Boomerang

It’s #Wonderful Wednesday and everyone is telling you to make it happen. Always good advice, but if you are having a hard time mustering the energy, it’s time to reach out. Not for help, but in gratitude. Right now, make a quick mental list of people who have helped you, or whom you admire, or who make you smile. It doesn’t need to be a complete list—you’re just looking for one person to target.

People who might come to mind:

• Your spouse
• Your child
• A friend
• Your mom
• The owner of the UPS store
• A podcaster
• A co-worker
• An author
• A musician
• Your gardener
• An email newsletter writer
• A Twitter poster
• An Instagram poster
• An actor

Start with the first person who came to mind. How does this person help you?

• Is it the newspaper delivery person who delivers your paper directly on your porch every single day by 6AM? (Old school, I know, but it makes me so happy.)
• Your dog who greets you with unconditional glee?
• The appliance repair receptionist who is cheerful and accommodating when he schedules your appointment?
• The NFL player you watched on A Football Life who inspired you to never give up—even though you are having a hard time finding that feeling right now?
• The neighbor who smiles at you when you are both pulling out of your driveways?

Simply remembering these interactions will lift your mood and shift your mindset, but you must also take action. Return that positive energy! If you can send it directly back to the person who gave it to you, that’s great. But if you can’t think of how, then reach out to someone else. I’m not talking about mentally sending energy—do something concrete. A note, a call, a post, a text. And do it NOW. The time it takes will be returned to you tenfold throughout your day.

The inspiration: Energy Boomerang

How it works: Energy bounces back and forth between people. When you acknowledge the happiness someone gives you, you position yourself to be ready to receive more happiness. Think of it like a tennis match: You have to return the ball in order to receive it again. Keep opening yourself up to receive. (See Yes Man post)

Example: Your friend made extra banana bread the other day and gave you a loaf. You said, thank you, and you meant it. Today you are thinking about the bread and how nice that was of your friend to take the time to give it to you. You might then spiral into thinking you should probably make something for her, or how you haven’t returned the dish yet. STOP. Get back into the gratitude. Pick up your phone and text something like, “Just thinking about the delicious bread you gave me makes me smile. Thanks again!” And that’s it. Go ahead and add “return dish” to your to-do list if you must, but the purpose of the exercise is gratitude. (See Expand post)

Now check in with how you feel. Better? No? Still obsessing about returning the dish? Take another action. Is there a person you have been meaning to call? Odds are, you are not in the mood right now, but you could reach out and schedule the call. Send a text: “Hi! Just thinking about you. I’d love to catch up. Maybe we could talk this Friday at 10AM? Would that work for you?”

After you take action, take a deep breath and remind yourself,

We are all in this together.

Be inspired. Go forth. Create your day.

P.S. As a result of this post (since I am always talking to myself here), today I added a tip for my newspaper carrier on my @Fresno Bee account. I’d love to hear what you did. Please leave a comment!