May 12

”Celebrate what you want to see more of.” Thomas J. Peters

Don’t touch this. You shouldn’t do that. Stay away from there. You’ll be sorry if you… I guess it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that many of the lessons I learned came from things I shouldn’t do, the ways I shouldn’t behave or act, the things that I shouldn’t feel or acknowledge. All that negative reinforcement created my own negative attitudes and behaviours right alongside. If I think of an example of celebration, the best that comes to mind is that of the prodigal son. A son who asks for his share of the family estate, runs off and squanders it away, and waking in the mud next to the pigs, decides to go back home to work as a servant. Instead he is treated like royalty, thrown a lavish party, and no one (other than a jealous brother) questions his actions. His father celebrated the fact his son had returned to him, far outweighing any of the negative parts that could have been mentioned. I’m not as able as the prodigal son’s father. I still favour criticism for things to be improved rather than praise for what was done well. I certainly don’t give enough applause and laud the efforts of others, or even my own children, as perhaps I should. Yet knowing this is an area that is lacking allows me to make it a higher priority, and to work at improving it. Any additional effort is better than what I am doing know and can only make my life, and those around me, more pleasant. And that is cause for celebration.

Affirmation

I will strive to look at the positive today and to be slower to criticize others and myself. Acknowledging all the small success is a better goal than highlighting weaknesses.