Arminda Lindsay

Being On Purpose

Creating Positive: Day 8 of 21

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I received the nicest email from Bruce this morning, letting me know he and his wife are participating together on the Dopamine Challenge. He said that they added a sixth item to their daily list, and that is faith. I took the original list directly from the TED Talk given by Shawn Achor, but I thought about faith. It feels like for those for whom faith is part of their lives, meditation can sometimes accommodate that discipline. Personally, meditation and prayer oftentimes share a fine line, but if you need to pull out faith as a separate line item, then follow Bruce’s lead, and please do!

The Other Three

  1. Exercise – nope
  2. Meditate – done
  3. Kindness – done

Gratitudes

  1. Home
  2. Receiving a kind email from Bruce
  3. Singing out loud
  4. Being on a first-name basis with the produce guy (Peter)
  5. Clean water to drink
  6. Technology that connects me with business peers around the world
  7. John’s willingness to help with all my questions
  8. Hugs
  9. Feedback on my cooking
  10. Unsolicited help with the dishes
  11. Razor the Caped Crusader
  12. Today

Positive Experience

When Heather told me this morning that she’s been keeping a written record of her positive experiences, I smiled. But when Heather told me what a difference it’s actually making in her life – how she can’t help but look at things differently because she’s always looking for the positive in everything (even the news), and that’s when the change occurred inside of her, I knew she was experiencing the positive side effects Shawn Achor discussed in his TED Talk. It’s the same thing that Bruce shared with me in his email, too: sometimes we just need a gentle reminder to refocus on all the good and great that surround us all the time.

I’m grateful for this opportunity to write about my experiences and the growth you’re each having, as well.

Creating Positive: Day 7 of 21

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I love living. I suppose everyone has a different definition for living, but there are so many things I want to see and read and do and experience; I’m not sure there’s enough time to do it all! How does anyone have time to watch television? In the middle of all of this living, I encounter so many different people and personalities, and those interactions are always instructive and enlightening.

I’ve been grateful for the break in my workweek to focus on family, loved ones, and friends – all of whom make my daily gratitude list.

The Other Three

Exercise – done
Meditate – done
Kindness – done

Gratitudes

  1. Good plans turning into great plans
  2. Being able to laugh at ourselves
  3. The majesty of the creatures of this earth
  4. Cold weather clothes to keep us warm
  5. SNOW!
  6. Meditating in the midst of thousands

Positive Experience

Think about your average fish tank, with the top of the tank being the point of entry for all things going in and out of the tank. That includes the fish, their food, and any plants you add to the mix. This afternoon I stood at the top of a 6.3 million gallon tank (yes, you read correctly), and no more than five feet from me surfaced a whale shark – the largest fish in the world. My heart swelled with sheer joy and delight at my privilege, and I am in complete awe of these creatures of the sea. Surreal, yes, I suppose, but it was a moment of presence and coexisting that I will remember always.

Creating Positive: Day 6 of 21

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We are about to start our second week together in the Dopamine Challenge. Have you noticed any patterns in your behavior? Any inconsistencies? Any observations? What are the biggest challenges you’re facing in completing the challenge? How can our community help? I know how important accountability is for my own success. Knowing I have to publish my daily results is keeping me on my toes and my fingers at the ready! If you haven’t already, you may want to consider partnering with someone else to go through the experience together. If for no other reason – being accountable to someone other than yourself is important for success. Let me know how I can help.

The Other Three

Exercise – Done
Meditate – Done
Kindess – Done

Gratitudes

  1. The promise of snow
  2. Vehicles that work
  3. Shoes designed for walking
  4. Strangers willing to share
  5. Cameras to capture life’s moments
  6. Great parking spots
  7. Knowledgeable people
  8. So many people in such a wide variety of industries working & contributing to the greater good

Positive Experience

I hope there is always something special for me about sleeping late on a Saturday morning. When we were kids, Saturday was the one day of the week my parents didn’t have to wake us up; we got up of our own accord – and early – to watch Saturday morning cartoons! I still love cartoons, but they no longer hold the influence over me they once did. Of course, sleeping late is a relative term, isn’t it? There’s always the next thing to get done, and getting my day started always energizes me. I let it all slide this morning, and enjoyed the comfort of the comforter a little longer.

Creating Positive: Day 5 of 21

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Our first five days of the Dopamine Challenge are behind us, and I’m so curious to know how everyone’s doing! What are you noticing? Is it getting easier to look for the positive situations?

The Other Three

  1. Exercise – done
  2. Meditate – done
  3. Kindness – done

Gratitudes

  1. My parents are alive
  2. The solace of walking
  3. The healing power of an apology
  4. The satisfaction of a productive work week
  5. Bonnie Kate’s improvement
  6. Harry Potter audio books

Positive Experience

In retrospect, today’s experience would not have even made my short list yesterday. But today – today it’s different. I’ve always (with the understood exception between the ages of 12-18) been grateful for my parents, and like most kids, I assume they’ll always be here, ready to solve my problems, feed me, and answer my call when I come through the door. Talking with my mom and dad today was my not-so-subtle reminder that while I may expect all sorts of things from this life, particularly when it comes to my parents, I need to embrace with gratitude all that I have had up until now, and cherish each day, each conversation, and each memory.

