Every morning I ask the children in my class how they’re feeling out of ten, and why. Much fun is had telling me that they’re feeling a million out of ten, or ‘ten billion trillion.’ Occasionally, they feel a five out of ten and sometimes they’re a zero.
Essentially, this reflects real life; a lot of the time we’re feeling good and some of the time we’re not. That’s fine — I tell my students it’s normal and that challenges are a part of life.
However, I think it’s a mistake to leave it there if someone has said they’re feeling down. I ask, “if you had to be a ten out of ten, why would that be?” Usually they can come up with something, and I can see that their focus has shifted away from the negative to the positive.
This is called positive tracking: looking on the bright side and trying to find the good in life. And it’s not just for kids. Put a note on your desk asking yourself to consider how you’re feeling out of ten. If you had to be a ten, why would that be?
To take it further, record your answers to train your brain to notice the good things. Next time you’re feeling flat, you’ll be able to summon a ten in no time.
Originally published at www.7stepstothrive.com.
Originally published at medium.com