1) Ask yourself this question, don’t edit yourself, just say what pops in your mind. “What needs to happen for me to feel happy?”

Take some time and really think about that answer, and all the other answers that pop for you.

For your hubby, your children, and yourself- your mission this week is to think about what you need. (I, Allison, grant you, Gentle Art Apprentice, permission to have needs and take care of them!)
Think about how you can invest in yourself. Starting today, don’t make
a big announcement about it, start carving out a little time (5
minutes) to relax and get your bearings.Write down some ideas that pop
in your mind.

2) Gratitude- the gift you give yourself. Focus
in on your blessings this week. Your life is wonderfully imperfect and
full of sorrows and joys, that is just life! We, as American Women are
the luckiest in the world, most of the women of the world live in
poverty, lose their babies due to illness, and withstand a horrid
amount of abuse. Forgive the downer, but perspective is needed here.
Everyday, be grateful for the freedom, safety and luxury that surrounds
us!

3) Your Friends- dump the emotional downers.
God designed us as social beings. As women, studies have shown that our
level of happiness is related to our level of close, loving
friendships. Grab your most trusted best friend and sit and vent about
life together, and you’ll both feel better. Sit and vent to hubby, and
he’ll want to throw himself off a cliff because he’ll be powerless to
fix it for you! If you want sympathy and understanding, call your best
friend. If you want a problem solved with out sympathy and a pat on the
back, call your hubby. Stop fighting human nature, it is just how it
works.

One more thing, drop the toxic friends. You know they subtly put you
down, talk only about themselves, and leave you feeling bummed after
every encounter. Life is too short to spend time with emotional
vampires!

4) Take care of your health, Honey. The way to come back from the edge of mommy-martyrdom is to get healthy. (Now,
Stop it, You there. I hear what you are saying. Stop with the excuses,
just do it. Go for a walk, throw the Cheeto’s away and you WILL feel
better!) There are tons of links on Sundays over at Fussypants about healthy living, fightin’ the frump, all around fabulous tips for a better life. Great stuff for ya’.

5) Yes, you must keep up with biting your tongue.
I’m sorry, Ladies, but it takes a while. Old habits die hard and
establishing new ones take time. Every time you catch yourself about to
tell him about what a sorry you-know-what he is, think about it, and
weigh your options on how to handle him. Sometimes it is just best to
let it go.

William James once said, “The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.”

Blessings, Allison

Be Sure to Join Us at The League of Extraordinary Wives to discuss ways of bringing happiness back into our lives and our marriages!

{originally posted on January 19, 2008}

~Maxfield Parrish’s Ecstasy from Allposters.com~