This month, play and find JOY

I found something new (to me) on Deb's Readerbuzz blog: it's a Happiness Calendar for April.  Yes, I know we are already on the 8th day, but go ahead and look at the ideas.  (Click on it to enlarge it.)  Here are suggestions for each day's happiness:

April 1 ~ Find the humor in your day.

April 2 ~ Watch an inspiring movie. 

April 3 ~ Ask yourself how forgiving you are.

April 4 ~ Make a mini time capsule.

April 5 ~ Carve out some leisure time.

April 6 ~ Let go of your assumptions and see the people in front of you.

April 7 ~ Embrace the uncertainty of life.

April 8 ~ Spend time with your loved ones.

April 9 ~ See what you can learn from someone you disagree with.

April 10 ~ Journal about three good things that happened today.

April 11 ~ Ask for help when you need it.

April 12 ~ If you're feeling low, try helping someone else.

April 13 ~ Express your needs in a relationship.

April 14 ~ Plan three enjoyable things to do today.

April 15 ~ Connect with your curiousity for learning.

April 16 ~ Take a moment to appreciate the people who support you.

April 17 ~ Show solidarity by listening and hearing other groups' perspectives.

April 18 ~ Dance!

April 19 ~ Question the stereotypes you see in the media.

April 20 ~ Make time for play.

April 21 ~ Connect across age differences.

April 22 ~ Take a walk in nature to reconnect with Earth.

April 23 ~ Find a doctor who listens and cares.

April 24 ~ Remember to breathe when difficult emotions arise.

April 25 ~ Join an affinity group.

April 26 ~ Question your intuitions before you follow them.

April 27 ~ See the JOY in people around you.

April 28 ~ Be a responsible citizen.

April 29 ~ Feel your feet on the ground.

April 30 ~ Reflect on your life journey so far.

** I see my favorite word up there, and I'm sure you see it, too.  Yes, I enlarged it a bit, didn't I?

Motivated to keep moving!

Our newly-formed Keep Moving Exercise Class meets on Mondays at 2:30 pm in the Community Room in Staenberg Commons.  The class can be done entirely in your chair, if you have mobility challenges.  We had our first session on Monday the 28th, replacing the former class after that teacher took another job.  There's no cost for seniors at the Crown Center or in the community, if you want to join us.  I ordered copies of the booklet above to share with participants, along with the poster you see below (and HERE).

I also learned online (HERE) that a 2019 study in JAMA Internal Medicine on older women found that as few as 4,400 steps daily was associated with longer life compared to those who were more sedentary.  Although more advantages were seen as step counts went up, they tend to level off around 7,500 steps — not 10,000 as we've heard.

How motivated are you today?

I'm motivated to keep exercising.  How do you exercise?  Besides walking, how else are you staying fit?  One possibility is this challenge from SilverSneakers designated the Move Better, Feel Better Challenge.

I'm motivated to practice playing the piano . . . and to teach Debbie as much as she wants to know about it.  Maybe next time, I'll show her these B-notes:  B natural, B flat, B sharp, and B quiet.  Do you read music?  Do you "get" what this joke is about?

B minor, added at 8:30 pm.