Three friends and I share a GRATITUDE JOURNAL. Every day we msg each other a list of three to five things we are grateful for. Our gratitude journal has become my daily dose of goodness. It uplifts me to read about the fun and incredible things happening in their lives. It uplifts me to write a list of the wonderful things that are happening in mine or to sit still and acknowledge my many blessings.
And don’t get me wrong, life isn’t always a bed of roses. We all get poked by thorns here and there as we go through our processes of growth and discovery. But if you were to ask me to choose between feeling good about something amazing that happened vs feeling bad about something sucky that happened, I’D BEAT THE DRUM OF FEELING GOOD each time. No question!
Feeling good and feeling grateful set the tone for my day in the mornings. If I update our gratitude journal on my way home, it compiles all the awesome things that made my day so worthwhile. I go home feeling accomplished and blessed.
If you’d like to add more good vibes to your life and to the world by practicing gratitude daily, here are some delicious examples I pulled from our list:
1. I’m grateful for the rain. I have the living room window open and I just love the sweet, soothing air that the rain leaves.
2. Every morning I play a mantra on my way to work for blocking obstacles. Then it dawned on me… I unconsciously prepared for a battle (that I created) and then played the mantra so I can dodge the bullets. Is that insane or what?!
So I played an Adele CD instead and sang at the top of my lungs. I chose to sing and let go of unreal worries and had a smooth day after all. Needless to say, I will no longer be listening to that particular mantra since it no longer fits my new problem-free, worry-free life :).
3. I’m loving my natural hair, ladies. I’ve been styling it in buns and neat, little easy styles. I love it and others do, too. I bless that patient who asked if they hired models here because I’m remarkably beautiful…lol…He’s too cute. And all my colleagues are complimenting me, too. So that’s nice. But the more important thing is I loved it even before all the compliments.
Keila told me I look like a strong woman, like a queen, very confident and assertive. I claim it all!! I love my natural essence and I want us to all meet up so we can take a pic with our natural hair…lol. #pardonmyfro
4. My co-worker Lauren came over to me yesterday morning. She’s due in August and has the cutest baby bump. She said, “I saw this and thought of you,” handing me a ripped page from Timeout magazine. She smiled as she pointed out the details: a free outdoor poetry reading on Governor’s Island. “That’s so me!” I said giggling. And it is! But what was even more beautiful is that she knows enough about me to know that I would enjoy it. And she was considerate enough to save the article for me and bring it over with her cute baby bump. I appreciate my wonderful co-workers.
5. My mom made me oatmeal porridge this morning. One of her many ways of saying I love you and so I take care of you :).
If these brought a smile to your face or lightness to your heart, it means it’s totally worth giving the gratitude journal a try. SO GO FOR IT! Write something delicious, something simple and beautiful, something that reminds you of your many, many blessings.
Love, Natalee