The Henny Penny Challenge recap

I’ve never been so happy to be wrong in my life.

Back at the beginning of June I was challenged by a dear friend to pull my psyche out of the sinkhole into which I had shoved it to suffer a long, slow, miserable demise. Three positive affirmations/observations/anythings to be posted on Facebook every night (I even remembered to post on the Laughing at Chaos page too). I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. I surprised myself and not only got every day in June but have continued into July as well. I plan to just plain ole’ continue.

There are two great wins to this. My friend will come take pictures of me and my family and I am a huge photography lover so this is awesome. The other great win is me. While I still fight being Henny Penny daily, I’m gradually pulling myself out of that. Mid-summer was the best time to do this; February would have been pointless, as I struggle to just make it through the day during whatever is the winter equivalent of the dog days of summer. (Why is there not a winter equivalent? I NEED A WINTER EQUIVALENT).

Examples you ask?

It is blazing hot and humid here in Chicago right now. According to MacDreamy2, it is currently 93 degrees at nearly 7pm. My default setting was to bitch about the heat, and I’m not. I am loving it. Ok, yes, I’m inside with the a/c on and a fan on top of me as well. But. I spent a good portion of the day in the car, windows down and a/c blasting (my guilty pleasure) with a big ole’ smile on my face. Music blasting, singing along, refusing to complain about the heat. Enjoying it, loving it, actively putting myself in the now. Granted, I’d made a deal with the universe that I wouldn’t complain about the heat if it ever got warm for the love of all things holy please get warm back at the beginning of June when it was 50 degrees, and I intend to follow through. Because if I don’t, this winter will be evilly cold because karma is a bitch (and I can’t have cold because teeth chattering cold irritates the TMJ and dang, I’m just falling apart).

So after six weeks of finding the positive in my life, it’s becoming a habit and the dark clouds that were trying to strangle me are fading away. I’m clarifying what I want out of life and how to get there. Tomorrow Tom and I are heading to the SENG conference (stop and say hi!), and hopefully we’ll discover how to parent our complex sons and drop the stress levels here. I’m happier, gradually becoming more content (very very very gradually), and am starting to appreciate what I have more.

I recommend a Henny Penny Challenge if you’re stuck in the depths of mental hell. It’s far from a cure-all (prescriptions are still helping me), but it’s a solid start. Hashtag your challenge with #HennyPennyChallenge and I’ll see it. Join me in continuing this; it’s tons easier in summer than winter (Australasia, do the best you can), and much easier with others. I never would have done this unless I was challenged.

And I’m much better for it.