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When we stop and take the time to be mindful, to think about all the good things in our lives we live happier. I mean it is obvious right? If we are focusing on all the negatives then our day is more likely to suck, because we are taking all that negativity around with us. But when we are in a positive mindset we are more likely to notice all the good things in our day, and also more likely to pass kindness and positivity onto others. Positivity is a win win, it makes us happy, which leads to others around us being happier too! 

With Aspen in so much pain right now it has been incredibly hard on her. Any one who has lived with back pain knows that it is hard. Your movement is restricted, you can’t pick up anything you drop, you can’t get comfortable no matter what position you put yourself in, basically it is pretty awful. And when you are 12 years old it is hard to understand why your body is in such pain. She can’t participate in school sports, or any sport right now, she can’t play with her friends they way she wants and she even missed out on a sleepover last night because of her pain levels. On Tuesday we have our first appointment with the Spinal expert who will begin her rehabilitation and gosh I can’t wait! I want to see her pain, and movement improving instead of getting worse! It’s been a rough time for her you can read about it HERE.

So one thing her and I have been talking about is being mindful of the great things in her life! We’ve been focusing on positives and keeping her as happy as possible to help with the pain. There are so many research reports out there that tell us that our mood affects our health. Happiness has been linked to;

  • healthier hearts
  • longer lives
  • better immunity
  • less stress
  • less aches and pains

So as a mum I figure if I can’t take away my child’s pain, then at least I can help ease it a little. Now don’t get me wrong, there are moments her pain is so severe that she is in tears, I can not make her simply forget she is in pain, although I wish I could! But I have found that the calmer she is, the happier, and the better rested she is all lead to her experiencing lower pain levels. So we have been focusing on ways to make her happier.

As I mentioned above, the mood we are in affects others, so if she notices me worrying and upset then she is more likely to focus on the negatives too. So keeping myself positive and smiling helps her feel more positive about her recovery. That’s not to say I fluff over it, we talk honestly about the hard work ahead, but we keep positive about it. Other things we do to keep her more positive is make sure she is doing the things she enjoys.

  • Drawing and art.
  • Baking together.
  • Playing music she enjoys in our home.
  • Watching Disney Comedy Shows together as a family.
  • Gentle walks with our dogs.
  • Cuddles with the bunnies.
  • Friends hanging out.
  • Loads of cuddles and Mummy time!

One of Aspen’s art pieces

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And also ensuring.

  • Lots of water.
  • Plenty of down time and sleep.
  • Fresh air.
  • Healthy meals as well as some treats.

 

The happier and more loved she feels the happier I feel too, and like I said earlier it becomes a win win. It also means that her brother, sister and father are all happier too. The more positive our home life is right now the better that is for her pain.

I think this is true for all people everywhere, if we share positivity and live with grateful hearts we share that forward. There are so many people going through such tough times right now, and we can’t solve every issue, but we can be grateful for the amazing things and people in our lives, we can share positivity and smile at others, say thank you, and pay compliments. We can make a difference with small gestures.

So I am asking you to take the time today to notice the things that make you happy. Smile at others, give someone a genuine compliment and take care of yourself too. When you finish reading this let me know in the comment section 2 things you feel happy about or grateful for today. And if you don’t share them here then just acknowledge them to yourself.

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I hope you have a happy day!

Thanks for joining me, love Mackenzie xx

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You may also enjoy reading these posts;

I’m admitting I ned help, and I am not apologising for it. 

When the storm comes 

Is happiness eluding you?

 

 

It’s #mg link up time 

 

This Link Up will allow you to link one post per week, your favourite blog post past or present. From your favourite photos of your kids, to posts about what you got up to on the weekend, what weird and wonderful things your children are up to, a great craft idea, or a recipe your family loves. You can link reviews, video blogs or pretty much anything you are proud of! The possibilities are endless. As long as the post is not offensive it can be added to my Linky! There will be some Rules, they’re easy to follow though.

I can’t wait to see your posts.

Rules:

  1. You can add one link per week.
  2. It must not be offensive.
  3. You must leave a comment on the hosts post.
  4. Please comment on the person’s post who is linked up before you.
  5. Comment on at least one other post which grabs your attention. Therefore that is 3 comments in total please.
  6. If your content is inappropriate it will be removed.
  7. Your post does not have to include words it can be photo’s only.
  8. Be kind, nice comments only. Show respect for all people at all times.
  9. Have fun, add the posts you are most proud of and enjoy reading others.
  10. You must clearly display my badge on your post and or your side bar. You can grab my bade from my sidebar.
  11. If you tweet using #mg and @macglanville I will always retweet.
  12. Please follow me on Instagram and Twitter @macglanville.
  13. You don’t have to link every week, just when you have time. The linky is open for several days so no rush.
  14. I would love you to subscribe to my website, it is not a rule, but it would make me very happy.
  15. Have Fun! Email me mac@reflectionsfromme or tweet me if you have a question.
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Thank you to everyone who linked up last week!

My most clicked upon post that was linked up last week goes to Rhyming With Wine, who discusses what happened when her child asked “what is dead?” How would you explain to your child about Death?

And my favourite post from last weeks Linky was from Chronicles of a lump person, her post You Can’t Always Get the Beater was about how we just don’t always get what we want when we want it, but I loved how she finished it with “I’m off to make a chocolate cake“, because let’s be honest I love cake!

Congrats, feel free to grab my featured writer badge to display on your blog! 

 

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