Being touchy can be a good thing

Skin makes up the biggest collection of cells that work together (an organ) in humans. For anyone keeping score, it is 12-15% of a person's weight.  It might be the organ most seen and interacted with when it comes to other people.

In addition to keeping all the other parts of us protected and in the right place it transmits the sense of touch.  That there is pretty powerful.

Touch can be amazing.  Touch can make a good day.

A firm hand-shake.  A pat on the back.  A massage.  A hug.  These can be day-changing touches.

The other day, my daughter had her hair washed by the hair-stylist.  She left the chair not showing me her (lovely) new do.  The first thing she told me was how good the shampoo was.  It made her day better.

Today is a good day to focus on touch to make someone's day a good day.

{Note:  When dealing with anyone . .make sure you are aware of the level of touch they find comfortable and work within that.  Law-suits do not typically make today a good day.}

Fear is the mind killer

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain. -Frank Herbert, Dune

Too much?

Yeah, probably a bit heavy.   And yet . . .?

Reasonable fear is a good thing.  I tell my kids that most people are good but if you see someone walking towards you and you get that "oogy" feeling . . cross the street."

Fear can keep you from being happy though.  Fear of what might come prevents people from doing anything at all.

Fear can kill the buzz that is a good day if you let it.

Go ahead.  Be afraid if you have to.  But if you are going to be afraid at least commit whatever deed is making you afraid and live your life! Ride the roller coaster that, on cresting that first hill, looks down to what can only be instant death.  Scream in fear and joy and life.


Do you want to have a good day?  Don't fear what might happen.
Accept that "something" might happen and do your best to be alive as long as you can in spite of that fear.

When you accept fear and live your life, you make today a good day.

Save game!

Many computer games allow you to save your game.  You can then load these saved games to play later.  makes sense, right?

Another use of the save game is to mark your spot before you do something difficult so that, if you die, you can go back to a safe spot and try again differently.

There may be times in our lives when we wish we might have a "do over" or reload a saved game.

I've read that the brain reacts in the same way when you remember something as when you experience it for the first time.  So, in a way, we can have a part of that save game magic when we need help to make today a good day.

When something good happens in your life you should pay attention to it.  You should try to capture as much as you can about that moment.  You should "Save Game".  Those "saved games" can be part of your tool-box to be pulled out as needed.

Bad days don't have to be "Game Overs".  A readily available save game can mean today is a good day.

Let's get funky!

Funk is a great word.  I like the way it sounds.  In my head, it often sounds like Samuel Jackson is saying it.

I typically use it to describe a style of music.  Funk a blend of jazz and soul and R&B with a strong base line.  Think of the theme from Shaft by Isaac Hayes.  Yeah,  Get down with your bad self for a second. That is the good kind of funk. It lifts you up and can make today a good day.

Then . . there's another kind of funk.  The funk that indicates a state of depression.  That's the funk we want to avoid.  Getting into a funk can happen anywhere to anyone and be caused by almost any thing.  Once you are in a funk, getting out takes effort.

The thing is, that people that practice having a good day are less likely to get into a funk and have a set of tools that will help them get out.  When you have a good day routine, you have a built-in life preserver.

Listening to something funky (or almost any kind of music) can help get me out of a funk.  What you use might be totally different but now is a good time to figure out what that thing is.

[Full disclaimer: Something can also *smell* funky . . and that can cause your day not to be AS good but some Stevie Wonder should be able to fix you right up.]

What do you live for?

"It's Friday!"
"It's the weekend!"
"It's payday!"

If you are saying these things over and over again you may be living life wrong.

Fridays, weekends, and paydays should be a time for different things that make you happy. If you are focusing on what is coming up, you are not focusing on the present and it's harder to make *today* good.

I love Fridays and weekends and pay-days as much as anyone.  They mean that I can do different things than on the normal work-week. I might have time to laze away or do projects or spend time with my friends and family.

Having days that allow me freedom do not make the other days, the work-week days worse. If your work-week days are that bad you can make each one better by looking for something that will bring you more happiness. Go ahead, start making tomorrow better . . today.

By focusing on the benefits of some other day in the future to the detriment of today, you are reinforcing your unhappiness or frustration.  You are making today a worse day.

Go ahead and enjoy your Fridays and your weekends and your pay-days but take a second and enjoy your Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays too.  These days make up a good chunk of your life.

Here is a fun practice activity; wish someone a "Happy Wednesday" (or similar greeting).  Enjoy the look of befuddlement and then happiness.  You may have just made today a good day for someone.

The lives of kids are made of Good Day stuff

Babies are cute and making babies is fun.  Thus, more babies are constantly being made.

They grow up and become toddlers, then kids, then teens and finally they move out as adults.

While they are little though, they are made of good day "stuff".  So much of their lives are filled with firsts.  From the time they can hold their heads up by themselves to their first romantic kiss and all the things in between make their lives a time filled with wonder.

Sadly, for some, life ceases to have many firsts after a certain age.  It ceases to have wonder.

To make today a good day, a sprinkling of wonderment might be useful. A little joyful exuberance here and there might make what has become ordinary extra-ordinary.

Looking through the day with the eyes of a child can make today a good day.  Planning some "firsts" again can make today a better day.

If there is a kid in your life, take some lessons.  Go play, have fun, show them that growing up isn't the end.  Show them that today is a good day.

One [whatever] at a time

There is a company in downtown Detroit that makes bagels.  There is a muralist painting murals there too.  They are not in the "nice" parts either.  These people are doing things where other people fear to go.  They are making Detroit better, one bagel or one mural at a time.

Making today a good day can be done the same way.  Find something small that you can do for yourself or for someone else and do it.  Then do it again.  And again.

Maybe you smile more.  Maybe you hold the door open for the person behind you.  Perhaps you whistle a happy song.

It's not critical what you do as long as it makes you happier.  Oftentimes it's just important that you do something.

Make today better one {whatever} at a time.  You'll end up with a good day.