Focus of 2015 on Self Help Daily: Building a Happier Family

 Want to build a happier family? It’s time to stop just talking about it and do it!

When I say the word “treasure,” what do you automatically think of? Some people picture Pirate’s treasure (especially those who are just really, really into pirates!). Others may picture cars, big screen televisions, jewelry, or anything else money can buy.

Me? I picture a crazy, colorful cast of characters I call my family. Humans, cats, fish, and a guinea pig make up this family and, quite frankly, they make my world go around. They set the sun, the moon, and the stars in my sky.

They are my treasure.

Are they perfect? The world might not think so, but they’re all more than perfect enough for me.

I learned long ago that nothing matters as much as your family (which includes, of course, friends who are so close they’re “like” family).  There’s no doubt in my mind that you agree 100 percent with me on that.  I’m sure you also agree that you will only be as happy, when all’s said and done, as your family is.

Close, happy families that are filled with equal parts love and laughter… that’s what everyone wants, right?  We want holidays without tension, reunions without rudeness, Sunday dinners without judgement.

A happy family isn’t just going to happen, though.  What’s more, if we’re being completely honest, sometimes they take a little work.

Think about it: Families are made up of individuals. Individuals with different temperaments, outlooks, core beliefs, dispositions, attitudes, style, etc. And, regardless of what you may have heard – opposites don’t always attract. Sometimes there’s nothing “attractive” about them whatsoever!

Yet, in my opinion, it’s these very differences that keep things interesting. I wouldn’t want to, for example, sit around a table at Cracker Barrel with 10 other MEs. Sure, we’d all agree on television shows, favorite baseball players, food preferences, and political views. We’d talk non-stop about cats and sweet tea – but frankly, the thought isn’t that appealing. For one thing, they’d never have enough sweet potatoes for all of us and for another, the thought of not being exposed to any fresh or new concepts or ideas seems kind of like a drag.

I don’t want everyone to be like me and I don’t want to be like anyone else.  That’s one of the things I love the most about my own personal cast of characters. No two nuts in this tree are alike and no single nut seems to mind.

During Christmas season 2014, I read a lot of people’s comments, tweets, and posts about family and family get-togethers. So many people were anxious, nervous, apprehensive, and downright scared and that struck me as sadder than sad.

Imagine that. A time of year when we should all be excited about getting everyone together – there are actually people who dread it. They “hold their breath” until everyone has gone their separate ways.

That doesn’t sound like a lot of fun. It also sounds downright unhealthy to the body and mind.  Stress, in any picture, is disastrous but when it’s in a family picture, it’s even more so.

I decided to make one of the focuses of 2015 on Self Help Daily building happier families.  The regular posts, articles, quotes, and book reviews will continue to flow, but there’ll be a lot of happy family related material woven throughout.

I’m in the middle of reading a book that’ll I’ll tell you all about next week. It is what can only be called a “difference maker” and I’m really excited to tell you all about it.

As soon as I finish it, that is!

In the meantime, here’s an article I wrote a while back called Treasure Your Family.  It’ll help to sort of set the stage for our 2015 Family Focus and remind you of how blessed you are to have your own cast of characters. Some really can be characters, can’t they….

~ Joi