Yesterday morning, prior to heading out as a family moods were off, tensions escalated and emotions took over. You may be familiar with the scene: everyone mad at everyone and each thinking the other is at fault. –Not a great way to begin the day together as a family.

Then, I did something my daughter would do as a young girl when our day got off on the wrong foot and I asked: “Can we start this day over?”

This question was and still is like a magic eraser. We collectively agreed to start over. We wiped our individual slates clean of the hard feelings and bad attitudes and went on to have a nice day together.

Often, we get hooked onto our moods, negative thoughts and attitudes. We think “I am just in a bad mood.” Though sometimes this simply is the case, most times it’s just our lack of understanding that we have a choice.

We can choose to put down the negative attitudes and hard feelings. We can drop them like a heavy, oversized piece of luggage and move forward without the baggage!

This is the core benefit of mindful living: Being aware of our thoughts and actions and in that awareness when things aren’t going as we’d like, remembering that we can choose a different path. (Then having the courage to go down that path becomes sometimes it’s hard. )

So then next time you get off to the wrong start with your child, spouse, or even yourself I hope you will remember the simple but magical question: “Can we start this day over?”

Begin anew!