I always love how when you start thinking about something, it begins to show up everywhere. After deciding that gratitude would be the first habit I wanted to develop, this beautiful article showed up via a train of random blogs.
Like the writer of this article, I too have been writing a lot of thank you notes recently. This past year I both got married and had a baby and the amount of gifts we have received has been overwhelming. But it has also been wonderful. Gifts have a way of bringing people closer together; I have been constantly amazed by how many people have reached out, even people we hardly know. This sort of kindness is most certainly contagious. I used to believe that gift giving is a little artificial, but I have a different attitude about it now. I don't believe gifts are an obligatory gesture, but rather a simple way to share the joy.
I'd like to come back to this article often as I walk through this goal, this goal of "counting blessings rather than sheep."
Today I am grateful for:
1. Good old fashioned hand-written, snail-mailed thank you notes. What a beautiful tradition.
2. Sunny summer mornings, the sun pouring in through the windows, the kitchen floor warmed by the sun, warming my feet.
3. Hubbies after shower smell.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
Day 1 Gratitude
The first habit I have chosen to develop is gratitude. This is not a new idea. It may even be tired. But I think it is an important one, especially in this early stage, because hopefully it will build some strong roots, some whys, some loves.
I will be listing a few things every day that I am grateful for. I will list them here in order to stay accountable.
Here goes!
1. I am grateful for my new little one. When I go to her in the morning, her eyes grow wide and she gives me the biggest toothless grin. She truly lights up my life.
2. I am grateful for hubby's foot massages. Tonight he got a particular spot up near my pinky toe that cracked a little and felt oh so good.
3. I am grateful for new summer clothing. Being a new mom is tough, with a uniform made up primarily of pjs and sweats. Seeing new clothing in the closet is inspiring me to get dressed and go out more often, a small but important step in sanity maintenance.
I will be listing a few things every day that I am grateful for. I will list them here in order to stay accountable.
Here goes!
1. I am grateful for my new little one. When I go to her in the morning, her eyes grow wide and she gives me the biggest toothless grin. She truly lights up my life.
2. I am grateful for hubby's foot massages. Tonight he got a particular spot up near my pinky toe that cracked a little and felt oh so good.
3. I am grateful for new summer clothing. Being a new mom is tough, with a uniform made up primarily of pjs and sweats. Seeing new clothing in the closet is inspiring me to get dressed and go out more often, a small but important step in sanity maintenance.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Back to Backer
So, yes, it's been a very very very long time. I have recently rediscovered the need/want to keep a blog. Since this is purely for my own interest I figured I may as well tag these posts onto a blog that I already started. This way I can focus on the why rather than getting bogged down with design-y details. By the way, I am a graphic designer, so I am conditioned to want to properly brand everything. You know, come up with a concept, a killer name, logo and entire package that speaks volumes, but in a single focused voice. Well, I don't expect my writing about goals in a blog to further my career prospects, so here I am, ready to go, easy peasy.
I want to emphasize that this blog is pour moi. It is about my goals, developing positive habits and sticking to them. If anyone happens to join me along the way, then great! I am always thrilled about the possibility of inspiring others. However, to keep me on track, I have consciously decided to care less about the looks of this blog. I know, I know, everyone is creating fancy customized wordpress blogs... do people even still call them blogs? I fully support this and most of the blogs I follow religiously are so beautiful I want to print up pages and frame them on my walls. But this is not that. Someday? Maybe. Who knows? But for now, I am just here to write, develop routines, and be accountable.
Talking about developing routines... this blog is an experiment in habit formation. Some might yawn. Been done before blah blah blah. But, I'm tackling it right here anyway, my way. I think it's pretty awesome to think how much my life could change (for the better!) just by making small tweaks here and there. It is said that you need only 21 days of doing something before it becomes a habit. So, I am going to choose a habit, do it for 21 days, and document my progress along the way.
Rules so far:
1. No photos. What?!?! Yes, I am a visual person. I thrive on creating images and packages. But in order for me to focus, write everyday, and actually accomplish something, I cannot be spending time on images. I am simply too much of a perfectionist. This is mind over matter. I know if anybody does land on this blog, they will probably pass it by because there are no images (I would!). But, again, this is not for them. It is for me. It is my selfish little spot where I can write and learn and become a better, stronger person.
2. Write 5 days a week. No explanation needed. Just do it.
3. Be honest. This is a tough one for me. I think it's easier to be someone else when no one is watching. Even looking at my Pinterest board, I can't help but think - is this the true me? Is this who I aspire to be? Or, is this just some imaginary person that I think is really cool, has lots of money and a ton of time on her hands? I like to think it is a combination of me and my aspirations, but I'm not so sure. Everyone has a multitude of personalities and contradictions. But, I strive to be honest in this space. I strive to be my best self, a combination of who I am today, who I was yesterday, and who I aspire to be in the future.
I want to emphasize that this blog is pour moi. It is about my goals, developing positive habits and sticking to them. If anyone happens to join me along the way, then great! I am always thrilled about the possibility of inspiring others. However, to keep me on track, I have consciously decided to care less about the looks of this blog. I know, I know, everyone is creating fancy customized wordpress blogs... do people even still call them blogs? I fully support this and most of the blogs I follow religiously are so beautiful I want to print up pages and frame them on my walls. But this is not that. Someday? Maybe. Who knows? But for now, I am just here to write, develop routines, and be accountable.
Talking about developing routines... this blog is an experiment in habit formation. Some might yawn. Been done before blah blah blah. But, I'm tackling it right here anyway, my way. I think it's pretty awesome to think how much my life could change (for the better!) just by making small tweaks here and there. It is said that you need only 21 days of doing something before it becomes a habit. So, I am going to choose a habit, do it for 21 days, and document my progress along the way.
Rules so far:
1. No photos. What?!?! Yes, I am a visual person. I thrive on creating images and packages. But in order for me to focus, write everyday, and actually accomplish something, I cannot be spending time on images. I am simply too much of a perfectionist. This is mind over matter. I know if anybody does land on this blog, they will probably pass it by because there are no images (I would!). But, again, this is not for them. It is for me. It is my selfish little spot where I can write and learn and become a better, stronger person.
2. Write 5 days a week. No explanation needed. Just do it.
3. Be honest. This is a tough one for me. I think it's easier to be someone else when no one is watching. Even looking at my Pinterest board, I can't help but think - is this the true me? Is this who I aspire to be? Or, is this just some imaginary person that I think is really cool, has lots of money and a ton of time on her hands? I like to think it is a combination of me and my aspirations, but I'm not so sure. Everyone has a multitude of personalities and contradictions. But, I strive to be honest in this space. I strive to be my best self, a combination of who I am today, who I was yesterday, and who I aspire to be in the future.
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