HP- Week 8

[AnnieClaus]

After this week, we will have completed 2 whole months of The Happiness Project.

This month's theme is: Remember Love.
We have worked on: Giving proofs of love, fighting right, not expecting praise or appreciation and this week we add:

Kiss more, hug more, touch more.
There are no specific reading pages to go with this week's resolution.
There are some areas in the chapter that weren't covered with the weeks' resolutions like: Quit nagging, No Dumping, Week of extreme nice.

Here is this week's youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyk-Vs76lys&feature=relmfu

Notes for this week:
* This will be one of the most fun weeks of the resolutions.
* More hugging means more happiness.
* To optimize happiness hormones- hold the hug for at least 6 seconds.
* Affectionate touching in families makes closer families.
* Fleeting touching between people-even strangers- dramatically improves positive feelings.

Resoloution for the week: Kiss More, Hug More, Touch More

Thought for the week: Loving actions inspire loving feelings.

Share your insights, journey in this thread.

 

[AnnieClaus]

I'm curious to see how people feel about this.

I know many people that were raised in a strictly "hands off" or "we are not touchy people" type of families.

Were you raised in a hugging family? A family that shows feelings with physical acts?
Do you feel this made your family closer?

My family does give a lot of hugs. Mostly when we first see each other and when we part ways. My oldest brother is probably the most touchy of any of us.
And- I would definetly say I am more physically affectionate with them since I've gone through having the big "C."

One thing that made my heart squeeze at the recent memorial service of our family friend was that his daughter told how whenever they went for a walk, she and her dad "held pinkies." I thought that was soooooooo sweet!

Interested to see what others have experienced.

Annie

 

[Ahorsesoul]

My DH is a hands off person so this week maybe my week to skate. Maybe I'll just hug and kiss the kids more. Or wait, it says I can touch strangers. I'll keep my eyes open for an unsuspecting stranger. lol

 

[ChristmasPir8]

I grew up in a hands on family. hugs for everyone coming and going, occasionally a peck even on lips for soemone. All non-sexual very friendly. DH is very hands on when sleeping. I on the other hand need my space but am slowly working on extending the snuggle time before I tell him to back off so I can sleep. LOL. Also trying to be more awary of hugging/touching w/ the boys. DS6 is very snuggly on his own but DS9 not so much so I am trying to reach out on my own. Same for DS11. Boys don't always want mommy hugs but they need them.

Annie-that's so sweet about your friend.

Ahorsesoul-that's funny, surprise someone in the grocery store w/ a hug. Then then say, oh, I though you were someone I knew

 

[MrsSoup]

This I need to work on with the older two. I find that when they are young i'm super affectionate with them, hugs and kisses all the time, but as they grow older not so much. I don't know why really. So, this week I will work on giving more hugs to the older two. I always do at bedtime and during the day if they approach me but not just on my own for no reason.

As far as I can remember I grew up in an affectionate family.

 

[luludou]

When the kids were small lots of hugging but now very rarely. DH is not very huggy either but I'll try to work on it.

When friends come over and leave we give them kisses on cheeks and on day I thought why do we kiss strangers and not our own family??? So now when my family comes they get kisses on the cheeks too... it was awkward at first but now everybody is comfortable with it.

It's gonna be tough trying to hug the teens lol!!

 

[Ahorsesoul]

It is so true that people show strangers and friends more love/courtesy/interest than family sometimes.

 

[AnnieClaus]

I notice with my teen nephews they don't seem to mind an arm slung around their shoulders. Then I kind of pull them in for just a sec with that one arm. It's kind of like giving them a hug in a round about way.

Lucie- I agree with you- I was awkward giving my mom a kiss on the cheek but the more I did it, the easier it was. Now I never say goodbye without giving her that kiss.

Annie

 

[girlsinmo]

It is so true that people show strangers and friends more love/courtesy/interest than family sometimes.

And I wonder why this is? To me people show others more respect than they do family also.

 

[girlsinmo]

When my kids we growing up we always hugged. But now they're grown & don't have time to hug mama. But DGD & I love to give each other hugs.

 

[ChristmasPir8]

I have my notebook and have my commandments in it but that's it. I would like to sit down this week and make some notes in it.

 

[happy2bme]

DD loves hugs. She is always asking for a hug. We will have to make sure it last for at least 6 seconds.

DS is 14, so not a lot of hugging going on. I try to get my arm around him as much as I can - that is as close to hugging as he will allow.

DH - well, he needs to learn that a hug or a kiss is just that. It doesn't have to lead to anything, if you know what I mean.

Doggies - thankfully, they let me hug and kiss them as much as I want!!

 

[luludou]

Lol! Mel - yes some men have a hard time knowing that a hug is JUST a hug!!

 

[ChristmasPir8]

Mel-you always make me laugh. You are so true w/ that one.

 

[AnnieClaus]

Mel- Ha! Ha! Isn't that the truth!

Annie

 

[girlsinmo]

DD loves hugs. She is always asking for a hug. We will have to make sure it last for at least 6 seconds.

DS is 14, so not a lot of hugging going on. I try to get my arm around him as much as I can - that is as close to hugging as he will allow.

DH - well, he needs to learn that a hug or a kiss is just that. It doesn't have to lead to anything, if you know what I mean.

Doggies - thankfully, they let me hug and kiss them as much as I want!!

LOL Mel that's the reason my DH doesn't get lots of hugs from me...

 

[Colleen in PA]

My family was always very affectionate. We always kiss hello and goodbye, even as adults. My DH's family is just the opposite. Once, after we'd been dating for nearly SIX years, I attended their family reunion and was hugging the people that I already knew and his mom said very loudly "MUST she do that to everyone?" Yikes! It was awful. I turned around completely red-faced and told her that I was sorry if it made her uncomfortable, but I was raised that it was a sign of respect to greet people with affection. Needless to say, we don't hug! She doesn't even hug my boys (5yo and 2 yo)...she doesn't know what she's missing!

On a positive note, I have retrained DH...he loves hugs!

 

[Ahorsesoul]

I have one hug to report so far! Should add that's to DH which is really a rare thing.