Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Gratitude Journal

 
Sometimes I get into a head space where I ruminate on everything that I think is going wrong in my life. My emotions, intensified by lack of sleep, cause me to spiral into a dark and ugly place. I fixate the clutter, the noise, my husband's absence, the dirty laundry, my inability to find time to workout, my children's naughty behavior, the fact that we can't seem to get a handle on our finances, the grime that continually seems to coat my home, the broken dishwasher,  ... ect. But then the sun shines, I get a decent night of sleep, share a cup of coffee with a girlfriend and suddenly I find myself wondering, "what was the big deal? Why am I letting all this circumstantial,  trivial, first world problems steal my joy and turn me into a crazy lady"?
 
It's ridiculous!
 
A couple weeks ago a conversation with a momma of five spurred me to start a gratitude journal. She said that keeping one had helped her through a tough time and became a source of tremendous encouragement to her. 
 
So I did.
 
I typically write in it on the days that I wake up snarky and sleep deprived. It helps me notice the awesome, life giving things that happen over the course of an ordinary day.  
 
Here is a list from the past couple of days
 
clean sheets
a sunny day
Nate did the dishes
hearing Levi say "puppy"
roasted almonds
running with my new friend Gillian
a new book to read
ranting with Nicole
Adams peanut butter on homemade waffles
my bedroom
the varying colors of leaves
a few moments of silence
the view outside our living room window
that I didn't have to wake Levi from his nap to get Claire from school
spontaneous visit with Charis
CHOCOLATE
watching House of DVF
homemade granola bars
coffee with Cora
Gillian Michael's workout
crunchy green beans
CBC radio
licorice tea
head rub from Nathaniel
being reminded about "Grace" at Bible study
bumping into Karen at Winners
the divinely delicious but healthy cupcake I had at Erin's
being inspired by a friend's décor
shopping for "fashion boots" and painting nails with Claire
blogging
clean water
quality time with my momma
Nate's new position at work
the inspiration board in my kitchen
eating Nathaniel's homemade deep fried halibut
that my neighbor Sarah walked my daughter to school this morning
the bouquet of tropical flowers my momma bought me
that Levi napped for two solid hours
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

1 comment:

Ivette said...

Love this post! I need to start a gratitude journal as well :) I sooo relate to you Jocelyn. You are a fantastic mama;)))