What Three Things?

When my children were growing up, we had a tradition that each night at bedtime, I would ask them to tell me three things about their day. The only rule was that each one had to be a good thing, something positive, something that made them happy. I loved this ritual and even now, when my boys are no longer boys, but grown-up men, I’d like to find a way to keep that going.

Focusing on three positive things right before you close out your day is a great way to cultivate gratitude and end the day on a happy note. It also helps push aside some of the negative things that may have occurred. On a bad day it could be a challenge for my kids to come up with three positive reflections, but I don’t recall a night where we weren’t able to do just that.

The three things tradition is not just for kids, but something you can do for yourself. In fact, unbeknownst to me, there is even a Facebook Group entitled Three Things which follows this same process. A friend shared that information with me when I was telling her my story. Who knew! I feel like we are all onto something.

Trying to remember three positive things forces us to take a moment to think about our day and the little joys, accomplishments or moments that brought us happiness or peace. You can write them down in a journal if you like, or just submit them to memory as you close your eyes to sleep. Taking these few quiet moments can make a huge difference in creating an atmosphere for a peaceful sleep and waking up to bright new day.

Try it! Just think of Three Things every day, positively!