Must Read

I found this extremely pertinent to parenting in relation to screen time in our household. There are serious consequences to feeding the beast of fame and showing off.

Rice and Mountains and The End

As I come to the end of my blogging about clicking journey I feel, down. What?! Get the clicker.

What purpose this positivity has given me. I have seen the simple act of clicking change my life and the lives of my family members. We are more aware of how we act and what that does to the feeling in our home. We are more grateful and happier in general. We needed this and I am blessed to have had the opportunity.

I hope you are a clicker. I'd love to hear your experiences with clicking!

If you aren't yet, you still have time to use the coupon AMY454 and get a free clicker including wristband and sticker with your paid clicker kit. (Good thru November 30, 2013)

And if you still aren't convinced that positive thoughts can bring out the best in you and preserve the pure in your heart, go here and check this out! 

Things I once struggled to train into myself come naturally now. If they are ever out of reach, my clicker isn't and it somehow creates a conduit to my best self. My best tone of voice. My best responses. My best listening ears. My best managerial tactics. My best and most frugal menu planner. My best me.

Be good to yourself and click your accomplishments, one by one. They will move mountains for you.

So, I'll say goodbye to my blogging assignment, but my clicker will have to break before I let that go!

Click on!

Flick of a Wrist

Are you familiar with the trick of wearing a rubber band and flicking your own wrist every time you exhibit whatever behavior you are trying to train out of yourself. Ouch!

I have used this method and garnered good results. But, they have never lasted. Could it be that positive reinforcement is truly the only way to make permanent change? I am a believer. 

Give me a clicker. I'll take the positive visceral stimulation from feeling and hearing the click over the sting of a rubber band any day. It moves me to a place I come by easily during times of peace and quiet. I don't get much of that with 5 young children. Amazingly my clicker can transport me instantly, nearly every time, to that place of serenity that easily eludes me during the hustle and bustle of life.

Serenity is good. Pain is bad. 

My rubber bands will sit in their bag waiting for more worthy purposes such as attaching last minute Halloween costume pieces, keeping young ones out of cabinets they like to empty in seconds, holding jeans up during the awkward not quite showing stage of pregnancy, and of course holding a clicker on my wrist if someone steals my cute wristband for handcuffs. 

But that last one would never happen in my house. Nope, never. 

Get your clicker here with coupon code AMY454 and get a free clicker including wristband and sticker for free with your paid kit. (Good thru November 30, 2013)

Time Traveler

This morning was a doozy*. We had somewhere to be and we were on the heels of a couple of busy days. Everyone woke up late, including yours truly. The house was a wreck. The cupboards are bare. The grocery budget is gone. What's for breakfast? Could have been pancakes or muffins if I'd have gotten up on time.

No one could find their things to gather for class: homework assignments, snacks, maps, and such.

"Mom can you check your e-mail for my homework, Dad forgot."
"What?! We have to leave in a few minutes! We can't do homework now."

"I lost my homework mom. Can you help me find it?"
"Not unless I can clone myself, and quick!"
"What's cloning?"
"I can't explain it to right now. Go look for your rock and geology sheet in the basement by Daddy's desk."

It's cold, freezing in fact, and no one could find their cold weather gear. They'll be outside for the next three hours at science class. They just had it all yesterday afternoon for the field trip. Do you have a cold weather gear eating monster at your house too?

The downward spiral into negativeville was swirling around me fast. Deep Breath. Get the clicker. It can't possibly take more time to do this all in a more positive way.

Thank you for a wheat grinder and wheat. Click. Thank you for powdered milk. Click. Thank you for classes being paid through the end of the school year amongst forced retirement and joblessness. Click. Thank you for my children. Click. Thank you for health and energy this morning. Click. Another deep breath. Feeling better. Re-group the troops and ask for positive thoughts.

Before I knew what happened, a matter of seconds, everyone had rallied and we were all acting and interacting in much more peaceful and civil ways. These days have happened before and I am sure they'll happen again. In the past my thoughts were to just make it through and apologize later because there's just no way around it.

Now I am armed with my clicker. Who knew there was time to be found. No need to push through. Reset, rewind, travel back in time and try again. It's possible. I just did it. We just did it.

We made it on time. Enough cold weather gear was found. There were just enough eggs and pieces of bread to have scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. She with lost homework was helped by a barrage of loving comments and clicks on the way to class, along with a little clicker time of her own. Those with incomplete homework accepted responsibility rather than pushing it on the rest of us with ranting and outrage as per usual.

We found time to seek the positive and were blessed with time enough to do what was most needful. It is needful to be positive first and get things done in that energy.

Get yours here and receive a free clicker with wristband and sticker when you use coupon code AMY454 through November 30, 2013. Find your time and spread the phenomenon of clicker induced time travel. I am hooked!

* written October 25th, 2013

Positivity = Love

It's easy to say I love you. But actions speak louder than words and some personalities/people are more easily matched with a persons ability to show love.

I am a very no nonsense type of person. I call it like I see it and move on. Mothering takes compassion of a sort that does not come naturally to me. The strange part is that I am a very compassionate person when it comes to other people. Perhaps because my children are, in a sense, an extension of me they get the short end of the stick, which is what I give myself.

