"Gratitude unlocks the Fullness of Life..."

 

I always try to keep a gratitude journal.  I like to remind myself of the little things that bring me joy. At this time of year when it gets dark earlier.  (something that I do not like, I am a sun lover)  I try and think what makes me happy when the sun goes down. 

Curling up with a blanket to watch my favorite show.  Lately it's been Blacklist on Monday night.  Makes me look forward to the start of the week.
Socks on my feet.
Warm baths.
Extra Quilts on my bed.

As the days get shorter, instead of dwelling on that fact.  I think and am grateful for  the coming holidays.  Loving Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

And of course when it snows.. being able to enjoy it inside from a warm home.

A few thoughts on gratitude as I go into this lovely month.

 

 

And one of my all time favorite songs. 
Love this...

 

Happy November.

 

Learning from challenges

I am grateful for:

challenges,

 prayer,

 family,

little ones hugs,

email from Jack.

My Gratitude Journal

I have always tried to be positive, to show gratitude for all that I have.  It is something that is a part of who I am.  This past month I have been slipping a bit and need to recommit myself.  There are many things in my life that I cannot personally control.  I can try to remain healthy, but when illness hits, there is nothing to do but ride it out.  When some kind of adversity hits that is beyond my control,  I must also do the same.  When I feel down, there is nowhere to go but up.  When I feel hurt, it is up to me to get rid of those hurt feelings and think of someone else, someone who is in worse circumstances, then go and do something for them.  My feelings and the way I look at things are truly the only things I can control.  
So, I feel that I need to strive to pick myself up.  I need to remember back to when I was ill, when I thought that I would never be able to do anything again without my oxygen, and then realize how far I've come.   I need to go back to writing down the simple things I am grateful for.  I remember sometimes it was just that "the sun was out."  Yet what a miracle that is!  It is hard to get rid of the negatives and focus totally on what is good in this life.. yet there are so many things that are good.

1-The beautiful snow
2- A warm house
3- A comfortable bed
4- clean sheets
5- feather pillows

It's a start.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
~Melody Beattie