Creating Positive: Day 4 of 21

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I am discovering that the things for which I am grateful multiply as I write down the obvious choices. I think it was Karen, who commented that once she starts writing down her gratitudes, she has a hard time stopping. Anyone else running into that same “challenge”? My wish is for each of you to experience that!

Since there are five things on our daily list for the 21 days, let’s have a reminder:

  1. 3 New Gratitudes
  2. One Positive Experience
  3. Exercise
  4. Meditate
  5. Random or Conscious Act of Kindness

Even though I’m only publicly sharing my gratitudes and my positive experience each day, I am happy to at least acknowledge whether or not I’ve accomplished all five items. This may help each of you to keep all five top of mind. So in the interest of full disclosure, and for accountability, my other three obligations:

  1. Exercise – done
  2. Meditate – done
  3. Kindness – done

Gratitudes

  1. Realizing, yet again, how small the world really is
  2. Filling a customer’s need
  3. Being business partners with my brother
  4. Knowing there are professionals available to us when we need their help
  5. Rain for replenishment of the earth
  6. Hearing Aviva say, “I love you, and I miss you!” as she squeezes my neck so tightly
  7. Possibility
  8. The wagging tail that welcomed me home, complete with licks
  9. Discovering similarities and interests with a new friend

Positive Experience

During our training session this morning, there was a reference made to a study by Accountemps, wherein it was discovered that executives spend – on average – 108 minutes sending emails each day. In contrast, a different report by the Productivity Institute suggests that the average working person spends less than 30 seconds a day in meaningful conversation with their children. I couldn’t find either of those studies online (I didn’t look very hard), but I did find a reference to a report by the Department of Education that says the average American mother spends less than 30 minutes a day talking to her children! And the average American father? Only 15 minutes.

Tonight my daughter and I watched, mesmerized, as the fog quickly approached and became heavier, sinking lower and lower to the ground. We could no longer see farther than a few feet in front of us, and the denseness of the space – once open – now trapped us, forbidding escape. Our single beam of light, bouncing back at us against the wall of clouds, proved worthless, as we had to rely solely on our other senses for direction. Razor, trusted pit-bull and fearless leader, vanished without a sound or a trace, swallowed up in the haze. Before we realized what had happened, we were thick in the midst of – you probably already guessed it – a zombie apocalypse!

The vast field was literally choking and crawling with the undead. How would we ever reach the other side undetected, untouched, and alive? Suddenly, as if the clouds themselves had birthed him, Razor – the Thunderous Destroyer – emerged in a burst of otherworldly energy! While the living dead shrank from his commanding presence, we made our daring escape to the safety of our own home sweet home, where we finished our conversation with a big hug, lots of giggles, and a sweet kiss goodnight.

Creating Positive: Day 3 of 21

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I’m grateful for all the continued chatter in various online venues to raise awareness of the Dopamine Challenge. I am also grateful for everyone reading and participating. Many of you aren’t sharing here with me, but be sure and keep a written record of your positive experiences and your new gratitudes each day. I welcome your participation anytime you want to share. And for those of you just now discovering our quest – start today! There was nothing magical about starting on February 13, except I had time over the weekend to gather my thoughts in preparation!

 

Gratitudes

  1. Cheryl shared with me another great TED Talk by Drew Dudley
  2. Sally illuminated for me a new definition of meditation
  3. Access to the cultural arts
  4. Having the capacity to perform acts of kindness
  5. Time and freedom to pursue personal interests
  6. Hearing from a sweet friend
  7. The value of talking with my daughter

Positive Experience

My positive experience took less than five minutes to transpire, but the result of a brief conversation on Twitter has filled my heart all day long. Yesterday I mentioned that for the purpose of this exercise, meditation is the most challenging for me. Today, my friend Sally reminded me “how often we trick ourselves into thinking we’re not doing something right just because others do it different.” Sally helped me see that meditation can be “presence in moment,” which she explained can be as simple as “Pausing, seeing, feeling, being at one with, carrying that with you and yes, gratitude – it’s definitely a method!”

Has anyone else experienced these beautiful moments of meditation? I am grateful to Sally for illuminating for me the possibilities of presence and meditation.

Creating Positive – Day 2 of 21

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I am well underway with my commitment to creating more positivity. Thank you for joining me on this journey. I carried my journal everywhere I went today, so I could make an immediate written record of the things for which I am grateful. That left nothing up to speculation at the end of a long day.

Christie also reminded me that in addition to keeping a record of three new things for which I am grateful each day, and sharing one positive experience I’ve had in the last 24 hours, I also need to meditate, exercise, and commit a conscious act of kindness. My biggest challenge in that list is the meditation. What tips can someone share with me on how to more effectively meditate? My mind just wants to wander, and I have a hard time sitting still for too long, or I fall asleep (just being honest). I have only two switches: On and Off.

