Making good times last

So far, my summer has been filled with family outings, camping trips and vacations. Between the packing, unpacking and laundry my favorite moment was taking my kids and their friends to the waterpark. It felt like Waterworld itself was making me happy but I know that is not the case. There is always a thought inside our minds that makes some experiences better than others. Otherwise, every time I went to Waterworld I would be happy and this has not been true for me (I used to be very nervous with kids around water). If the waterpark itself was causing the happiness, then every person everyday would have the same great experience and I know this doesn’t happen. But for some reason, on this day, I was extremely happy as I plopped down onto a lounge chair in front of the wave pool. I wanted to capture this amazing feeling that suddenly came over me so I dug around to find what the awesome thought was that was causing me to be so ridiculously happy. After a minute of poking around my brain I found it, one of my favorite thoughts ever, “There is nothing I have to do right now.” If you get the opportunity this summer for fun and relaxation, find out what the thoughts are you are thinking because those are going to be really powerful for you. You might feel amazing while camping with the kids, but it’s because you are thinking some amazing thoughts. “I’m such a good Mom for giving my kids this experience” or “I just love it here”. “It’s so nice for us all to be together.” Tuning in to your own moments of joy will help you recognize your values, your priorities and what you might be missing in your life. If my life was empty and boring, the thought “There is nothing I have to do right now” would feel horrible. Instead, it’s an indicator that I’d like more moments of idleness. I was watching some mushy macho guy crying on The Bachelorette (The Bachelor series is CANDY STORE for a Life Coach!) as he told the story of how he nearly lost his life in a car accident and how grateful he was to be sitting by a romantic fireplace with this amazing woman. My ears perked up as I tuned in to what was sure to be an fabulous thought and he said, “Everything in my life, every challenge I’ve been through, has been leading up to this moment, right here with you.” No wonder he was so moved, that is a beautiful perspective we could all have, every day! Do you think a glass of wine on the patio relaxes you?  Stop and try and catch the thought you are thinking before you even take your first sip….I bet it’s a good one. If your happiest moments are caused by thoughts of “how beautiful it is here” you might be yearning to notice or create more beauty. If you are most thrilled by the friends, family and togetherness, you might want to bring more connection into your everyday life. I wish you lots of wonderful and beautiful moments this summer of whatever your heart desires the most. To extend them and make them last, find the thoughts that are creating them and use them even after your vacation is over. But right now, I’ve got a whole lot of nothing waiting for me on a lounge chair so I’d better go attend to it. Cheers!