Day 365: Celebrate a Year of Positivity

Today's Positivity activity: Celebrate a full year of positivity!

Do this instead of:  not.

I can't believe it! 365 has come and gone, a full year of me posting on this blog every single day to focus on the act of positivity.

WHAT THIS YEAR WAS ABOUT

This blog was purely an experiment, an activity launched out of a desperate need to make changes for the better in my life. A year ago, anxiety and stress threatened to take over. Things I used to enjoy no longer held any interest. Managing day-to-day living was fast becoming impossible. I needed to do something, and fast.

Enter this challenge, where I decided to focus on one positive thing every day for a full year--and make myself accountable for it by posting the experiment as a blog.

DID IT WORK?

So much has changed in 365 days! When positivity becomes a focus, it's hard for that attitude not to rub off on other areas of life. A year ago, a glimpse of happiness was a rare and strange thing. Now, the reverse is true. I am more mindful and appreciative of little joys. My outlook is far from perfect--I didn't become this magical, practically perfect positivity poster child! (Say THAT three times fast!) But now, flare-ups of anger, stress, or sadness no longer ruin an entire day (week/month...). They stand out to me as an exception rather than the rule, and I am able to use the tools I've learned here to let them pass.

I am not saying this blog is 100% responsible for the about-face. I did use other means, including seeing a therapist for a short time to help me sort through the reasons behind my stress/anxiety. But with all assurance, I can say that the biggest influence on my change was making this blog a daily habit and taking what I've learned to heart. It wasn't enough simply to read or write about positivity. I had to live it. And this blog, with its tiny little challenges each day, have let me do that.

In short, I highly recommend Experimental Positivity as a way of life. One small act of positivity each day can help turn the tides. Who knew?

WHAT'S NEXT?

So, the year is up, and you might be wondering whether this blog is about to say farewell. The answer is NO!

Year 2 of Experimental Positivity begins tomorrow--with a slight twist. The count will reset to Day 1.  Each day of the week will have a different theme (something that was already pretty  much happening). My personal results and progress meter will no longer appear, as the focus is now on you!

I encourage you to grab an empty journal and call it your Positivity Devotional. Jot down each day's focus, thoughts, and your own "meter" on a scale of 1-100:
Positivity Boost (from the day's activity)
Life in General
My Mood

I'll still be doing the challenges with you! For me, the focus will shift a bit. Year 1 was about finding positivity inside myself. Year 2 will be about letting that positivity shine onto those around me.  I'm excited to share another year's journey with you, and I hope you find the peace, joy, and satisfaction that I have gained from Experimental Positivity.

--J