My 5th anniversary of posting daily 3 photos of daily gratitude

5 years !!!

It's truly hard to wrap my head around the idea that I have been posting my #blissdaily3 's for 5 years but here I am. My name is Macara, I would like to introduce myself and the story of how my daily postings organically began 5 years ago.Then almost 2 years ago, I decided to  bring my dream to reality and create the free gratitude app , obviously named, Bliss Daily 3 ;) so others can begin to shift their focus to the positive moments in their everyday lives like I started doing 5 years ago. 

I want to start this blog post with a big thank you for those of you who have followed along in this journey of mine. I had no idea what or whom would care to see what I posted. In truth, my posts were purely selfish, posting for my own mind set to refocus on the good in my day. 

I would like to take you back to the beginning and give you an insight as to the WHO and the WHY..

Why OCT 4? well with 100% disclosure, I was posting on my personal page a bit earlier, but I began posting on my  business page ,BLISS with Mac Health Coaching on OCT 4 2014. I wasn't sure if posting personal photos on my business page was a great idea, in all truth.  I took the leap and decided that it was a good way for people will learn about who I am.  

For those of you new to this page, or new to the idea of #blissdaily3 , here is a quick overview of who I am and most importantly how the pieces of my life's journey are fitting into place...

My name is Macara Brachmann, I was widowed at 41. This is not something I like to dwell on but state more for being the turning point in my life. 

You see, when Scott died, a shift happened... when people asked me how I was doing I gave them 3 blanket answers... 1)thankful the bad guys didn't kill him(being in the Seal Teams for 21 years it was always one of my realities) my boys do not have subconscious feelings of retaliation  2) there was no question about if he had suffered (the coroner said he was dead before he hit the floor with this heart attack) and lastly 3) I didn't have to think about bringing his body back from overseas, since he had just returned from Africa 4 days earlier...These were my go-to responses.... 3 things.... why? I have no idea.... 

Something shifted my thinking. Why? I have no idea and in all honesty realize that this shift is a gift that was given to me. 

FAST FORWARD...

SR and I began a long distance relationship while I was living in MN and him living in CA.

We decided it was time to live under one roof, so the big move happened in 2013, returning back to CA and into SR's home. We were blending 2 families into 1 (which is no small feat with the kids all having experienced a loss of a parent). We always knew that his home was not going to be our second chapter home together.We both wanted a fresh start, so house hunting began.  

Here's where the whirlwind started...

SR's house went on the market and sold in 4 days with all cash offer + 20 DAY

ESCROW!!!!!

yup, SHIT HIT the FAN...

Life went into complete get'er done mode. You know what I mean, the panic of oh shit, 20 days to pack and find a house.... 

To make a long story short, we didn't find a house in 20 days. We moved into an original bungalow in the opposite direction from where we wanted to live with an insane commute.Mentally, I am a firm believer that you can do anything you set your mind to, it was the transitional chapter, I kept telling myself...  I can do anything for 3 months.... 

3 MONTHS TURNED INTO 7 ..

I would sit in the house and feel overwhelmed at all that transpired for us to be living there. It was pretty craptastic, I'm not gonna lie. If I told you the entire story your head would be shaking, like you gotta be kidding me....I kept telling myself, it was happening for a reason, it would all make sense at some point....

 I decided that the way I was going to change my mindset was to take 3 pictures a day of appreciation. No fancy lighting and cameras, just my phone camera + 3 things that made me smile. 3 things that might not make a difference to anyone else on the planet, but for me on that day, it did.That day was OCT 4,2014 my #Daily3 was born.... I began training my brain to look for the silver lining of each day.

📷

Here was the first official post..

It was nothing exciting, morning coffee with coconut oil, dinner and enjoying some quality time with Mitchell while the little's were at practice. This was my transitional life that I was embracing...finding moments that made me smile.

I made the commitment to myself to post everyday.....  What happened next was such a complete surprise.  I started receiving DM's from people who had found my page and were thanking me... I thought to myself... why? I started these posts purely as a method to shift my thinking going through a sucky situation and somehow someway, it is touching others.... Interesting how life works....

