Last Sunday, on my way to my Farmer’s Market I stopped for coffee.  When I got back in the car I complimented myself. “I’m so “flipping” proud of you- this has been a rough stretch but you haven’t given up.  Way to go.”

Then I noticed the oil light was on! My first thought- why now?  I’ve been trying to work on changing my mental behaviors.  I come from a long line of worriers- and I have carried on the tradition and passed it along to Carly.  And I know my thought patterns increase my worry, anxiety and add to stress.  But it is a fierce battle!

There is part of me that expects disaster.  Maybe a part that believes happiness is for the birds.  But I also strongly believe in energy, especially the power of positive energy.  When I looked at the bad oil light I realized I had a choice.  First, I had a job to do.  I needed to focus enough to make my market worthwhile.  I couldn’t be distracted and anxious- my vibes alone would scare people away!  Next, I needed a plan. I found a place nearby that was open on Sundays, made an appointment, got some oil and made it home safely.  

I realize many of us struggle with our inner thoughts- often letting them overtake and dictate not just how we think but how we react and ultimately how happy and at peace we feel.  We need to "Bee nice- especially to ourselves".

Emily Caswell has some great tips on helping to keep the negitive chatter quite on her blog-

Three Things I learned When I lost My Mantra.  

“Back when I was saying the mantra every day, my life was far from perfect. But my focus was on the things that were going right. The underlying feeling about life was always positive, and that was partly because of the story I was telling myself.

The words you use to talk to yourself and about yourself have a big impact.”

A great resource is 7 Calming Quotes to Remind You to Let Go

"You know my definition of true happiness? Inner peace.

You know my definition of true success? Inner peace.

You know what I’d love you to feel right now? Inner peace."

Finally, one of my favorite books is The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

"One rainy afternoon, while riding a city bus, Gretchen Rubin asked herself, “What do I want from life, anyway?” She answered, “I want to be happy”—yet she spent no time thinking about her happiness. In a flash, she decided to dedicate a year to a happiness project. The result? One of the most thoughtful and engaging works on happiness to have emerged from the recent explosion of interest in the subject. “

I’ve read and reread and it was a great book club book.  Lots of us did simple things to make our lives better.  Sharron started daily yoga, I stopped feeling guilty about my expensive gym membership and LaT started decluttering her house.

We can’t buy happiness but we do have the power to make choices that bring us contentment and joy.