When Life Gets Messy Be Happy Anyway!

Today my throat is a bit sore.

Not because of a cold, flu, or any other winter casualty. But because yesterday, I came home to my place consumed with dense smoke.

Before I walked inside I actually smelled a burning odor and investigated a bit to make sure my neighbors cinders hadn’t fallen on the roof.

Then a few minutes later, entered my abode and whammo….a blast of thick gray smoke filled my lungs.

The smoke was coming from the kitchen where I had set a pre-cooked roasted chicken on top of the range less than two hours before.

I had been careful to push it towards the back here the dog couldn’t get it.

What I hadn’t counted on is that he would jump up trying to reach it, flipping on the knob to the heating element under the chicken (and the plastic container it was in) in the process.

The dog! Oh, my goodness, where’s Vito?!

I called and he didn’t come. Not terribly unusual, but I flashed on the horrible thought that he had succumbed to the smoke. Gratefully, I found him awake, a bit freaked out and huddled under the bed.

Oh, how I wish I had a leash I coulda lassoed him with! He wouldn’t come out til I found his ball and turned it into a game. Meanwhile, the smoke was dreadful.

But, NO fire!

I got the dog out, opened the windows, brought in the fans, bought air deodorizers and will be airing the place out for days to come…

So, what does this close call have to do with discovering joy and lasting happiness?

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about an alternative to resolutions. When something you think is good happens this year or something you think coulda been bad doesn’t happen, write it down on a scrap of paper and put it into a jar or some container you like.

The idea being, at year’s end you’ll have loads of positive memories of what worked in your life, instead of what didn’t.

This “non-fire” definitely made my “something I think coulda been bad that didn’t happen” list!

There was a time in my life this incident would have given me the opportunity to produce A LOT of drama and upset.

The miracle is that my mind went right to; the dogs okay, the place didn’t burn, nobody got hurt — well, the roast chicken didn’t make it — but other than that…

I was simply left with a mess to clean up, and all that came to mind were solutions.

What a gift.

I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to share the New Year’s jar idea. Thank you.

It reminds me of a quote I posted earlier this week by Byron Katie, “all the advice you ever gave your partner is for you to hear.” I really believe that taking the suggestion I shared with you made all the difference in my meeting this event with grace, calm and even some humor.

In turn, I really want to encourage you… if you missed that post,  please go back and read it. If you thought that was a great idea for someone else...perhaps it’s an even better idea for you!

And, if you’ve already adopted the idea, please share here the gifts you’ve already recognized as a result...

I really want to hear from you on this. Let’s make this the best year EVER!

And, remember, I am most definitely in your corner…

Love,
Thais
photo credit: imaphotog via photopin cc