Gratitude 2018

I would like to end this year the same way I did last year - with gratitude. Irony of ironies: I actually wound up stopping my daily gratitude journal practice because I was finding I "didn't have the time" in the morning anymore a few months ago. Hmm....

So that's something I will definitely be seeking to restart in 2019. Failing an actual written running tab of the things I've been grateful for this year - the big and the small - I've compiled this list mostly from things I am grateful for right now, today, in the interest of refocusing on the present moment and being mindful.

This year I have been grateful for...

1. Good food - not just the taste, but the experience of it; the preparation and the textures and aromas; the company that makes a great meal more than just food; the way my body feels when I fuel it with the kind of good stuff that empowers me.

2. Finally being comfortable with having "unscheduled" time; not feeling itchy from being "unproductive" or like I'm going to crawl out of my skin if I don't know what I'm doing for the next several hours yet.

3. "Chick flicks" and guilty pleasure snacks - my personal hero of self-care.

4. Sun!!! I am most certainly solar-powered and I need to recharge often; I can't wait for Summer to return! (Almost as good: trips planned to NOLA and FL in the next few months)

5. Cat gifs/adorable animals on the internet - nothing helps me take a deep breath and reset like a kitten cuddle puddle.

6. Stability in my relationships with others, and with myself.

7. Opportunities to grow at work and to expand my faith in my own competence.

8. A clean and organized space to call my own (clutter on my desk/in my house means clutter in my mind!)

9. An outlet for my creativity where I get to talk about whatever I want, which has even been known to help people I love. :)

10. All the badass ladies I have the pleasure of calling friends! You gals mean the world to me; thanks for always reminding me to keep crushing it.

11. My dudes, you're all pretty rad yourselves. Thank you for reminding me that there are so many of you who care deeply about women and women's issues.

12. To anyone reading this right now, I am grateful for you even if I never hear from you; even if you never stop by here again (though I hope you'll come back.)

13. The way a new song can feel like it was written just for you at this moment of your life; when a song becomes more than a song heard in passing - it becomes an anthem, and later a time capsule.

14. That reverent feeling when you finish a really good and inspiring book.

15. My cat - let's be honest, she's the real MVP.

16. Humor, in all things! Nothing cures miscellaneous awfulness like a good solid giggle.

17. The hardships I've been through this year which have made me stronger and more resilient for next year.

18. My body, which is stronger now than it has ever been and which does all the things I ask it to do every day.

19. The peace that comes with knowing I am safe and I am loved - not everyone is so lucky, and so I will always be the most grateful for this.

I would like to encourage you all to make your own lists and/or to begin your own daily gratitude practice, whether you write it down or just make a point to think of something every day. Share your gratitudes with each other! I'd love to know what you're all most grateful for this year.

I may have a little Friyay post next week, but I'm intending to really unplug and step away from the hustle and bustle of life next week, so I hope to see you all back here next year! I love you all and thank you for making this year so wonderful.