Click!

 The first time I heard about "clicking" was at a Time Out for Women event several years ago.  Hilary Weeks told her fabulous story about her experiment with negative, and then positive, thoughts.  I have always been a big believer in the impact our thoughts have on our actions, so this whole clicking thing made a lot of sense to me. 
 Several months later, Hilary did a house concert for us (one of the top ten best days of my life, by the way) she shared her experience with clicking and I recognized that this could be an effective tool in my life.


By then, I had been invited to be the "EFC Instructor" at our Stake Girls Camp.  It was nothing important (I think they made it up) but it stood for Especially for Camp, and I conducted a "Strength of Youth Boot Camp" each day for each of the years centered around the "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet, which had recently gotten a face-lift.  It was an awesome opportunity...so I couldn't help but work 'clicking' into the whole thing.  I distributed the clickers on the first day of camp.  Our challenge that day was centered around the standard of Gratitude.  We clicked for everything we were thankful for.  I used a blurb by John Hilton III out of the December New Era to help us click 100 things in about 5 minutes.  It was fab!  Because it was the 100th anniversary of Girls Camp, our goal was to reach at least 100 clicks per person each day.  The first day we had several reach 1000.  Woot!  Woot!  The second day we clicked for the standard of service.  We clicked for every act of service we performed AND acts of service that were performed for us.  It was a great way for the girls to recognize how much service and sacrifice was being rendered by others to contribute to their experience there.  On day 3 we clicked for the standard of language, but specifically kind words.  The pamphlet says, "Use language that uplifts, encourages, and compliments others."  We were only allowed to click for kind words that were said TO us, not kind words we said.  It was phenomenal to witness how easily we dismiss the compliments others pay us and instead focus on the negative things we hear from others.  It was a beneficial exercise for all of us involved to actually listen and pay attention to the kind things that others say to us all the time.  The last day of camp our clicker challenge centered around scriptures.  We emphasized that the "Strength of Youth" pamphlet can be considered scripture.  We clicked for each scripture we read, recited, or heard read to us.  We found the girls in their cabins during free time reading the scriptures to one another.  All 200 of us recited the 13 Articles of Faith in unison.  We were clicking all over the place.  It was AWESOME!

In our group Girls Camp testimony meeting, and the following Sunday as some of the girls were invited to speak in Sacrament Meeting, several of them mentioned the effect that clicking had had on them.  One girl said, "Clicking for the positive things others said to me was so much harder than I thought it would be.  Normally we focus on the negative.  I noticed as I clicked I started to be more positive.  I felt happier."  Another girl said, "Giving other people clicks made me feel so good.  It felt better knowing I made them feel good than clicking myself."

After Girls Camp, I knew for myself that "clicking" was the real deal...which brings me to today.

 The "clicker" is now available as a "Clicker Kit" at billionclicks.org which is the website Hilary started to track all of this clicking and share the power of positive thinking.  Try not to be jealous, but I got my very own in the mail.  When my Clicker Kit arrived, I decided to involve Daisy (age 9) in our very own week-long Click-a-Thon.

 

 Daisy opened our Clicker Kit right up and got started that night.  She clicked for all the things she was thankful for.  I couldn't help but smile as I could hear her walking around the house listing aloud the things she was clicking for.  She had racked up over 100 clicks by the time we started family scripture study that night.

 Daisy is somewhat pessimistic by nature.  Jeff and I are constantly looking for ways to help her recognize all of the positive things in her life.  I was exciting to incorporate clicking into our efforts.  Our Click-A-Thon went like this:
Day 1: Smiles - click for every time you smile at someone or someone smiles at you
Day 2: Gratitude - click for every time you think of something you're thankful for
Day 3: Helping - click for every time someone serves you or you serve someone else
Day 4: The world - click every time you recognize something wonderful about your surroundings
Day 5: Happiness - click for every reason you have to be happy.

On Day 1 after I had tucked her into bed, I noticed what Daisy had written on the calender: "Happy Clicks: 80" And seeing that couldn't have made me happier.

 

 Since it is just us two girls outnumbered by all the boys around this house, we are always looking for fun things to do together.  Clicking together is something we will continue.  Simply clicking together gives the answer to "how was your day?" so much more substance.  Clicking gave us the chance to talk about important things (in addition to who you played with at recess and what you ate for lunch.)

The question, then, is...

...because it is sure to.  I have experienced it on large scale and small.  From now until the end of the month when you order a Clicker Kit ($11.99 + shipping) at billionclicks.org with Coupon Code NATASHA221, you will receive a FREE clicker, wristband, and sticker (regularly $4.99).  Think of people you might share the power of clicking with - a clicker can be such a meaningful gift.  And let me know how it goes...I want in on all of your POSITIVE thoughts!