So we are in the last quarter of 2017, quite frankly, the second last month. For many of us, so much has happened within the year; highs, lows, triumphs and tears you name it.
The past two weeks have been quite eventful, I say this particularly in regard to my professional life; constant deadlines, report submission and all that end of year craze, over and above that trying to balance family life, friendships while maintaining sanity.
As all of this commotion was unfolding, I found myself morph into an irritable and pessimistic person. I won’t lie, the pressure had gotten the most of me. With all of the events unfolding around me, I somehow got so focused on all the bad things and slowly lost sight of all the beauty that was around me, a trap we all often fall into every now and then.
As I became more and more aware of the energy and aura I was giving out to the universe, a simple practice brought me back to life! Two weeks ago, I decided to go back to the habit of keeping a gratitude journal. At the end of each day just before bed time, I would note down 5 things I was grateful for and read them out loud, with enthusiasm, I would say “thank you” three times for each item listed.
Sounds crazy? At first glance yes, But the following weeks became life changing. What seemed to be clamor, pessimism and short sightedness was quickly cleared up and became a renewed sense of vigor, clarity and perspective. A 5 minute end of day exercise became a saving practice that has helped me regain my cheerful demeanor amidst the end of year craze.
As life whizzes past us, in ways we don’t notice, it can get so tempting to melt into a pessimistic and negative space where all you can do is so diligently highlight all the bad that is happening while missing out on the opportunity to celebrate and be thankful for all the good.
Following two weeks of gratitude, I have felt my soul enlarge to the realization of the beauty of life, even in the not so beautiful parts of it. Gratitude is a powerful spirit and attitude to have, through gratitude the lens we look at everyday life with is cleansed, giving us a much clearer perspective for the things that matter most.
As the year winds down, and days pass by oh so quickly, remember to keep a grateful spirit for all that life has had to offer within the year. Remember always that gratitude leads to greatness. It can literally turn what you have into more than enough, jobs into joy, chaos into order, uncertainty into clarity, and bring peace to an otherwise chaotic day.
Keep smiling and be grateful!
- How Gratitude Saved Me From Myself - 23/11/2017
- The Rise of Swimming Toddlers in Gaborone - 22/09/2017
