Finding the positives even when wallowing

You know how it is: It's easier to complain and wallow in self-pity than to play up the good things in your life. In the midst of wonderful occurrences and people in my life, I found myself harping on the negatives the other day and being a grouch.

So I decided to try keeping a "thankful diary" for a week.

Yes, it sounds like an idealistic thing to do that won't accomplish anything in reality, but experts say that writing down even just one positive thing a day in my life will make me happier over time.

I t s e f f e c t i ve n e s s has something to do with the brain changing the way i t functions that I don't entirely understand — whether it works or not, I figured it couldn't hurt. So here's my weekly list:

• Monday: City Council meeting was short and left me extra time to catch up on my reticent cleaning activities; I walked to the post office for some fresh air and had a conversation with a friend I hadn't seen in weeks; had a phone conversation with a dear friend from Virginia after several days of phone and e-mail tag.
• Tuesday: Received compliments on a recent column; had my ful l w i n d s h i e l d replaced and can see without a two-foot crack running directly through my line of vision (and insurance c ove r e d t h e brunt of the cost); the very same windshield-replacement man was able to save my inspection and registration s t i c ke r s f r o m Virginia.
• Wednesday: I almost caught a t ro u t ; enj oye d l u n c h w i t h a friend; made more progress cleaning.
• (Really, I should be done by this point; it is only a

  o n e - b e d r o o m apartment.)

• Thursday: The joy on a child with developmental disabilities' face when he trotted on a horse.
• Friday: The day, need I say more?
• Saturday: The experience of riding 4-wheelers in the Little Belt mountains; having a shower available to wash off all the mud splattered on me during the 4-wheeler ride.
• Sunday: Remembering to bring sunscreen when playing golf; not running out of gas on a back road.
• Monday: A wonderful boyfriend who left me a note wishing me a good day.
• It's not a particularly lengthly list. However, as the week progressed, I found it more natural to look for the positives, even in the negatives. Granted, I have a long way to go, but maybe a "thankful diary" does work. At least it brought the positives to the forefront of my consciousness.

  What's positive in your life?

  I challenge you to keep track and see if there aren't a few more good things happening than you think.