Act The Way You Want To Feel

"Action seems to follow feeling, but really action and feeling go together; and by regulating the action, which is under the more direct control of the will, we can indirectly regulate the feeling, which is not."

 - William James

As I am sure you know by now...if you are a regular reader of this blog, I have started reading The New York Times #1 best-selling book The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few years, you have probably heard about it.

Usually, I jump on books like this as soon as I hear the bandwagon coming.

Guess I had my ear plugs in when they came along!

But for some reason, I never picked this one up.

I had been thinking about buying it for a few years now...but other books, magazines, writing...oh...and 3 children...have kinda kept me busy.

However, because it is a new year and because I am seeking to make it the best year yet...I thought now was the time.

So a few days into 2013, I took a visit to Chapters and picked up a copy.

I know I have already posted a few of the things I have learned from this book, and there will be more I'm sure.

One thing that really captured my attention was one of Rubin's initial "Twelve Commandments" that she outlines at the beginning of the book: "Act the way I want to feel."

It's kind of a Law of Attraction thing.

OK. So I admit.

When people ask me how I'm doing or how I'm feeling, my reply of late (translation: ever since I can remember...translation: ever since I became a mother...translation: close to 12 years)...has most often been "I'm tired."

I'm tired!

And I'm pretty sure that people are pretty tired of hearing about how tired I am.

I'm frickin' tired of hearing about how tired I am.

I makes me feel...well...rather tired to be honest.

See?

But what I SAY is only the tip of the iceberg of my point.

An icicle if you will.

The more I say I am tired, the more tired I feel and the more tired I GET.

Get it?

So I am looking to change.

I am seeking to to be a more fulfilled, happier person in general...and so...apparently I need to ACT fulfilled and happy.

I'm fulfilled and happy!

And guess what?

Whatever feelings I give off...vibes, if you will...are catching. That is why people get tired of hearing me be and seeing be act tired. And that is not what I want.

I want the people I surround myself with to be and feel fulfilled and happy...and if I can help in any way, I want to do that.

So even if I AM tired...I am going to try my best to ACT happy! Then I will FEEL happier...and so will those around me.

This will be difficult to master...but I am gonna give it a shot.

I am feeling happier about things just thinking about it!

Smiles,

Lora