Wow! After the negative blow-out last week, I am on a roll.

There was a big personal challenge on Friday, but I remembered the Joseph Campbell quote: “The cave you fear holds the treasure you seek.”

So I faced it head on and re-framed it as a learning experience. As a result, it became a BIG positive.

I stayed this weekend with a friend in the gorgeous village of Turville in Buckinghamshire.

Hill side, birdsong, trees, good company. It really could not have been more perfect.

Well 5pm into the first day of my challenge and I failed spectacularly. Haha, I’m allowed to say that now because I get several hours’ amnesty in which I can be as negative as I want. So yes, that means I’m permitted a big negative blow-out for the remainder of today before I reset the clock and start all over again tomorrow.

I had anticipated that I might (just might) have to restart my challenge at some point… though I wasn’t quite expecting it’d be on Day One. I gave a few choice swear words at the time. But having had several hours of reflection, and now somewhat calmer, I can put a positive spin on it. So here goes: lucky me, I get an extra day of practise! (I even said that with a smile on my face, not through gritted teeth!!!)

So what happened? Where did I go ‘wrong’ and what can I learn from it?

Well, all was going tickety boo. In fact, I was feeling pretty pleased with myself. Then, the hands on my clock hit 3pm and my kids got home from school. I was greeted with the usual cacophony of “I’m hungry”, “Can you wipe my hands?”, “She just hit me”, etc.  But hey, that’s nothing unusual and I remained calm in the squall of whining, squabbling and squealing.

Then, I noticed that the buckle on my youngest daughter’s shoes had broken. So in a flash of inspiration, I decided we’d go out and buy summer shoes for all three kids.

As we arrived at Clarks, I noticed fleetingly that I was feeling hungry and a bit crabby. I’d been up since 4am and been so engrossed in my work – in a nice way – that I hadn’t eaten lunch or been for my usual midday run.

So when the kids started doing disappearing acts in between shoe fittings, then tearing around the store and hiding behind the shelves, I started to get a little irritable. I chased them around the store a couple of times, and finally got them to sit still. At which point, they started squabbling and fighting between themselves.

It was at this point, I started to lose my rag. It was a mixture of sheer exasperation, irritation, while simultaneously thinking ‘Am I going over two minutes? I know I’m going over two minutes… Oh crap, I’m over two minutes. Now I’m going to have to start this bloody challenge all over again.” Then, the final self-pitying finale was: “I was doing so f*cking so well until they got home from school!” (Yes, I really was that childish!)

I mean c’mon. We’re talking a four-year-old, a five-year-old and a 14-year-old here. All of them tired from a day at school. All of them ready for tea and a bit of playtime. All of them bored with hanging around a shoe shop waiting in the queue for a fitting. What exactly was I expecting?

Ok, so lessons learned…
1. To have realistic expectations and set realistic boundaries for my kids before problems arise. I have a star chart reward system, so could easily have used this as an incentive for good behaviour, but didn’t.
2. To attend to my physical needs (food, exercise, sleep, relaxation breaks) so that I am ‘on form’ and at my best to cope with any emotional challenges that arise.
3. To remember what’s important in life and to cherish it. These are the children I brought into the world, who I held in my arms as babes, and swore to love and protect for the rest of my life. And sometimes, just sometimes, they get tired, hungry and crabby too.

So tomorrow I start my 10 day challenge afresh.  Oh dear, I just fleetingly had an image of that film ‘Groundhog Day’ in my head. (Alarm clock rings, day begins, and repeats itself endlessly over and over again.)  Never mind, it’s before midnight and I’m still allowed a bit of momentary self-doubt. Still, there’s no time like the present! Come on brain, let’s focus on a film like ‘Chariots of Fire’ instead…

Well, judging from the responses I’m getting back from subscribers, lots of you are going to join me on this 10 Day Challenge, which is fantastic!

We can all support each other along the way and share tips for keeping motivated.

Here’s a wonderful quote, just sent in my one of my subscribers who is writing a book on happiness:

“All life at every moment inherently contains two opposing forces or functions. A bright, enlightened, confident, powerful side and a delusional, negative, dark side. These are the two powers in life. No human being is missing either one. This is the nature of life. It will never change. There is no enlightenment in Buddhism that is not the by-product of facing adversity head-on, walking through it and transforming it into something of greatness.” (Linda Johnson)

As my subscriber says: “I love it because it’s so real (rather than la-la land) and always reminds me to turn up the volume on the good stuff in my head!”

Keep on turning up the dial until it’s nice and loud. More good stuff please…

Positivity experiment underway and I’m on a roll….

No major challenges this morning and plenty to feel happy and upbeat about.

My cleaner arrived at 9am and left my house sparkling. Big tick.

I chatted to a friend on the phone who always lifts my spirits… though she’s promised to jump some challenges at me later in the week to test my positivity! Another big tick.

Getting lots done on the work front… Writing a sales page for a new DVD set for my Publishing Secrets Seminar. Another big tick.

Feeling very happy after the initial whirlwind of thoughts this morning. It seems the busier and more focused I am, the happier I am.

Long may it continue…