Forcing Daily Gratitude – But it Works!

Lately, situations have caused me to go through anticipatory grief; (this is a real thing and I experienced it fully) and there was a bit of misdirected anger that came along with it. In addition, I was forgetting to count my blessings as life had become overwhelming.

I decided to take a step back for a few days and let myself drink in the gratitude for small and big things. It really does help the mental attitude, no matter what you are going through. Some of the below are SMALL, but we still need gratitude for those tiny pleasures as well. This is NOT in the order of importance, nor size.

1. As I sipped my cup of morning coffee, I took in the aroma and the warmth, and the flavor, and decided I was very grateful for this morning pleasure.
2. As I took a swim, I was feeling blessed to be able to put on an old bathing suit and just jump into my pool in the privacy of my own back yard and having a stress reducing swim to oldies tunes.
3. We went to an outdoor venue Oldies Concert – Chicago and Brian Wilson – and I just drank in the joy that those old tunes brought back to me. Music has always provided me with such joy, and it continues as an adult, but was especially appreciated now as a stress reliever and an absolute pleasure. I was so grateful to have this time and music. (and feeling like a carefree kid again for a few hours.)
4. My family, and in particular, my grandchildren help me focus on many reasons to feel grateful. Time with my family recently has left me with forgetting about my troubles, and just relish being IN THE MOMENT with all of them. My grandchildren provide so many laughs, and pleasure points, it is impossible to describe.
5. My yoga has helped me recharge and reset my mind and I am grateful for the regular routine of it, especially after COVID times. Yes, I still do 104 degree Hot Bikram yoga, and it is still hard, but I do it and it helps me and gives me so many benefits.
6. My friends check in on me, and swoop me off to distractions every so often. What would I ever do without them in my life? I am such a grateful person for having quality people who love me like I am family, though we are not blood related.
7. Bringing daily gratitude are my orchids and my flower garden. When you experience the beauty of nature, it brings you back to the simplest of life’s pleasures. We have this all around us and need to appreciate it!
8. My creative work gives me many reasons to feel grateful. Every time I get a compliment on my new book, or a new review on Amazon, or feedback from acquaintances and friends, it makes me feel so lucky to have been given a talent to express myself through writing.
9. My readers are another source of never-ending gratitude. From blog readers, to book readers, to new readers that I meet in my presentations for my new book (and THOSE TOO are a reason to feel grateful that I can go and share my work) – the fact that people want to keep reading my work is something I never take for granted.
10. Normally, during the summertime, as especially around July 4th, I am slurping up gratitude for the ocean and nature’s wonders at my ‘happy place’ in Margate. No dice this year, but I am looking at my FB memories and photos of it that pop up daily and marveling at the beauty while remembering how grateful I am to have a place there. I can still be grateful for the exquisite natural environment of Margate and those shore points, even if I am not physically there this summer.

Let me hear from you – it means the world. Link to my book is here if you have not bought yet. https://www.amazon.com/Very-Best-Hot-Flashes-Blog/dp/B09TYTDKSP