Gratitudes

  1. Electronic flowers from my daughter
  2. Synergistic networking meeting with Leigh Anne
  3. Connecting with real people through Twitter
  4. Hot tea on a cold day
  5. Lunch with Karen
  6. Chocolate-covered strawberries (somehow this made the list twice!)
  7. Oxi Clean (that’s a whole other blog post)
  8. Valentine delivery with a hug from Clark

Positive Experience

Life can be too busy a lot of the time. I suppose I am to blame for that, but when I focus on scaling back, sadly, there always seems to be something else filling the welcome void. Because of this, spending time with those whom I love sometimes feels like my last priority, when I want it to be my first. Just as I finished my great meeting with Leigh Anne, I received a text message from Karen to see if I wanted to meet for lunch. Of course!

Every single time I am with Karen, I come away feeling like the king of the world. During our lunchtime conversation this afternoon I remembered all over again how fortunate and blessed is my life for having Karen in it.

I love our friendship and the numerous ways it continues to enrich my whole world.

Creating Positive: Day 1 of 21

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For those of you just joining us, you may want to start with The Dopamine Challenge.

My Original Happy List

I am not only committed to the 21-day challenge, BUT I am going to share my daily gratitudes and my daily journal here with you! In preparing for this journey, I remembered that many years ago, while living in Russia as a full-time missionary for our church, I was having a hard time. Life wasn’t easy, and to reverse my own downward emotional trend, I started keeping a daily “Happy List.” I continued to add to that list long after I returned from Russia, and it is still one of my most prized possessions in the world – meaning it’s in my top five “grab it if the house is on fire” items.

I bought a new notebook today so I can keep a daily written record of gratitude, or in my case – my Happy List. Once I started making my list, I found it difficult (not like I was trying) to keep myself to just three.You may discover you have similar things that make you happy, or you may have very different kinds of items on your list. I don’t think it matters. This is about what elicits gratitude within you.

  1. Being called a “Renaissance Woman” by my friend AJ.
  2. Getting LOTS of hits to my Dopamine Challenge article!
  3. Finding my missing Happy List from Russia
  4. Impromptu Xanadu singalong with Rachel
  5. Productive networking lunch with Tommy
  6. Playing Muppet Monopoly while singing with the newest Muppet soundtrack
  7. Valentine surprises one day early
  8. Great early morning run
  9. Successful practice with Heather via Skype
  10. Having my whole day turn to positive with just one phone call and a gentle reminder

My younger sister, Rachel, came over this evening, bringing happiness with her. We enjoyed supper, visiting, an impromptu Glee-worthy vocal performance of Suspended in Time (from Xanadu – which should also be on my Happy List), and finished the evening with muffins hot from the oven and a game of Muppet Monopoly. While we were playing the game, we all sang (loudly) the entire soundtrack from the newest Muppet movie: The Muppets.

What were your three new gratitudes from Day One, and what was your positive experience?

 

Dopamine Challenge

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I’m really into happiness. But before I talk more about that, I need for you to do me a favor, and watch this twelve and a half minute TED Talk by Shawn Achor. Once you finish, I’ll discuss dopamine with you.

Amazing, right? I can’t stop thinking about this talk, and its broader implications for me, and for anyone else who cares to join me. Here’s what Shawn said:

It’s not necessarily the reality that shapes us, but the lens through which your brain views the world that shapes your reality. And if we can change the lens, not only can we change your happiness, we can change every single educational and business outcome at the same time.

 

Shawn suggested the only way to “change the lens” is by reversing this formula: If I work harder, I’ll be more successful, and if I’m more successful, then I’ll be happier. We need to stop placing our happiness just out of reach.

So how do we permanently raise the positive in our lives? By becoming positive in the present! Shawn recommends the following:

  1. Identify 3 New Gratitudes daily to scan the world for positive, and not negative.
  2. Journal daily about one positive experience you’ve had in the past 24 hours.
  3. Regular exercise teaches your brain that your behavior matters.
  4. Meditation allows us to get over the “cultural ADHD” we’ve been creating by trying to do multiple tasks at once, and by focusing on the task at hand.
  5. Deliberately perform Random or Conscious Acts of Kindness once a day.

Our brains are 31% more productive at positive, than they are at neutral or negative! To create this kind of lasting positive change in our lives, we need to flood our systems with dopamine, which is a natural compound that acts as a neurotransmitter, and when we are positive, dopamine floods our system, generating two reactions:

  1. We are happier
  2. All the learning centers in our brains are ignited, allowing us to adapt to the world differently

Shawn suggests that these retraining exercises, particularly the first two, take just minutes a day, and he says we must be consistent for 21 consecutive days in order for our behaviors to change long-term. So, who’s with me?

My commitment is to start today, and to share my daily journal with each of you for 21 days, in the hopes that you will share your daily journal with me – right here on the website. Let’s create a community of positivity! Who’s with me?

allarminda.com | 2024