A Journal To Gratefulness... Week 2: GRACE

As with most things in life, week 1 did not go as planned. 🤷🏼‍♀️ BUT that doesn't mean it was a fail!

I knew going in to this journey that it was going to be a process... no hopping on a plane and getting from point A to point B in a couple of hours, instead a trek up the side of a monstrous mountain. No short cuts, no easy ways out. I've gotta put work in and power through, all while remembering that this isn't just a class assignment but a life changing advancement I'm pursuing. Which leads me to this week...

The week started out easily enough. Everyday I was excited to sit down and journal what I had been grateful for that day. Starting out with the simple things like: "opened windows with fresh rainy air" or "my fireplace on a snowy night". (You'll probably find a lot of weather related gratefulness from me in the winter months because where I live it gets HOT in the summer, and thats not a fav of mine. 😂) Then I'd lead in to something deeper if I had one for the day: "this new journey! I have not felt excited for anything in many months, but this excites me!"

And then life happened... my sweet pup got very sick.

 I was up for 36 hours caring for him and cleaning up after him. I spent half the day at the vet and then came home and cared for him some more. It was a crazy rush of events that consumed my mind, my time, and my energy... and I didn't journal.

I considered going back and "making up" the days I'd missed by just quickly writing some basic things down, but in my heart I knew that would not be accomplishing what I set out to accomplish in this journey, so I didn't do it. For this enneagram 1, it's hard for me to look at my journal and see those days empty... but, it's a trek not a plane ride, and I need to remind myself what I pledged at the beginning of this:

"No pressure or shame for the process this is going to take me through."

So I'm starting this week fresh. 🙌🏻

My Thor boy (pup) is on the mend. He still needs quite a bit of my attention, but he's progressing. And I'm finally feeling caught up on sleep so I can refocus my mind and heart. I'm sure you can guess a few of the things I'm grateful for today: healthy pets and a comfy bed! 💗

I just want to encourage you who may be reading this and following along with me...

Don't despise the small beginnings. Yes, brush strokes might happen that don't match the picture in your mind, but just as our pal Bob Ross used to say:

Let your perspective be challenged and choose to be grateful for whatever you can find. I pray that this week we are challenged and stretched to grow in gratefulness... whatever that may look like in the moment!

"Grateful: (adjective)

    warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful" - Dictionary.com