Yesterday, just before I fell asleep, I had thought about an old ritual which I practiced with my kids when they were still small children. We used to read in bed, and every evening before we started with the story we would snuggle up in bed together and we would all answer this question: “What was the best thing about today?”

Everyone would think for a moment and then we would tell each other about the best thing from that day. The kids often came up with things like playing football in the garden, a friend’s visit, some tasty food or a picture they had painted. Occasionally we talked about more unusual things, for example that a knee didn’t hurt anymore after a fall or that a bad day was simply over.  Sometimes we all had several good things to share, and sometimes it was difficult to find anything positive, but even on those difficult days there was always the moment where we would arrive at something positive.

Before falling asleep it is often a good idea to turn your thoughts away from the stress, the unfinished things, the negative experiences or feelings, and to focus on more relaxing, positive and motivating thoughts.

How do you treat yourself or your loved ones?  Do you finish your days on a positive note or do you give yourself a pep talk? Or do you instead focus on the stress, unsatisfactory situations or negative encounters?

It isn’t so difficult at all to give a wonderful ending to every meeting, every conversation or every day with a wonderful question!

Action Plan

Look at the last few days and reflect on the conversations you had and the situations you experienced, and try to remember what thoughts occupied you before you fell asleep.

Which wonderful, life-improving questions could you ask yourself or the people in your life in the next few days?

Quotes

I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestioned ability of a man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.

Henry David Thoreau

People say to me so often, 'Jane how can you be so peaceful when everywhere around you people want books signed, people are asking these questions and yet you seem peaceful,' and I always answer that it is the peace of the forest that I carry inside.

Jane Goodall

If you don't ask the right questions, you don't get the right answers. A question asked in the right way often points to its own answer. Asking questions is the ABC of diagnosis. Only the inquiring mind solves problems.

Edward Hodnett