote about happiness…..I don’t have a device that uses apps ( flip phone only ) but I can relate- even tho we are shoveling like crazy we are happy where we are and thankful every day for our health, family and friends. Have a wonderful day.
Yes, I’ll have to check that app out. I think I’m generally happy. I try to give myself a smile in the morning and to e grateful and aware as I move throughout my day. Counting steps is a useful tool. I hope you can have a skip in your step. Enjoy your day.
I loved this post, hon! We really are on the same wavelength at the moment! How lovely that the Happiness app is doing what it promises and bringing you joy! xxx
How wonderful, turning a negative annoyance into something positive and helpful. Fit IS good! Perhaps more steps are directly responsible for elevating your happiness quotient? Thank you for a very thought-provoking post: )
[J] So, Celi, you’re a ‘cup half full’ person. That’s not a surprise. What’s a surprise is that it’s a surprise to you! Personally, I really cannot understand why some folk like to tell me I work too hard, and it’s ‘about time’ I started taking things easier. (What ‘time’? Of the day? The working week? The year? … My life? What are they trying to say!?) I’m not convinced this is concern for my welfare. I suspect it’s more that my activity and work disturbs their sense of entitlement to ease, idleness, and unproductivity. I enjoy my work. It makes me happy. And Denise and I pay our way in life. Work is happiness, not the lack of it!
[…] engaged in a project that might be called “Catching Happiness.” you can read about it here: https://thekitchensgarden.com/2017/01/24/waste-not-those-feet/ I’m generally pretty happy after visiting Celi’s world. I think she is on to something. […]
[…] Waste Not Those Feet […]
I love what you say about happiness; and also the mind shift about footsteps. I am happy right now because I am catching up on your January posts (after much time off-line at the beach). And I’m reminded how happy I am when I’m solitary and have time to think big round thoughts, like yours in this post. Thank you for being there.