Happy March everyone!! I hope this month is off to an incredible start!!
So far so good here! For March, I returned to a practice I began last summer, and one I have skipped recently, during which I take an hour or so to think about the upcoming month, while also reflecting on the recent past.
From this process, I make some tangible benchmarks for my on-going goals, such as writing, reading, and steps/exercising towards a weight loss number. Beyond that, I contemplate the holistic direction for my life, which sounds grandiose, but in reality it’s a calibration of my smaller goals relative to larger ones.
I admit, it’s quite easy for me to get lost in big picture daydreams like preparing for an interview on the Today Show after my second book goes triple platinum. Wait….is the Today Show still on Television?
While I am considering my clothing choices for this imaginary interview, do you know what I am not doing?
My grateful list!! The task I committed myself to weeks ago! The same one I referenced in a post a couple weeks ago!
By the way, I’m absolutely wearing a dress for my interview, probably a floral pattern on top of a peach or salmon color, fitting snugly around my torso with a slight flair below. Why do I keep doing this?
That’s probably a topic to ponder on a long walk, I suppose; instead, next I will focus on lessons I learned and how I can do better next time!
First lesson, it was difficult to remember to do this! I could lie and say I was thinking about being grateful each day, but even that isn’t true.
The reality is, I missed a stretch of several days more than once, including completely missing this past week! Despite literally thinking about this topic at various points, I still did not put the five to ten minutes of effort here in front of my computer. I can make excuses that I was busy, which is true; however, I was not so busy I couldn’t spare a few minutes on those days.
Admission is the first step towards correction, right? Or, am I making that up?
I am going to try again, though before I do, I will think about setting a calendar reminder throughout the day, so I can truly pause to reflect. Using bedtime as a prompt proved to be a poor choice.
Thinking back to when I first tried this exercise, it was the evening walks with my kids over the summer that served as my reminder to ask them. This turned into an amazing ritual I valued highly, whereas this most recent attempt felt like a chore.
I cannot wait for our summer walks again!!!
Okay, second lesson: this was super beneficial! While I could elaborate into infinity on this, I will instead focus on overall feelings here, and some specifics next.
As I reread my list, I am smiling all over again! Some of these feel just like yesterday, but more importantly, I am connecting to the feelings from that day. For example, I can be happy looking at a picture of my purple hair; alternatively, there is significantly more meaning reading about my gratitude for Iris doing it. Also, Emory kept us company in the bathroom, which made it so perfect!!!!
Additionally, some of my comments capture my sense of accomplishment after a busy day. However now, I tend to think about how busy I was, compared to what I did not accomplish, such as this task! This also serves as a reminder to cherish what I do accomplish, or have, as opposed to the negative.
Lastly, comments featuring sincerity and depth are the most beneficial, rather than the comments that are simply statements of what I did. Here’s an actual example:
One day I only wrote: swimming and my swimsuit. Yet another day I wrote: My Hair!!! Beyond that, I have been feeling super pretty lately!!
In different ways, these both capture gratitude for the changes to my body more accurately reflecting who I am; though the latter puts me into those feelings, while the former restates facts from that day. More fully, I overcame my nerves to wear a fairly skimpy swimsuit, and no one said anything, even if people did stare. I am grateful for the confidence to overcome judgment, and for Iris who was just happy to go swimming in February!
This next lesson is focused on trends for those parts of my life for which I am thankful.
First and foremost, I am grateful for the people in my life, particularly my children! Being a mom is my favorite descriptor, but more importantly, I recognize it throughout my days with them. Even today, Iris and I walked up to get coffee, when we just chatted for what seemed like an hour; then in the evening, Emory and I walked up to eat dinner. I am so grateful for the remarkable relationship we have!
Furthermore, my friends were significantly meaningful across the entire month! I am grateful for the hours of conversation, sharing, caring, and intimacy I get to enjoy with my friends! This one is particularly worthwhile for me, since I struggled making friends until I transitioned.
Lastly, I was pretty busy, but the work is incredibly important to me. I am grateful to have a bigger purpose to spend my time and energy, even when I am so very tired. This list helps me keep the perspective that it is so worth it!
No doubt I could keep going, but I am reaching my target length of a post. Plus, I plan to resume this going forward, so prudently I will reserve topics for a possible future post.
I encourage everyone to devote a snippet of time each day to recognizing the gratitude in your life. The time and energy commitment is miniscule relative to the benefit I feel in my heart, which I believe anyone can experience as well.
Lastly, I am grateful I get to share this with all of you! I am grateful for everyone who has seen any of my posts!!
Have an incredible week everyone!! Next week is post number twenty!!!