We were out hiking this weekend. The beautiful warm, emerging spring weather of last week inspired us to book a campsite out in Pennsylvania and get our camping season started. We spent beautiful sunny sixty-something degree afternoons outside, drinking in the sunshine while taking the winter cover off of our camper and doing the necessary preparations. The promise of a whole season of warm weather exploring and adventures fueled our work.
Well, the weekend came, and with it came a resurgence of winter weather. We set up camp in near freezing temperatures, and hastened inside the camper where the heater worked incessantly, attempting to battle the cold. We had to rethink our plans; the campfires and outdoor activities we had planned seemed more like a punishment than an enjoyable weekend of relaxation.
Luckily, we have many years of camping experience under our belts, and also many years of accumulated gear in the storage areas of the camper. We all decided that, instead of moping about the loss of warm weather, we’d embrace the cold and head out, as planned, to do some incredible hiking trails – the reason we chose this particular campground in the first place.
With a renewed positive outlook and a bunch of extra layers of clothing, we set out to hike. The cold was intense, and we were met with a snow squall that lingered for quite a while, but it was not match for our positive attitude. We assessed the weather: the snow was not sticking, so our safety wasn’t compromised, and we got to enjoy the stillness and brightness of the landscape that comes from a snowfall. The trail was empty, so we enjoyed the solitude of a winter hike. We got in a cardio workout, since stopping made us too cold. We enjoyed the snuggles of our cold dogs as we bundled them in blankets and our coats, and we didn’t have to worry about them getting dirty or injured as we scrambled over boulders and complicated terrain. We welcomed the intense uphill climb to the summit as it generated some much needed body heat.
I’m a total wimp when in comes to cold. I’m most comfortable in 85 degree weather; my husband has always joked that he doesn’t see my elbows until the days are consistently over 80 degrees. In the past, I fell into depression once Labor Day arrived, and spent my days hibernating until the summer. I’ve worked really, really hard over many years to be able to control my outlook and influence my mental state and my behavior. I’ve harnessed the power of positivity and an optimistic outlook, and have reaped immeasurable benefits, including no longer needing medication for depression or anxiety.
There is a wealth of empirical research across many disciplines that have shown the benefits of optimism on myriad aspects of life: lowered blood pressure, increased ability to adapt to changing situations, better surgical outcomes, lowered mortality with some cancers, increased immunological responses, and a better response to stressors (read the research studies HERE).
I have seen better outcomes with my clients that have approached their goals with a positive attitude; they accomplish more, in a faster amount of time, with longer lasting results, than those who have a more pessimistic outlook.
So how do we do this? As with everything else, we start with small, achievable goals and work with small successes that lead us to bigger goals and bigger successes.
Start each day with a positive statement. What WILL you accomplish today? What small thing can you be thankful for? What small change can you make to move you forward? Yesterday, while camping, I woke up freezing with an initial response of hunkering down under the pile of blankets and staying there all day. My first statement was “Today I will get out of bed and get dressed in enough layers to handle this cold.” My goal was to complete the hike we had planned (although at that moment I HATED the thought of that hike with every fiber of my being). I prayed to God and thanked him for legs that could get me up the mountain, for arms strong enough to carry my cold doggies, for the beauty of the natural wilderness I was about to enjoy.
Today, back home, my goal for the day was to get up (it’s still so cold- and so hard to get out from a warm cozy bed!) early enough to do some yoga before getting my son to school. Additionally to complete a blog post. I visualized how I was going to achieve both goals, and set aside time in my schedule to get them done. I prayed to God and thanked him for the blessing of health that allows my body to move through yoga poses, and strong arms, legs, shoulders, and back to achieve the poses. For a heart that is healthy enough to sustain a power yoga flow. For a brain that can think of a blog topic and write a coherent post. For the blessing of a flexible schedule that allows me to care for my son and bring him to school, to enjoy the time spent on the car ride.
What will you accomplish today? What blessings do you have, right now, that are available to you, that you may have been taking for granted, that are in place to help you reach your goal? How will you allocate time today for YOU, to move you forward? Schedule it. Make room in your day for it, put it into a scheduled time slot, and hold yourself accountable to complete it.
At the end of your day, take time for reflection. NOT judgement, NOT criticism. Hold you day with an open hand and simply observe. What amazing tiny blessings were bestowed upon you today? What small accomplishments did you achieve? How are you better than when you woke up?
Take time to appreciate all of the little blessings in your life. There are SO many, even amidst times of turmoil, stress, or grief. Consciously seeing them, and being thankful for them, is the key to dispositional optimism, and all of its benefits.
Remember, as always, I’m here to help! Together we can formulate a plan to get you where you want to go. You can do this!!
Blessings,
Melanie
