Finding the Good is Not the Same As ‘Being Positive’
On the joy of recognizing a tailwind
How have your ordinary days been lately? You know: your day-to-day days; the days that run into each other because the routine is happening without crisis or miracle. Dental cleanings where you don’t have a cavity; trips to the grocery store where you buy what’s on the list; commutes that are exactly the length you thought they would be. Are those typical for you? Is your regularity regular?
I’m asking because last week, I had a Monday that was peculiar for its normalcy, and I noticed. At the end of the day, I did one of those body checks that’s fashionable in mental health communities lately, because it seemed like I might be happy. And sure enough, all the signs were there: loose muscles, chest levity, general ease. HAPPY! I’m starting to realize that it was all about the noticing. And it was a particular kind of noticing — one that my therapist and I agreed there wasn’t a word for, but there should be.
Here’s what happened on this Monday. I walked my daughter to daycare, and she didn’t have a meltdown when I left. My walk home was uninterrupted and I’d worn the right sweater for the temperature. I saw a brown creeper. (This is a migratory bird, and not a cause for alarm — for either my wellbeing or my unfortunate word choice.) I put on a new…
