My main goals for this month are to get my MSc final project proposal submitted, to get some funding applications in for the youth club I volunteer at and to complete my yoga and meditation practice every morning.
Today doing something constructive with a difficult situation… Hmm. I have a difficult situation but not sure how to be constructive about it yet.
Feel free to share any actions you take from this or just save it and use it to work on your own happiness in your own time ️:peace_symbol:️
My difficult situation kind of resolved itself. Basically an argument with my boyfriend yesterday, wanted to find a way to talk it through constructively. But I feel like I have figured out why he was annoyed and we were talking and now getting on again, so it feels less like a difficult situation. I guess I managed to break the ice this morning and have got some acceptance for the situation so maybe that counts!
That sounds like a good idea and it’s good to get these things done. I often leave stuff like that looming over me and actually it’s usually simple to sort out. Often the simple things can make a big difference!
That’s great! There’s a reason the saying “communication is key” is always being used for successful relationships. It’s hard to find imo. Good for you for opening up the discussion on a problem between the two of you.
Ha yea it’s weird I was thinking well I won’t bring this up right now because I was still feeling a bit stroppy about it and I didn’t think it would be very constructive, I was just making conversation and it opened up and kind of unintentionally came out.
We’ve been together for long enough to know we aren’t going to split up just because we piss each other off occasionally so it makes it easier to move on. Romantic huh?!
Hope you get something out of it! I’m very slowly making my way through the Dalai Lama book The Art of Happiness and realise this is stuff we have to work on. But more importantly it’s stuff that we can work on, it’s in our power to make changes that make things better! So this calendar is a great way of reinforcing that and making a conscious effort to work on being happier every day
This is quite tricky for me. I have been working hard on not getting tangled up in thoughts of the future as this is often a source of negativity for me and the future is out of my control. But there are a couple of things I’ve been working on which I think will help me navigate through whatever comes next, I don’t know if that’s quite the same as being hopeful about the future but it’s what I have for now!
My sobriety. Stopping drinking has sparked a huge amount of attitude and behaviour changes for me. I’m still a work in progress but the fact that I am adapting to this new way of living means I am able to embrace change and try new ways of doing things when the existing way isn’t working (eventually, ha).
My health. I have found a pattern of food and activity which seems to fit into my life and I feel pretty healthy. I’m not using recreational drugs, alcohol or smoking.
People power. So this isn’t something I’ve been working on, but the ability of people to withstand and pull through is a huge source of hope. Life seems like a struggle for so many but for the most part we keep going anyway and we make it through. The sun comes up again tomorrow and we find something worth getting up for.
Today’s action is also hard for me. I’m not sure what my sense of purpose is. If anyone out there feels like they have one, I’d love to hear it and also hear how you came to decide on it - whether it’s just something you knew or if you worked through a process to work it out!
I’m really struggling with this today! And it’s actually making me feel sad which I’m sure isn’t the point
I think I have got too many commitments which I feel tied to, so I’ve got too many different directions and I am feeling a bit lost. My goal is to find my purpose!
Having more decent quality, sustainable food is a positive change I want to see in society. As well as local food producers I think more people should have the capacity to grow their own. This would be better for health (from eating fresh produce and spending more time outdoors), better for wellbeing (connection to place), better for the environment (so much here - not funding massive corporations, better agricultural practices, less food miles)… It feels like a really radical thing at the same time as being so humdrum. And there are great examples of this stuff happening; allotments, community/urban gardening schemes, farmers markets… It’s not mainstream but it is happening.
I’m away at a belly dance weekend so not got huge amount of time to do much goal setting/action taking. But I’m staying in a room with two others and managed to fit my yoga and meditation in this morning, and committing to meditation was one of my goals for the month.
Today I sat down and did some of the work for the youth club I volunteer at that I’ve been worrying about. Not sure I would go so far as to say I made progress on it as I don’t have much time in the evenings but I made a start. There’s a never ending amount of stuff to do but I’ve broken it down and ticked off the first bit of work, getting the finances in order so I know how much there is to raise which helps me feel a bit more on top of things.
Also had a look at some admin stuff I’ve got to do at work which is sooo boring. Still more to do but it does feel good to have made a start on it, this one won’t take as long as I have been building it up in my mind!
Ha you know what I was overthinking it. What I want to do is to make a difference. I know that is so corny but it’s true. I was getting too hung up on what that looks like - what one thing will I do that defines the course of my life. Actually that doesn’t suit me… I like taking on a challenge and starting new things. I don’t think I’ll ever be the type of person that only has one thing going on.
So yea, what does making a difference actually look like? First I rephrased it a bit… So what I want to do is leave the world a little better off. Still super broad but slightly less cliché so it made me feel better about it
And then actually I felt a little less lost. I work for a charity that does environmental work. I do some volunteering. I’m doing an MSc in social research, looking at inequality. I do belly dancing and help teach the class. I try and call my Mum most days. I’m not drinking which helps me be a better girlfriend and dog owner. I do yoga and meditation for me but that give me space to do some of that other stuff.
So actually I’m already doing quite a lot that fits in with my sense of purpose. Even the smaller stuff, things like helping teach belly dance class or calling my Mum. It’s not necessarily about the grand plan. Just being kind to people makes a difference.
There are a couple of things on my list that I’m not that happy about doing, I feel really stuck with them and I think that was making me feel a bit lost. But I am committed to them and going through this process has reminded me why I chose to do them in the first place, so there’s that!
And yes think this is harder than the other 30 day challenge!
Yeaahhhhhh! I was pondering this tonight, too. You put it so well.
The day’s phrasing kind of twisted me up. I think it’s not necessarily about my grand plan. Like you said, just being kind. The path, not the destination and all that. (Can that be my plan?) I’m not sure my sense of purpose is a thing I can know. For me, my sense of purpose at one point was a definite goal that became too wrapped up in my identity. It is/was… messy.
Goals are a means to something else. When my purpose is kindness and presence, it feels like purpose finds me.
I dunno… this is a weird, fuzzy boundary for me still. Thank you for sharing this!
️:peace_symbol:️
That’s a tough one…
I was pondering this tonight, too. You put it so well.