| Flow is based on Sustainable Seattle's Happiness Initiative and is inspired by Vinyasa, which means one leading to another. Flow gives small, but important steps that can improve one's contentment amongst all nine domains of happiness. Flow is a weekly jolt of inspiration, pragmatism and a collection of local events that will raise our happiness. This month of May we are taking a look at some simple actions we can take to get our mental health on a better path. First before we get started, this month is not meant to replace professional psychological advice nor should it be used as a substitute for seeking assistance for serious problems such as depression. Psychological Well Being Issue 11 One of the most important aspects of happiness is squeezing every bit out of our experiences why we are here. We have the opportunity to be awake and conscience and this week we are going to talk about two key concepts: living in the moment and looking at every event as useful. Living in the moment is easier said than done for a large portion of people. Thoughts and concerns about the future, safety and security sometimes become so overpowering that we forget to exist in the moment we are experiencing. One of the ways to experience the here and now ironically is to think about what has come before. Nostalgia is a good teacher here that allows you to look back on experiences in a pleasant frame of mind. It’s important to think on pleasant times, but it is even more important to realize that right now in this moment you are building memories, building your life with everyone around you. The pleasant feeling of Nostalgia can be translated to the life you are living right now by noticing similarities to that nostalgic event or circumstance. You can notice how your home faces a lake just like the apartment you used to live in back in the day. You can notice that you still have the friends you had from your college days. You can notice a song. The other way that Nostalgia can help us live in the present moment is by examining the contrasts that exist from where we are now and where we were. Focus on the details that have improved. Brush away the pleasant dust that Nostalgia can sometimes blow in our eyes and remember the challenges. You have overcome those challenges. You’ve beaten them. Right now those complications have ceased. Taking advantage of every experience takes practice. It takes discipline to see a flat tire as a positive experience, but it can be if you choose it to be. I was driving with my friend home from college. We were cruising along I-90 at seventy miles per hour when I heard a loud popping snap like a M-80 and the wheel pulled hard to my right. I pulled over and with cars, motorcycles and semis racing by within a foot or two of me I verified what I already knew; I had a flat tire. I thought that a flat on the side of a highway where there was little shoulder and a drop off about three feet away from the passenger’s side of the car was not a pleasant situation. I knew that my friend was going to be worried and upset so I decided to make it a game. I jumped back into the seat and with a smile on my face that I did not feel at all in my heart I starting bragging about how good I am at changing tires. I talked about how I must have been in Nascar in my past life because I was gonna go for the world record today. I jumped out and fixed that tire as fast as I could when I wasn’t jumping behind my car to avoid the semis who did not change lanes and nearly knocked me over from the wind. My car shook and shook as I spun my tire iron faster than I ever had before. I ended up changing the tire in three minutes. We drove to the nearest town and pulled into a tire store the entire time I was talking about how fantastic I was and how “exhilarating” it was to have to risk my life to change a tire and after about fifteen minutes of boasting, she finally cracked a smile and then a laugh. We ended up coloring and telling each other stories about the children’s coloring books that the tire store had set up for waiting customers. The other workers and customers joined us and were laughing and hollering as we got more and more ridiculous. It honestly is one of my favorite days I’ve ever had on this planet and it happened because I chose to see the flat tire as an opportunity. Yes I had to fake it at first, but the funny thing about faking it is that if you do it long enough it becomes real. Nathan Jackson Recommendations This week’s website recommendation is: This week’s book recommendation is: | Flow Suggests: 5/22-5/28 2011 Education, Community, Psychological Well Being Monday, May 23, 2011 Online Event True partnerships are essential to success. Education, Psychological Well Being, Community, Cultural Tuesday, May 24, 2011 7-9pm Central District poets and thinkers Environmental, Community Thursday, May 26, 2011 5:30pm This dynamic and interactive workshop is designed to empower parents, teachers, and guardians to help children embrace their connection to the Earth and make choices that are compassionate, sustainable, and respectful. | |
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