A Chic Paris Lockdown – Day 8 – Lightness of Being

Day 8, in Fiona Ferris’s book, 30 Chic Days, is “Be Beautifully Positive.” Fiona describes that charming, wonderful habit of being encouraging and upbeat as a chic “lightness of being.”
What a lovely way to describe this perspective on life! The absolute best part of cultivating this positive-focused, “lightness of being” is that, not only do we gift the people around us with this attitude, we gift ourselves! When we choose the happier thought or switch our mental channel AWAY from our inner critic (you know that awful little voice in our minds that keeps a running critical commentary on everything that we do or say?) What a relief! Building an internal habit that is looking for beauty in the world around us pays such a dividend for our own sense of peace and happiness. Choosing the more positive-focused thought is twice blessed – it brings more joy into our own experience of life AND we unconsciously share that positive feeling with the people around us.

And what better time than right now to focus on the positive? I’m not a medical worker or a first responder so I can’t directly help in this pandemic situation. All I can do for the situation at large is keep myself and my family in our apartment so we don’t help spread the infection. And that’s just where being “beautifully positive” can help my small corner of the world. The few people that I can actually help in this health crisis are my immediate family and my friends with whom I’m in contact with via email, phone calls and texting.

When this crisis has passed, I would like to look back over my Paris Lockdown experience and feel glad that I supported my loved ones and myself by:

1. Keeping a positive & upbeat attitude myself:
positive action taken :

– my conversation & thoughts are about new discoveries and fun hobbies (& I ask others about what new adventures/new things they are learning, having & doing)

– protect a quiet time for myself each day so that I can recharge (gratitude walks).

negative actions avoided:

– voicing criticism, worries, commenting on current gloom&doom news stories

– becoming overwhelmed & exhausted by my internal “to do” list. (The cleanliness of the kitchen floor is not worth my worrying about it right at this moment.)

2. Creating opportunities for fun and fellowship in my apartment
positive actions taken:

– baking with my children, – make a game of looking for beauty – walk with each child each day, looking for new beautiful features in the surroundings (might have to keep a list each day on iPhone notes to make sure we don’t repeat!) Note: according to Paris Lockdown rules, 1 parent can take children outside for exercise for max 1 hour a day. – card games in the evenings with family members after dinner

– read-a-loud time each evening with a positively focused book (this is not the time for that classic, Old Yeller, where the hero has to shoot his beloved dog at the end of the story!)

Example a beautiful “cat” I saw this morning:

negative action avoided: hanging on the internet reading gloom& doom “new” articles

3. Caring for distant friends & family:
positive action taken:
– set up a daily or weekly email/text routine with friends to check-in on their doings.

-create a “neighborhood” e-activity (like a book club) with my nearby-located members of a social group. (This allows us to have something fun to talk about as well as keep informed if someone is feeling sick & needs a soup&baguette drop-off.

negative action avoided: conversation dwelling on recent worrying news from around the world.

Personal note on “News” programs/articles:
I’ve found that one thing that brings me a very negative, depressed feeling is listening to or reading very many “news” shows and articles. One can say that by avoiding “news” sources that I am choosing to stay uninformed of current events. I certainly choose to avoid minute by minute “current events” sources (the ones that repeat the same disaster story multiple times an hour.) I find them to be quite often oriented to the sensational and the negative. Current events certainly do effect me! However, I find that it’s much easier for me to keep a happier and more positive equilibrium when I keep myself a little distant from the constant din of “news” programs and articles.

What  are some other good ideas to stay positive-focused and happily engaged while we are “at home” right now?