Day17: Today I Smile Because

09/17/12

Day 17: Today I smile because...... I'm not really sure if I smiled or not. Today was just a typical day. It was as if I went through the day on auto pilot. I believe we all get to a point because we are mostly creatures of habit that we move through our days with such routine that when the day comes to an end and we reflect back, we wonder where the time went. I got up this morning and I blinked and it was time for the kids to get ready for bed. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have a day like today rather than a day that seemed to drag on endlessly.

Even though it was a very routine and typical day, I am doing something a bit different than I have been normally doing, I am trying an experiment in "positivity". I am going to live in the positve and not focus so much on the negative things that happen. I am even starting a journal of positivity. I am keeping it as an art journal, which so far has been fun to do. I keep positive affirmations in the form art. I got the idea from Jenniebellie.blogspot.co.uk. I follow Jenniebellie's art blog. She decided to do a vision board. I then saw a documentary on Netflix called "The Secret" dually named for the best selling book "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. I didn't want to do a vision board though. So in keeping spirit with my new journey into the world of Art & Art Journaling, I decided I'd keep a book and call it my book of positivity.

I took an old book I bought at the re-store and I have altered it to be an art journal. This process was really a lot of fun. It took me a few days to get the book prepared for journaling in. To alter a book for this type of journaling I first had to remove about 2/3 of the pages. This is so when you begin the actual art work, it leaves room for the book to expand without putting undo pressure on the books spine. One of the most important thing in choosing a book is to make sure the book is sewn into the spine and not glued. This is because your pages will pull away from the spine and thus ruin your journal. I then took the remaining pages and glued them together by 2's, using a glue designed for book making, preferably an acid-free, or PVA glue. This strengthens the paper and allows me to use a lot of different types of wet mediums without tearing up the pages. (I saved the ones I tore out for use in future art projects)

I am 3 journal entries in, I really looked at the cover and ironically the book title of my new positivity journal is called "Wonderful Things Happen" It was once a childrens book of stories and poems. I have made my entries one of positive things in the belief that if I think in a way that is only positive, then only positive things will happen. 

I have also dedcided that I am tired of dwelling in all the stress of what has been my life the last few years. I can't change what has happened, I can't change, control or undo the issues that have put me on disability, I can't change or control the prices of gas or groceries, I can't change or control the loss of my income, and so on, and so on. I have decided however I can change my attitude about the circumstances of how I choose to emotionally handle all these things. So I am choosing to think, act and feel positive. 

Now I am not so unrealistic to think I am going to be like Mary Poppins, strolling through parks singing songs of happiness, but now when something stressful happens I will try to handle it with a more positive attitude. I will take some pics to share with you all. 

So what made you smile today??

God Bless,
Kimmie <3