Why subscribe?
Tell Me 3 Good Things is a simple 3-part practice where we Notice, Name + Share good things. It’s a community practice; we do it together, although you don’t have to do it together here with us - you can do it at your dinner table, with your team at work, with family, with friends, with a group, with one other person. You can also do it by yourself, but as you’ll see, sharing is a key aspect of the practice.
WHAT IT IS:
We’re building or strengthening neural pathways. We are developing the muscles in our brains to be able to perceive good things. The same way we build muscles in our brains to be able to do multiplication tables, or play piano. You know how when you’re on the beach and you spot a heart-shaped rock, then suddenly you spot more heart shaped rocks? (Does that happen to you on the beach? Or is it just me?) Or four-leaf clovers, or 11:11 on the clock - when you see it once, you’re more likely to see it again. We’re using that concept to learn to see the good things in our lives and in the world.
(The world seems so dark right now, you say? It’s hard to see anything but the struggle? A-ha! That’s the point. Keep reading.)
Some good things are obvious - birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, new babies, promotions, big trips. Lots of good things are quiet and simple - catching all the green lights on the way to work, the last Sumo tangerine at the market, a compliment, the air moving in and out of our lungs, a roof over our heads, the dishwasher, toilets that flush. Those simple quiet good things deserve our attention too. In fact, we need them.
So, we practice.
HOW WE DO IT:
Step 1: Notice. Sometimes the good things are obvious, other times they’re not. Sometimes the noticing takes effort. It’s called a practice for a reason.
Step 2: Name. Take a picture, write it down, say it out loud. Give some substance to the good thing so that it exists outside of your private awareness.
Step 3: Share. Tell someone, text a friend, leave a comment here, hit reply and send me an email. When we share our good things with others, we create ripples. We help each other to see.
And WHY:
Hard things are all around us, and they make themselves known at every turn. The news, the social media, the price of groceries, war, illness, grief, suffering, the list goes on and we don’t have to look far to find the hard things. The good things, on the other hand, aren’t always clamoring for our attention. But we need the good, it’s how we balance the scales in our minds and in our hearts. The good is what keeps us going when we feel like climbing under the covers for the foreseeable future. And when it’s hardest to see the good, that’s when we need this practice the most.
I’m so glad you’re here.
Subscribe to receive daily prompts to Notice, Name + Share good things.
All are welcome here
Join our beautiful, supportive, encouraging community of people who take the time to Notice, Name + Share 3 Good Things each day - and to encourage, congratulate, and console each other in the comments.
To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.
