Untitled Document

Recipe for Enchantment - Do it anyway
by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein

There was once a man who had suffered terribly. His life had been a series of disappointments and personal losses, yet he always appeared joyful and was pleasant to everyone. One day, someone asked him, "you have suffered so much, yet you are always in a good mood and with a smile on your face. I don't understand your response. Can you explain it?" The man simply responded, "it feels better."

It is truly a gift to simply let ourselves feel better. Try this recipe:

Take one activity that you really enjoy doing and do it ANYWAY, regardless of your present circumstances. Let's say, you love to get a massage, but you have felt down in the dumps and don't feel somehow that you deserve it. DO IT ANYWAY!

Or, perhaps, you love to socialize with friends but have been preoccupied with worry because a family member is ill. Make yourself call the friends and get together. DO IT ANYWAY!

Over the next month, do three activities that you enjoy but may not feel totally entitled to. These 'DO IT ANYWAY' activities will slowly simmer in your brain as permission for a joyful attitude toward life.

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, a positive psychologist, teaches people how to enhance their lives--and consequently live lives of meaning and joy--by reclaiming what is positive about themselves. This is different from the traditional psychotherapeutic model because it is a paradigm shift designed to help us focus on our strengths rather than our disabilities and our weaknesses. The treatment model teaches both the clinician and the client how to look for purpose and a sense of well-being in daily living. She calls this process The Enchanted Self, A State of Well Being, Joy, and Happiness. Visit her website at http://www.enchantedself.com. To join The Enchanted Self E-group, click here. To subscribe to The Enchanted Self Monthly E-newsletter, click here.

THE ENCHANTED SELF® is a registered trademark of Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein.