These are a Few of My Favorite Things

One of the best ways to get through hard times is to change your mind. I know sometimes that can seem to be very hard to do, but really we make it as easy or as hard as we choose. My experience has taught me that you can’t think two thoughts at the same time and I have experimented with that truth for more than 45 years and I know for sure it is impossible to do. So what? Well, the bad news is, when you think a “worry” thought and stick to it for a bit of time, your beautiful mind searches your hard drive for more thoughts to add to the initial worry thought. In a few minutes you can be sucked into a pity party of your own making. The good news is the same thing can happen with a “happy” thought.

Remember in The Sound of Music when the Von Trapp children were terrified by the thunder storm? Maria sang “My Favorite Things” to them and they danced and sang and jumped on the bed and had a pillow fight and the storm was out of their minds.

Below I have printed out the absolutely brilliant lyrics for My Favorite Things (written by Oscar Hammerstein II) (pronounced HAM-err-styne), followed by my own lyrics to the same tune. I guarantee that if you were feeling bad when you started reading my essay, you'll feel better when you finish reading Oscar’s words. As you read each line think for a few seconds about what it means to you. My lyrics don’t come near to the poetic brilliance of Mr. Hammerstein’s, but they do make ME feel good! Maybe you can write your own words or at least make a list of your favorite things and carry it with you to read every time you start to feel sad or bad or worried or mad or. . .oh well, you know what I mean.

Then you won't feel so bad!

My Favorite Things lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein

In this week's the Young@Heart article and video, I share with you how cutting out a few happiness sappers you can easily raise your happiness quotient.

Help Control Your Weight With Your Cell Phone

Yesterday, I went to Cramco (Costco). We call it Cramco because we usually cram our trunk full, put stuff in the back seats, in the passenger’s foot space and on the passenger’s lap. After more than seven years of stopping Nelly (my indulgent inner child) from having the big, 12” all beef polish sausage on a bun they sell for just $1.50 with a 20 ounce soft drink, I caved. For seven years I’d drooled looking at the poster of that meal, with mustard, catsup, onions and relish running the length of the dog and I always managed to distract Nelly.

I don’t know what came over me; I wasn’t even hungry yet. I know Nelly was especially attentive the night before when our neighbor told about the wondrous time they had in Leavenworth, Washington this last weekend. Leavenworth is one of the top 10 Oktoberfests in the US. I can’t think the word “Oktoberfest” and not think about sausage! It just doesn’t happen. So perhaps sausage was still on my mind when the poster caught my attention and reeled me in for the buy and subsequent feast.

The food concession at our Cramco in Vancouver, Washington is located on the way out of the store, so I’ve noticed shoppers park their over-loaded, over-sized carts while they order and eat their food before heading home with their treasures. Before I knew it I’d parked and was standing in line. My heart was racing as I looked at the other choices. A chocolate frozen yogurt for $1.35 (another poster I’d drooled over many times).

The hits keep coming!

In this week's the Young@Heart article and video, I share with you the three most important words in my vocabulary when it comes to conquering negative thoughts.