It feels better when I afford my children the same compassion I easily give others. Why then is it a daily struggle?! UGH!

I decided one day to put my clicker to the test. Instead of clicking for my thoughts, I clicked for my compassionate actions towards my children. I stopped. I listened. I heard. Click. Click. Click.

The more I clicked the more I felt genuine compassion rather than the forced, because I should, compassion that I have been diligently cramming into my life due to my lack of natural and true compassion.

Don't get me wrong. I love my children and they get bandaids on their booboos and hugs when they are feeling down. It's just that it has been a constant struggle and act of daily diligence to offer those things when my natural tendency is to think, "It's not that big of a deal. Get over it." It works but it is a lot of work.

What I discovered was that clicking somehow brought out the best in me. I thought a lot about how I had been trying to become a compassionate mother. Guess what I found out. My messages were negative. Although I was attempting to change my behavior in a good way I was doing it with negative reprimands and pressure. Rewarding myself, clicking, for the good things I was doing, naturally brought about more good things. The best part was that it felt natural and not forced at all.

Exercising compassion and recognizing my positive efforts resulted in a deeper love for my children and myself. I am just beginning to realize all the good there is inside and what a powerful affect that can have.

Thank you clicker for gently unlocking something I have been hammering at for a long time.

If you'd like to gently unlock all the great things inside of you go here and use coupon code AMY454 through November 30, 2013 and receive a free clicker including wristband and sticker with each paid clicker kit.

Boredom Cure

Do you ever hear the phrase, "Mom, I am bored." or, are you ever bored? I hear it often and I used to get bored (or worse fill my time with useless things to pass the time, like TV!) Well, I now have the perfect cure. It works every time! At least it has so far and I tend towards the positive these days. So here's the secret; have a click-a-thon.

Here's how to play:
* grab a clicker.
* assemble in a circle.
* the youngest player always goes first!
* state your positive thought and pass it to the left.
* the game is done and you have all won when there's a smile on every face.
* please play often.

Boredom is just a fancier word for negative. Kick boredom to the curb with a click-a-thon and you'll be laughing and getting along better before you know it. At least that's what happened for us! There's just something fun about clicking!

If you are in the dark about clicking, go here and join the quest for a better you! Make sure to use coupon code AMY454 to get a free clicker, including wristband and stickers, with each paid clicker kit order.

Stealth Bomber

Have you ever needed a stealthy way to bomb the funk out of your teen aged child's life? I had the best time the other day.

So my oldest was less than enthused about pretty much everything. He wasn't shy about letting the whole word have it. I had the thought, "What about the clicker." As I sat clicking outside his bedroom, feeling great myself, I suddenly became worried that this might backfire and work more like poking the bear rather than stealthily worming positive thoughts into his brain.

I squashed that worry with a few clicks after purposeful thoughts and kept vigil. I chose not speak when the queries and attempts to stop me came. "What are you doing?" "That's not going to work."

It didn't take long before I heard, "Sorry mom." After a hug he said, "Hey that clicker sure is powerful! It was really hard to keep the positive thoughts from taking over. After a while I decided to stop trying."

Thank you clicker.

If you have a teen aged child you might want to get them hooked on positive thoughts. It could save your sanity :) Get your clicker kit through November 30, 2013 using coupon code AMY454 and you'll receive a clicker with wristband and sticker for the one in your life in need of stealthiness for free! (a $4.99 value)

Migraine Cure?

Here is what I know:

I had a migraine. A doozy of of a migraine.
I couldn't move without feeling my head was about to explode.
I had a lot to do. Moms usually do.
I wanted to curl up into a ball and sleep, or die, whatever.

Here's what I did:

I saw my clicker hanging on the cabinet knob.
I thought, "You can make it to your clicker."
I did.
I clicked.
I thought, "I have a beautiful life,"
Click
"I have a husband that will take over as soon as he gets home."
Click
"That is a looong time from now."
No click for that one.
"I can do it."
Click

About 10 minutes later I thought, "Hey, where's my migraine?" It was fading so fast that I could hardly tell it was there. Within a few more minutes I was good as new and had been going strong since a few clicks in.

This was amazing for me because due to a medical condition I can't take pain relievers of any sort. The drink something with caffeine method has never worked on me either. My migraines just have to run their course and it's a lengthy course, usually 12-18 hours.

Do I really think that a little plastic and metal clicker, so cute with its stickers, cured my migraine? No. But I do believe that it helped me access the positive energy within myself and facilitated the blessed miracle. Isn't that what faith is anyway? Believing in something unseen. Hoping for that which we cannot grasp.

Isn't that what our Savior tells us all the time? I love you. You can do it. I am here. I believe in you. He believes in us. This little clicker is helping me to remember to believe in myself and harness the light within. His light that makes all possible. Even healing a simple migraine for a simple mom.

You should get yourself a clicker kit and unleash the powerful beast within! Remember to use coupon code AMY454 (good thru November 30, 2013) and you'll get a clicker, wristband, and stickers free (a $4.99 value!)

Energy

What if being tired is an illusion. What if we are full of boundless energy we just need to access it.

