Mosaic posted about this a while ago - recognizing skills and accomplishments. It got me thinking. Before the program, I did not like myself at all. Over the years I have come to appreciate qualities and natural abilities that I have, although I still sometimes tend to be more impressed by abilities that other people have. But I have learned that some of the abilities and skills I have that I take for granted are things that other people don't have naturally or don't find easy.

I think I need to pay more attention to accomplishments, and acknowledging a job well done. I want to be more intentional about writing down my joy dots, so if I make that a daily practice, I can add in accomplishments, or skills that come into play on a particular day.

As far as rewards are concerned, I reward myself with food I enjoy all the time, but now they are foods that will make my body happy, foods that are bad for me. But they aren't rewards for specific things - I have just gotten to the point where I believe that I deserve to eat foods I like and that make my body and brain work well. Last night I made myself an omelet with mushrooms, 1 slice of bacon, cheddar cheese and goat cheese, and it was yummy. Now for a reward, or to comfort myself, I will take a break and read, or cuddle with my dog or do something I enjoy, and on weekends, I will do chores for a certain amount of time, and then make time to relax, unless there is something that is truly do or die. Things are so much more in balance now. If I don't ever get to everything on my list, that's ok, because I also need down time in order to be sane. I just put the most important things at the top.
Allison

: Yes, Fiona - forging new brain
: pathways, rewiring the brain...so
: many new things are becoming a
: habit for me. It feels good.

: What you said about listening to your
: own positive voice - Yes! I love
: the way you put it, how you
: celebrate even the smallest
: everyday achievements. Those are
: the kind of things I take for
: granted. I actually wrote that
: down, so i will remember to do the
: same for myself. I may have to pin
: that note on the cuff of my sleeve
: so I see it all day :-)

: Thinking of your whole day as a food
: reward? What a brilliant way of
: stating it! Every morning, I pour
: my shake into my favorite cobalt
: blue stemmed glass, sit next to my
: 'happy light' and read for 20
: minutes. It's a happy ritual. And
: like you, I also buy quality food
: for the meals I now eat everyday
: (now, that's a change I'll give
: myself a pat on the back for), but
: it's another one of those simple
: things I never thought of as a
: reward.

: Thanks so much for sharing, because
: you've inspired me to look at the
: things I do in a new way. I'm
: going to sleep with a smile on my
: face tonight.

: : Acknowledging things -
: the tiniest of successes even -
: I have got to know a voice
: - I have
:
: