Tag: Self Help

Day 8- Gratitude Project

Some days, finding things to be grateful for is going to be more challenging than others. While I could list the things that are royally sucking the life out of me, I am making the choice to be thankful for my efficiency.

I am a whiz at my job. I usually get my work done with plenty of time to do things like blogging. Some days it’s a challenge, but I have designed my work in such a way that 99% of the time, it’s just a matter of keeping on top of it. I attribute this to efficiency. I love streamlining and making things flow better. I change processes to make them as efficient as possible so that I can worry about other things.

Today has been rather “slow” because earlier this week I was busting ass to make my week less tedious. And here I am, about an hour to go, with nothing work related to do. I’m even caught up on my filing! Yeah! Here’s to you productive work week! I’m grateful for this time to relax before a busy weekend! :)

0

Day 4- Gratitude Project

I am writing this post a day later than I planned because my husband decided that we were going to have a full day without screens. No phones, no internet, no TV, no computers… nothing at all. The reason behind this “day without screens” stemmed from a card game we’ve been playing called “Sneaky Cards”, and there are action cards, interaction cards, and all sorts of other things. But the premise is that it gets you out of your comfort zone, interacting with other people…

So yesterday, I was grateful for the time that my family had together without the distraction of screens. We are so dependent on the computer and phone and tablet and ipod and whatever being attached to us at all times. It was liberating and at the same time a little uncomfortable to go to the store without my cell phone. I was mostly concerned that if I got into trouble, I would have no way of contacting help. I had my baby with me, so that was my main concern. However, we made it to the grocery store unscathed. I am grateful for that.

During the day without screens my husband dug a trench to fill with concrete and then he filled it with concrete after we went to the home improvement store. This is to prevent our Houdini dog from escaping the yard when we aren’t looking. She managed to escape twice in the last few days. I’m grateful she didn’t get far, didn’t get into anything serious, and was caught and quickly put back in the house. He also cleaned out the garage while I watched our little one and went to the grocery store. We had our meals together as a family at the table, instead of on the couch in front of the tv. We listened to music, read books, and just enjoyed our time together. I’m incredibly thankful for these moments.

After dinner, my husband called off the screen-free day. This was a little earlier than the card suggested, but I’m impressed at how long we went without really missing it. However, he was sore and tired, and just wanted to relax on the couch as a family. The baby crawled around the couch and floor while we talked and played with her. We watched an episode of a show we’re watching before we went out to water the garden. Soon after, I went to bed and they went to the park to meet up with some friends. I am grateful that we had such a fulfilling day, followed by me going to bed early. I had to work much earlier than normal today, so I am thankful for the little bit of baby-free rest. She wasn’t ready for bed when I was. I’m thankful that he took her to the park so that she was tired when they arrived home. I was able to nurse her to sleep right away and fall back to sleep myself. I’m grateful for the small things, and the big things.

0

Day 1- Gratitude Project

Today, and really every day, I’m grateful for my job. I am grateful to be employed, yes. But beyond the fact that I have a steady income to support my family, I actually like my job. I have only been here a short time, but I truly feel appreciated and valued, even though I’m only a contract employee. I’ve been told how valuable I am and how much I am appreciated for the work I do, as well as the attitude that I bring to the team. I don’t make a huge amount of money, but it’s significantly more than my previous job, and there’s no “fake nice” here, like there was there. Everyone is genuine, like it or not. People are direct, but kind. And you know where you stand with everyone. But no matter where you stand, everyone is pleasant and there’s no catty gossip and backstabbing. People work together as a team, valuing the strengths of everyone else. Of course there are arguments and people get their feelings hurt. However, they don’t hold grudges and talk shit behind their backs, at least for long. You cannot get ahead in this company by being an asshole. I am grateful for this.

I am grateful for the opportunity to work in a new industry and expand my skills as a person and employee. I am challenged almost every day to learn something new or grow in my role here. In just a few months I’ve been able to surpass the duties of my predecessor significantly. I’ve expanded my role to almost twice her weekly hours, and secured myself as a valuable asset to multiple working groups and teams. I love helping others and I love learning new things. This job allows me to do both regularly, and I am thankful for that.

I’m also grateful for the fact that I’m treated like an adult. I do not have someone standing over me all day, monitoring my every move. I am allowed to take a break whenever I need to, surf the internet if I feel like it, and I still manage to get more done in a day than I ever did previously. It means something to feel like you’re not under the microscope. I’m eternally grateful for this.

And finally, I’m grateful for the flexibility of this position. It’s very important that I’m here, because I serve as the hub for many processes, however I can take vacation with a little notice, or adjust my schedule if I need to do something during the day. I’m not trapped at my desk 100% of my day, until a specified time, day in and day out. It’s a beautiful thing. This allows me to join my baby for doctor visits, come in a little late if she needs me in the morning, or get off a little early so that we can get things done before the middle of the night. I’m so very grateful that I found this job.

