How about a Happiness Check?

When I was a little girl I loved to play “pretend.” I imagined lots of different scenarios from being the first female baseball player for the Chicago Cubs to flying like Superman. I had a friend, Teresa, who would pretend with me. We also put on little performances. I only have a vague recollection of the entertainment, but I do remember singing, “Side by Side,” by Harry Lucas. It was written the year my mother was born, so it was an oldie even when I was a youngster. My favorite chorus was:

Oh, we ain't got a barrel of money,
Maybe we're ragged and funny
But we'll travel along
Singing a song
Side by side.

On more than one occasion I got in trouble for my over active imagination, although never from my parents. Mom and Dad encouraged creativity and even differing points of view. This mindset was not held in esteem by most of my teachers, but I believe my fanciful thinking has served me well. Now I find that visualizing happy scenarios and thinking “outside the box” are seen as empowering and desirable.
There are so many great books about the Law of Attraction, visualization techniques and creative thinking that I do not feel the need to describe the benefits. However, I DO think it’s important to remind people to have joyful, empowering thoughts. Not only can we manifest our dreams, it’s just downright fun.
I was talking to a friend of mine and I told her I like to stroll through shopping centers and pretend I’m famous. I even have a shirt that says: “Nobody Knows I’m Famous.” Anyway, on these little joyful jaunts I look around and I think, “These folks have no idea that I’m the famous Sally Marks.” I smile and meander along, content in my success, as well as my ability to outsmart the paparazzi (who mystically never seem to recognize me either!)

Before you call to have me taken away ha ha to the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time..” (try googling Napoleon XIV for the rest of the lyrics), please know that I’m playful, but completely sane.

Another diversion is the singing game. My book, Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within, was recently released and I occasionally receive checks for it. Every day I go to the mailbox and I sing, “Checks in the mail, checks in the mail. I love it when I get checks in the mail.” It certainly is better than crying “Stinky bills. Stinky bills. I don’t want more stinking bills.”

For several days in a row I sang my little “checks in the mail” song, and lo and behold, I received checks in the mail. Some were expected payments, some were not. One day I had a very strong intuition that I received a whole STACK of checks. I took a deep breath and smiled. I could just feel a stack of checks waiting for me in the mailbox.
And there were.

Unfortunately they came in a box with a new check register. I completely forgot I had ordered checks a couple weeks before.
I told the story to my siblings, niece and nephews at a family get together. My niece, Ashley, sang a new version: “Checks I can cash. Checks I can cash. I love it when I get checks I can cash.” So I’ve learned to be more specific and vary my lyrics a bit.

The point I’m making is we all have imaginations. Unfortunately, when many of us get older we no longer create fun and loving scenarios. We fill our minds with visions of gloom and doom. The average person has 40,000 to 65,000 thoughts a day. Guess what percentage of those thoughts are negative? A whopping 95% ! We haven’t forgotten how to pretend, it’s just we’re focusing on manufacturing stinky, dismal scenarios. So I ask, who is crazier, the person pretending to be famous, or the one who is imagining they are going to get hit by a bus?
The good news is we do have the power to change our minds. That is why I encourage folks to follow the first three steps in my book.

1. Become aware of the negativity in your life.
2. Replace negative thoughts, speech and actions with a positive alternative.
3. Smile. Even when you don’t want to.

And I’d like to add one more tip to the list. Imagine happier events in your life.
Just like when I was singing with Teresa, you may not have a barrel of money, but if you continue to laugh, sing and imagine better things, you can create more positive events in your life. And if you want to make my dreams come true, buy a few copies of my book so I can enjoy watching my postal carrier shake his head in confusion when I sing my check cashing song.

But most important of all is the song I always have in my heart as I imagine all of you side by side learning how to erase negativity and embrace the magic within.