Happy thoughts

I'm back! Thankful to be back on the internet and in touch again ...

For today's pain managment tool I will be talking about "happy thoughts". I know this sounds maybe silly or overused - but the power of the mind on how you feel is very important! When my heart and mind are not in the right place I find that my pain level is much harder to handle and I feel helpless to endue the pain. So, if the mind and having a possitive attitude is so important to managing pain how can we keep our heart and mind in that "good space" for us? Well, first of all i think it is important to understand that EVERYONE has bad days when it is hard to be possitive. So, beating yourself up about that day when you just cry for no reason or for every reason doesn't help. BUT, it is also important to tell yourself that you can have a possitive attitude even though it may be hard ... and for me that means that I need to rely on something bigger than myself and that is God. I wouldn't have the power in myself to smile and be happy through the pain that I have day to day. When i forget that He is my strength then I begin to sink into despair and selfishness. It is a consious effort to give my feelings and my mind over to God every day, sometimes every hours or minute so that He will be my strength and so that i can focus on the things that are beautiful rather than on things that bring me down. There are a million or more happy things that I could think of that help lift me when the pain is bad - when I set my mind (in God's strength) to focus on these things it helps. Here are some of my favorites:
the love that God has given to me
the smell of a new baby
flowers
wind on a spring day
soft grass with bare feet
kids playing in sandboxes
my sweet husband singing
cello music
baby birds learning to fly

this list could go on and on --- There was a point in my life when I was very ill and literally laid in bed for months on end ... I saw the seasons pass from my bed going outside only very occasionally. I began to fear that I would forget all the things that I loved and so I began a little book called "My favorite Things" and made a list of over 200 things that make me smile. I would encourage each of you to do the same and when nothing else can cheer you up look at the list and thank God for each thing that makes you smile.

What are some of your "favorite things" that help you when the pain is bad? I would love to hear!