How Are You Doing?

“How are you doing?”

It’s a question we’re asked multiple times each day. And each time I’m asked it, my default answer has been to say something kind of self deprecating or unexpected. “Awake.” “Here.” “Ooooookay.” I don’t know how I fell into the habit, but it’s just what kind of developed on its own.

And today, I decided to switch things up. To start answering “good” or “great” or “excellent” to the question. Why? Because I wondered if in all my “awake” answers, I wasn’t subconsciously convincing myself that I was just okay and not great.

Things are going well for me, for the most part. (I always feel the need to add that disclaimer, as if that will ward off anything bad happening as a result of stating publicly things are good.) If I can’t respond “great” to the question “how are you doing?” right now, when can I?

Some of my response might come from having lived in Germany for two years, where they take the question very literally. (Seriously. Never ask a German Oma how she’s doing unless you want detailed descriptions of her health and bowel movements.) But I think there’s some power to be found in positive thinking and positive self-affirmation.

In other words, if I tell people I’m just okay all day, every day, I think it might make me start to believe it. So if I tell people I’m great all day every day, I want to see if the same thing works in reverse.

Will this make my life magically even more awesome? Probably not. But maybe it’ll help me appreciate the good in my life a bit more, and help me be more upbeat.

We shall see . . .

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