PALETTE CLEANSER!
Last week ended on a kind of weird note, with talk of depression and rejection and stuff like that. Not that I’m ashamed of speaking my mind or I think those things aren’t normal and shouldn’t be discussed, but for the most part I like to keep this space light and fluffy.
Since the start of 2013, I’ve been keeping a gratitude journal. Every night before bed I write down five things I’m grateful for from the day. I started it as an exercise in learning to appreciate the little things in life a bit more because, as we saw on Friday, I can often get really down on myself. I actually intended to turn my gratitude lists into a recurring blog series, and just never got around to it. But today seemed like a good time to start. I’m not going to commit to a weekly or monthly series but I figure whenever I feel the need, I will share some magical moments.
Why am I sharing the items on my list? Because I want to show that sometimes the little things are the big things. Practicing this for over a year now has really helped improve my self esteem, my outlook on life, and even my sleeping habits. Writing before bed helps clear my mind, and thinking about good things before bed helps calm me down. Sometimes if I’m having a really bad day, it takes me a really long time to come up with five good things. Sometimes I have to really force myself to write because there are days where I just want to go straight to sleep. But I always complete it and I always feel much better afterwards. Sometimes my list is as simple as a roof over my head and a warm bed. And as you’ll see, a big portion of my list is food related, and that’s okay. I’ve come to accept that I really like food. Especially dessert.
I highly recommend keeping a gratitude journal, or if you ever find yourself in a bad spot mentally, just stop and quickly think of five things in your life you’ve got going for you.
I’d love to hear what’s on your gratitude list, if you don’t mind sharing. Leave me a comment and tell me about the magical moments in your life on this Monday.
☆ Inspiring words
☆ Patience
☆ Drink specials
☆ Perfect weather
☆ Stuffed green olives
☆ Bursts of productivity
☆ A comfortable sofa
☆ Gut instincts
☆ Cake
☆ Afternoon naps
☆ Random text messages
☆ Pressed sheets
☆ Long walks
☆ Happy emails
☆ First garden blooms of the season
☆ Vanilla macchiatos
☆ Date night
☆ Alternate routes
☆ Good shopping days
☆ Bottomless mimosas
☆ Sex and the City reruns
☆ Tiny baby feet
☆ Gooey grilled cheese sandwiches
☆ Teamwork
☆ Forgiveness
☆ The right place at the right time
☆ Organic ice cream
{Image from the Wayfair booth at Alt Summit 2014 and edited by me}
