What's the good news?

We all need to vent at times. We need to spend a few minutes talking about a crappy day, soliciting the support of a friend or loved one. But sometimes it's hard to know when to stop. And hearing someone else go on and on about a negative topic can be tiresome.

In our house, we play the "What's the good news?" game. It's a great way to shift the focus from a negative topic to something more positive. Asking this question is also a good way to send a message to the complainer: It's time to move on.

Even better, ask the question without a negative topic looming in the foreground. If we had kids, I think I would ask this question daily. We can always find the good news. I dare you!

Sometimes it's fun to think of all the random things I'm thankful for, and sometimes they are very random. But what a way to shift my mindset.

This idea came from something I read from Wayne Dyer years ago. I was 21 and super depressed. The one-year anniversary of my mother's death was looming and my unprocessed grief was rearing its ugly head. I followed his recommendation to write down 100 things to be thankful for every single day. That can be daunting in the midst of depression. One of the ideas is that you start looking for things throughout the day to be thankful for, because you know you're going to have to come up with 100.

• I am thankful for clean water to drink.
• I am thankful for two arms and two legs.
• I am thankful for a house that keeps me safe and is my palette for creativity.
• I am thankful for the ability to cook.
• I am thankful for peonies in the spring.
• I am thankful for cats that adore me and provide unconditional love.
• I am thankful for a down comforter on my bed.
• I am thankful for a car that gets me to where I need to go.
• I am thankful for the renters that are occupying our unsold house.
• I am thankful for indoor plumbing and hot showers.
• I am thankful for the ability to read.

What is your good news?