I Spy – OPN Exercise #3

I Spy – OPN Exercise #3

©Allen Merritt (2015)

Games.

Most games are usually meant to be a source of fun, education or positive mental activity.

Of course, I am not referring to head games or games people play to manipulate, control or connive their way to the top. This type of game playing generally is unproductive and useless for everyone in the long run.

However, most people like to play the games that generate fun and good times for everyone. Remember taking road trips and looking for things to do in the car? It was a chance to read, sleep, be social and have family time and look for ways to occupy ourselves until reaching our destination. There are games of counting telephone poles, seeing how many out of state license plates you can spot, how many cars only have one headlight working (we called this a padiddle), spotting various types of animals or the game “I Spy with my little eye something…(fill in the blank).”

This week’s OPN exercise is about spotting the good as you are out and about and moving through your day. Sometimes we have to make a deliberate effort to find the good that surrounds us. So, I suggest taking time this week to consciously look for the good out in the community. I spy…what? See how many things spark your interest or grab your attention that would fit in the “good” category.  Take a moment to put down the cell phone, tablet or other electronic device and unbury your nose long enough to take a look at what’s around you. And, don’t focus in on the negative. That’s too easy.

Not everything has to be an elaborate version of what is good. Keep it simple. The simple and little things matter in helping to turn around our moments and help make the day move along smoothly. For example, as I write this in a coffee shop, I noticed a young man walk in wearing a really simple short sleeved shirt covered in paisleys. Now, I love paisleys, so this was a good thing for me and I enjoyed the sight.  It was also something I liked, which was a part of the OPN Exercise from a couple weeks back.

That is all there is to it! Look and find something good as you travel around this week.

You might not be deliberately searching for what you like or how to re-envision a situation in this exercise, but it may include aspects of them. The goal is to just move about your day and see all the good things going on out there in the world. Hone in on them and you will keep life hopping along on a positive note. We need every little thing we can to inspire us and improve our moments. After all, this is the life we are living. We need to always remind ourselves of the good and not wallow in the negative, the bad or the past. Don’t live in a place where things take you away from who you are, want to be and/or should be.

Enjoy the exercise. I look forward to next week and all it has to offer in the way of positivity.

Until then, have a good one.

Cheers!