gratitude journal

I've been considering starting a gratitude journal for some time now (it baffles me when I have a reasonable and easily executable idea and unnecessarily stew on it...what's with the delay, home girl? Get moving!); one in which I will jot down 5 things at the start of the day and 5 things at the end of the day that I am grateful for.  I've done some reading on this and I feel that it's a great exercise in reminding yourself of all the wonderful things about your life (big and small), a solid way of starting and ending your day on a positive note (regardless of what may have happened that day) and welcoming more things to be grateful for into your life.  It doesn't *have* to be detailed (i.e. "I am grateful for my cat" totally works and is a great place to start...I'm sure your cat is bad ass) but I think the more specific you get the more you (and I) will realize just how many blessings surround us. I think it will help to open my eyes to the plethora of things I constantly take for granted.  And I like the idea of building a collection of gratitude that I can flip back to as time goes on.

Since this blog forces me to stay more dedicated to living my best life and being the best "me" possible,  I've also decided to keep a "gratitude journal" on here. I'll start with 5 today, but other days may have a list of 10 or 20 or even just one single thing. No day like today...Let's begin, shall we?

March 30th, 2011

1.  I am grateful for my shower.  I never have to wonder whether hot, clean water will come from it every time I turn it on. This morning I wanted nothing more than a hot shower and it was a wish so easily granted. I'm grateful for my sink, too. If I'm thirsty, I know I can be easily refreshed by a simple turn of a knob. In fact I think I'll go fill up a glass right now...

2.  I am grateful for my healthy, strong legs. Activities I love to do (dance, swim, stroll, explore, travel, hike, play, etc) would be so much more difficult and potentially impossible if I didn't have my healthy, strong legs.  Walking up and down the hills of SF would be a huge struggle, too! I've seen folks in wheelchairs in this city and I can't help but think "How in the hell do you manage?! I'd be splashed in the bay my first trip down Van Ness. Amazing."

3.  I am grateful for my iPod.  This sounds superficial, I realize, but it keeps me company during many a moment.  Music is a huge part of my life and the fact that I can take my favorites with me anywhere or anytime I want is a much loved blessing.  And since I'm thanking music, I might as well thank my hearing.  Hearing- I love you.  Please don't ever fade. 

4.  I am grateful to be true friends with my sister.  I'm grateful for her for a million reasons (that alone could be an entire months worth of gratitude journaling!), but I'm especially grateful right now that I can honestly consider her a friend.  If I wasn't related to her, I would still love for her to be a best friend. This is not the case for all families. My life would have been significantly less fun growing up if we weren't so connected and my life would be significantly less wonderful now if she weren't a part of it. She is love personified in the form of Laura Belle Jones Wiggly Jiggly Butt.

5.  I am grateful for my sister's boyfriend.  I am grateful for the love and kindness he extends to her, for the playfulness they embody with one another and for the effort he puts forth in having a relationship with me. I am grateful every time I see them together and know that my sister is 100% comfortable being herself with him.  I couldn't hope for anything more for her.  I can't believe I'm admitting this so publicly...but I consider him family.

What would be on your gratitude list today?  Would anyone like to journal with me for a few months and then maybe do a journal exchange?  I like the idea of sharing gratitude thoughts across the globe :)

Love and Light,

Trish