After a complete renovation, we  moved into our current home The RNB (Rogers n Brachmann) in March of 2015.  I decided to continue to post since truth be told, it helps me stay focused on the good in my day to day life. Raising teenage boys, any children for that matter, can be challenging.... this keeps me focused on the good in each day. The re-wiring was a success! 

So although I was faced with living in that cozy bungalow in Reseda .. something wonderful resulted....I never once thought that my daily 3's would make a difference in other people's lives.

I believe in the world of social media, my posts are different. I keep my daily 3 posts genuine to who I am and why it began. I would be lying if I said it was easy to find 3 things everyday... some days it's tough..but all the more reason to find the positive and post.

In 2017, I brought my dreams to reality when my Bliss Daily 3 free gratitude app launched.

MY BLISS DAILY 3 APP IS FREE FOR EVERYONE

Let's be honest, we are living in a world full of  high emotions, high stress and  increasing anxiety. It is easy to get wrapped up and saturated with all the negative surrounding us... 

I created the FREE  BLISS Daily 3 app for BOTH IOS and Android users. It is my vision and dream that  people will begin to recognize and post positive real life moments. Not the "picture perfect" social media blah blah posts ;)... The BLISS Daily 3 App allows everyone the opportunity to shift their thinking to look for the positive each and every day. instead of getting wrapped up in the negative and free of typical social media "curated" posts. 

You need to use hashtag + follow #blissdaily3 so I can see you and for others to follow you!

I have great things planned in the future for the BLISS daily 3 app...I look forward to sharing more when the time comes ... In future phase rollouts, this FREE options will always be available.

Since launching in  app stores in 2017, The Bliss daily 3 app has been downloaded by thousands. From its organic beginnings, of taking my own advice. I am thankful that so many of you have made the commitment to wanting to shift your focus to the positive in your lives. While having users is an amazing feeling, it is my hope that the idea of posting 3 pictures, creates a change in your mindset that in turn creates a ripple effect in your life.  You have the ability to rewire the neurotransmitters of your brain. What does this really mean?

When I began to research if  there was any scientific research backing what I was doing,( because I felt a shift internally) that studied this, I found a tremendous amount of research that confirms that consistent daily gratitude and the number 3 has proven effects to rewiring the neurotransmitters in our brain. Neuroplasticity is the scientific name for this occurrence… we are hard wired to remember the bad, you see that was how our ancestors survived. Those 4 lane highways are paved and well-traveled. If you wish to create a new pathway, you must start with the foundations of daily gratitude and build to that 4 lane highway…  That is where the app comes in. The Bliss Daily 3 app is a simple concept, look at your photos on your phone, and post 3 pictures that made your day better. Write a brief reason why they made your choice for that day, and post to social media.  I compare it a bit like People magazine, photos with little description. The concept is simple and yet effective if consistent.

Here is the reality which I get asked a lot. What if nothing good happens, or it was just a crappy day. Trust me, in the past 5 years I have experienced plenty of those days. I’ve had to scroll for quite a while to find some pictures to post. There is a saying, everyday might not be good but there is good in every day. My go to is my 13 year old lab named Finn, I am always taking pictures of the old boy usually in the morning when his nose in my lap while I’m sipping coffee. Being intentional and making the commitment to your own mental health takes time. You are creating a new habit. Research shows it takes 21 days to create a new habit. Give yourself some grace when start. Find what time works best for you. Maybe you are more of a morning gratitude person, maybe you are like me and choose to post before bed.

November 1 kicks off our #Blissdaily3 November Gratitude Challenge. I will be featuring user’s daily 3 when using hashtag #blissdaily3 or tag @blissdaily3. I like the idea of getting a group of friends or family to join together. It makes the whole idea of posting far more fun. 

Happy Birthday 5th Birthday Daily 3's, thank you for the gift you have given me.

Love and gratitude,