This clicking thing is teaching me a whole lot about myself. I remember a time, quite a few years ago now, when I heard a woman proclaim that she needed 13 hours of sleep per night and a few naps during the day in order to have energy. My thought was, "How is there anytime left to get anything done?"

This was in a classroom setting and there were many ideas as to how much rest/sleep a person needs in order to be healthy. Accounting for many different factors that effect a person's well-being and sleep needs I was content to let this woman have her sleep and understand that I felt much better if I just got myself up and did something when I felt I was tired and "needed" to rest.

Fast forward a few children, pounds, extreme life changes, and years later and I am now that woman. Of course I don't get the luxury of actually sleeping that long each night or taking any naps during the day, but boy do I wish I could.

I have been blaming lots of things on lack of sleep, time, and so on, for so long I think I could commiserate with a group of geriatrics for a fortnight.

So the other day I was done. Time to punch out on the mommy clock. It was 1:00 p.m. Did you get that? Not a typo there, that was p.m. not a.m. Yikes! Okay clicker don't fail me now. "I love my children" Click. "That deep breath felt amazing." Click. "Yes, I can get off the couch and play ball." Click. "I can rally the troops and get this laundry folded." Click. "Hey, I feel good. No, that's not the word. I feel happy. No, that's not it either. Energized! I feel energized! Thank you clicker." Click.

I am not tired. I just think I am. And there you have it, the cure for tiredness: a positive thought and a click ......

It's true. Whenever I think I have nothing left to give physically, I tell myself I can and before you know it I am off and running. Okay maybe not actually running, but moving about doing things with energy that I didn't have before.

Who knew I could make my own energy instead of sitting around waiting for some to settle upon me like a cozy blanket. I told you I think about naps a lot.

Think about children, typically positive little energy factories. When is the last time you heard a 3 year old tell you they just couldn't possibly go to the park because they were so tired? What do we all say to each other as we stare zombified as the little energy balls run around the playground? "Man, to be young again." "Oh, if I could just bottle that energy."

Now think about happy people. Positive people have more energy. Do they have a supplier? No, they make their own. One. Thought. At. A. Time. I am on to you now positive people, and I like your tricks!

Clickety, Click, Click, Click! Weeeee .....

Get your clicker kit here with coupon code AMY454 through November 30, 2013 and receive a free clicker including wristband and sticker with each paid order. (a $4.99 value!) It's way better that neon colored energy drinks. I promise!

Change Your Life with One Click

I think of myself as a positive person. Sure, I have my moments. Generally speaking I assume the best and look for the silver lining.

Of late I have been noticing that I am very good at outward positivity, but not so good at the inward. Guess what. What's in my head counts far more than I imagined.

I have enjoyed Hilary Weeks' music for a long time. It's gotten me through some trying times and kept me dancing when torrential downpours just won't let up. Being someone interested in what makes people tick, I was very intrigued by an experiment she conducted.

Hmm, if someone as upbeat and positive as Hilary Weeks has room for improvement in the positivity department, maybe it could benefit me too. And my family.

I am a clicker!

My cute little clicker is never far away and my cute little children are constantly checking in on my number and encouraging me with praise such as, "Four clicks this morning mom. Great job!" My words were, "Thanks sweetie." but my thoughts, which ultimately control my actions, betrayed me, "Only four clicks? I have been up for 3 hours!" Yes, indeed I am grateful for this challenge and excited to document my progress.

In just a few days I have noticed a conscious effort on the part of my brain to find something positive and formulate a thought to go with it for a click.

Could it be I am addicted to the click? I'll take it!

I am what I think and I have the power to think whatever I want. I am on a mission to train my brain and let positivity take over the world. Or at least my little corner of it :)

Get started today with coupon code AMY454 and get a free clicker (including wristband and sticker, $4.99 value) with each clicker kit ordered. This coupon is good from November 1st thru November 30th, 2013; plenty of time to get those powerful stocking stuffers for the loves in your life! My kiddos are begging for their own clickers and I don't think I'll be able to hold them off until Christmas, maybe a pre-Thanksgiving grateful month kickoff award.

Remember that favorite teacher in your life too. Just think what clicking could do for our schools. "I used my clicker with my third graders to combat bullying at school. Instead we clicked for kind words and actions on the playground at recess for about a month. My kids loved it! It was great for them to look for the good."  Mrs. Houser 

I am especially encouraged by this fellow clicker, as entering the young adult years has brought some incredible challenges and changes to our family dynamics. "My mom ran across this program and it has changed my life. After a long bout of toxic negative thoughts that plagued my life (funny thing was I did not even know it was happening) my little clicker helped empower me again. I have a strong and firm testimony of what these clickers represent...the power of having a positive outlook on life!"  Sam 

Having my oldest so enthused about my clicking has already propelled us further forward than I thought we'd get in years to come. I can't wait to see what happens when he gets his own clicker. There's just something amazing about the instant result and accompanying deep satisfaction of knowing we can create our own happiness. We can train ourselves to be positive and positivity brings success!

Join and enter your clicks, before you know it we'll hit a BILLION and your life will be even greater than you think it is.

Happy Clicking!