Finding the Good

I have a confession to make.

Through meditated introspection, I have come to the conclusion that I am a critical person.

I listen to live music and get hung up on the one “pitchy” spot rather than enjoying the rest of the goodness.

I read a book and notice the one missed spelling error. (Who edited this anyway?)

I interact with loved ones and inevitably find imperfection.

This, of course, translates into finding that which is not good in myself as well. I’m my harshest critic. Everything must be perfect. (Which is not possible.)

The good news is that it also allows me to find problems that really should be fixed. Like being overly critical.

Leo Babauta over at zen habits writes a lot about creating new habits. In my case, the new habit is finding the good. It’s a 180 reversal of my current “finding the bad” habit.

Here is my plan to find the good:

• Wake up every morning and meditate for a few minutes on my mantra “Love, serve, and be kind.”
• Chase away critical thoughts. (Acknowledge and then let them float away…)
• Actively search for sincere goodness.
• Verbalize the good I find. (“I love your skirt!”)
• Be kind to myself.

Habit gurus recommend giving yourself a reward for sticking with your habit. I have a feeling that the joy over constantly finding goodness will be reward enough.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Especially if you’ve been able to overcome a bad habit like this or are looking to change some part of you that you know isn’t good.

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