Happy Albums

​Life has its sunny days and it’s rainy days.  It’s up and downs.  There are easy days and hard days.  Working on any new goal (like Intuitive Eating*) also has its ups and downs.  The downs can be hard. Change is hard. Two steps forward, one step back is a saying that often portrays how I feel when I am learning – almost anything. Sometimes I get really down. My life coach (who is fantastic) has really helped me with that (see her information below).  Like the movie Inside Out I am learning to feel all my feelings without judgment. However, when I am ready to put a smile on my face I reach for my “happy” albums.  It is a simple concept but works so well for me so I wanted to share the idea with all of you.  Let me explain. 
 
I have always loved a good scrapbook.  I started one when I was quite young.  This scrapbook was filled with my favorite pictures.  At the time, that consisted of Richard Gere, Robert Redford, Paul Newman, and John Travolta to name a few.  If I remember correctly it also had stickers and things that made me smile – favorite cards from friends and family, etc.  I would look at it to put a smile on my face and get away from the very real stresses of life in my teen-aged years.
 
Fast forward many, many years, I still continue this tradition.  My scrapbook no longer has pictures of handsome actors in it but it does have lots of things that put a smile on my face.  When life gets to be a bit too much I find myself pulling out my happy albums.  I have funnies that make me laugh.  Poems and cards from my kids, motivation sayings, articles that make me smile, cute animal pictures.  Photos that make me smile.  I am constantly cutting things out and updating my books. I suppose it is my joy book.  This is in reference to Marie Kondo who recommends your home be filed with things that bring you joy – this is joy concentrated into one little album.
 
I am not one of those awesome scrapbooking people who make works of art.  My album is the kind where the plastic page cover peels up so you can place the item and then you press down on the plastic cover so it sticks over the top of the item. (See photo) There are no fancy bells and whistles.  It didn’t cost a lot of money or take a lot of time to do. It works fine for me.  You can make your album in whatever way pleases you. 
 
When I am looking for a smile I pull out my happy albums and spend some time with things that give me joy.  It is a nice thing to help me through the stresses of life.  I hope this helps you too.

Sarah 
 
 
 
 
*Intuitive Eating is a book and program by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD and Elyse Resch, MS, RD, FADA, CEDRD.  Intuitiveeating.com
 
My fabulous life coach is Suzanne Jobling CPCC. Creativeresourcefulwhole.com