Positivity in Tough Times

Dear Reader,
Sometimes it seems as though the rain is falling too hard to smile or laugh. It is at those times we need to recall jumping in puddles, or feeling the rain as it gently washes over us, cleansing as it slides over forehead, down the tip of our nose to the ground. At those times it is helpful to focus on the Rainbow and not the rain. It's not always easy, trust me, I am aware!

I am a freelance Professional Storyteller and I know first hand that times are indeed tough, at least economically. But that doesn't mean we need to lose sight of the many blessings that remain all around us. Simply breathing is a blessing! Being able to speak, Blessing! Friends, Blessing! It is all in how we frame and focus. If we search out the positive, even the smallest things we will find it!

In this blog I will share simple and FREE things you can do to feel positive in tough times:

Hug someone!

In NYC where I live, I participate in FREE HUGS at least once a month. It might sound crazy, but it is a WONDERFUL experience. Usually about ten of us gather in Union Square, we make simple signs that say: FREE HUGS and then we literally hug passersby. Sometimes people are not able or willing to hug, but they smile just the same. And that is fantastic because a smile changes mood. A hug is an equal exchange and it expands our hearts. You never know how much a hug might mean to someone; it can turn their day around as well as your own. Studies have shown that we need four hugs a day to maintain sanity; how many of us receive four hugs a day? No wonder we are all so crazy! But we can change that! And if you can't HUG perhaps you can SMILE or give FREE HIGH FIVES! :-)

I experienced the BEST Valentine's Day of MY LIFE this year doing FREE HUGS. Single? No problem! And now Singles Awareness Day for me (spells SAD) and I wanted to feel HAPPY! So, I gathered a bunch of friends, in the end after several people we hugged joined us, we numbered 20! Together we hugged over 500 people in 2 hours! We were even interviewed by CBS and got about 2 minutes of airtime on the evening news; proving people want positivity!

You may be thinking, but Kristin, I don't live in NYC, I can't do FREE HUGS! Oh yes, you can! I've done FREE HUGS in Paris, Cartegena, Colombia and New Orleans. I'll be traveling to Peru in May and plan to take my sign and do it there too. Any place where there are people you can try FREE HUGS. I look forward to hearing about your experience!

So today's tip: Hug Someone. It will make both of you feel better. I promise.

HUG,

Kristin