I appreciate every minute I get to spend here, as well as the challenges and people that come with the title. I am very glad that I passed up other opportunities, even though they were very tempting and lucrative at the time. I truly do not believe that I would have been as happy at those places, as I am here. Nor do I think I would have wanted to stay there forever. Not that I want to stay in this place forever, I’m sure I could if I wanted to. All of those other failed interviews and complicated situations that just “didn’t feel right” at the time, were simply blessings in disguise. I am grateful that they didn’t pan out the way I hoped then and that this opportunity pretty much landed in my lap. I’m so fortunate for so many reasons to be here in this place. And that’s what I’m grateful for today.

0

40 days of gratitude

The theme of this blog has been evolving ever since I began typing that first blog several years ago. I was searching for meaningful ways to bring more happiness into my daily life. I was in the midst of college and in a dark place in my personal relationships. I was not living authentically or really living at all. I was just grinding it out, day in and day out; existing simply to finish my then goal of graduating college. I was on the back end of personal tragedy and heartbreak, in the middle of a difficult and potentially dangerous situation, and getting ready to step off a cliff into the unknown. There were so many forces at work and I had to focus on the positive. I’m nowhere near where I was, but I’m not yet to where I want to be. I am evolving, and so is this blog.

So I recently asked myself the following:

What is it with 40 days/ 6 weeks? Lent is 40 days; maternity leave is about 6 weeks after the baby is born for those that get it. Why are these numbers or timeframes so engrained in our past and present lives? I don’t have these answers, but I’ve been inspired.

I was reading a book that I was meaning to read for a long time. It was on my Amazon wishlist for a few years, and I finally received it for my birthday, I think. I didn’t read it right away for some reason, but I’m glad that I did. Reading books has gotten harder since having a little one at home. She takes up 99% of my spare waking time that I’m not at work. The other 1% is cleaning. Anyway, the premise of the book Life is a Verb, is that 37 days (which is very close to 40) can transform your life. There are a series of stories and activities to do at the end of each one for 37 days. Each of these activities are designed by the author (whom I seem to feel is a kindred spirit from her stories and experiences) to help you live the life you want. Living the life I want, spending more time with my family, working smarter-not-harder, and being in the employ of myself are my main goals, but living a more grateful and joyful life have been my “small” goals for many years.

Those of you who’ve been following this blog for any length of time know that I’ve been studying and seeking greater happiness for a long time. I’ve had moments of elation that I cannot compare to anything else in this life, but I’ve also experienced some of the most devastating despair and loss that I’ve ever had in my 35 years on this earth. Of course, I’ve felt everything in between and surely will over and over again as I grow older. I hope that the feelings of happiness will be greater than those of unhappiness, of course, as we all do. So by focusing on what I want, instead of what I don’t want, I plan to cultivate just that.

So in the spirit of change, transformation, and happiness, I’m going to focus on gratitude. There have been countless studies and interviews indicating that the more a person is grateful, the happier they are throughout the course of their lives, and also exhibit more satisfaction with their lives in general. I’d like to practice more gratitude, because while I’m extremely grateful for all of the things in my life, I feel like if I can bring intention and magnify the things in which I am grateful, more of these things will grace my daily life.

I have decided that I want to challenge myself to not only be grateful, especially amidst stress and fatigue, but I also want to challenge my personal dedication to writing. I love writing but find that I make excuses not to do it, mostly evolving from not having enough time. Because of this, I want to focus on just a few minutes of writing each day to express my gratitude. Gradually, or at least periodically, I’m sure my entries will be long, but I’m guessing that most of them will be short. Probably very short. But the goal is to do it. Starting tomorrow, I’ve set an alarm to ensure that I simply don’t forget to write. It is my intention to bring attention to this particular goal for just a few minutes every day.

So stay tuned! And wish me luck. I’ll likely need it.

0

As of late

Recent weeks have significantly impacted my life. There have been major complications and setbacks that I never could have imagined, personally and professionally. The path ahead is incredibly uncertain and truthfully, we are forced to simply take things one day at a time and hope for the best. This is certainly one of the most challenging times in a very long time. That’s not to say my life hasn’t been an intensely uphill battle, because in honesty, I cannot think of a time where things were easy, or even ‘calm’. I’ve been surrounded by chaos as long as I can remember, and much of it was self inflicted because of poor life choices. That’s, in part, why things are chaotic now. My honey and I have both made some poor choices over the last couple years and those consequences are coming home to roost, leaving us with little choice but to take it as it comes and do our best. But this morning I had this overwhelming sense that regardless of what happens today, or what happened yesterday, today is a new day. I have the opportunity to greet the day soiled from yesterday’s mess, or I have the choice to see it as a clean slate in which I will write my actions and thoughts that will see me until tomorrow. And then, that too will be a new day. I can choose to walk through my day with love and positivity, to count my blessings, to revel in the little things that make my life worth living, or I can choose to let the day beat me I to submission, only to return to my bed broken and defeated. I’m 100% sure there are going to be bad things that happen today, but if I let them roll off me like water, I may not drown in the deluge. For the record: I hate the rain, but it provides us with food and cleaner air, and cools the hot summers. So there is good that comes from the torrents, you just have to choose to see the good, instead of the bad. So I am actively making a choice this morning, to see the positivity and to feel the love of this new day. I’m going to seize the opportunity to make it a good day, whatever comes.  

 

0

Website Powered by WordPress.com.

Up ↑