Tell a Story – Stretchy Bracelets and Positive Emotions

When teaching your family, we encourage you to tell a story to introduce or illustrate the concept.

In one week, Lisa opened her own business, she was required by her landlord to paint and fix up her office, she found out her beloved dog had cancer, and her dentist told her she needed a root canal. The news about the root canal was the last straw. Lisa made it from the dentist’s office to her car before bursting into tears. She said, “I had no positive emotions or positive thoughts or positive anything.” While sitting in her car, Lisa realized if she went home, she would only become more sad and depressed. She had an idea–a 12-year-old neighbor girl was in the local children’s hospital. Lisa, who liked to make jewelry, took her supplies to the hospital and the two of them made stretchy bracelets. She engaged in an act of kindness which ended up boosting her positive emotions. Even though she still had the same stresses, she came home from the hospital feeling happier and was able deal with things.