grateful, thankful, blessed

Thanksgiving just passed, and it is safe to say we all have spent at least one day this last week naming something (or many things) we are thankful for. Whether you spent the holiday with family, friends, or with yourself, I guarantee there is something in our lives we can be grateful for.

We see the beautiful signs up in stores, homes, on our social media feeds, that say "grateful, thankful, blessed," the instagram captions that say, "so much to be thankful for," and it is a wonderful reminder to take a moment of gratitude. But imagine if "thanksgiving" wasn't just a holiday that was celebrated in your life, but a daily practice.

I started a new habit recently of having 5 minutes of thanksgiving at the end of my day before going to bed at night. I found an old journal in my room and set it next to my bed with a pen to write down 5 things I am thankful for, challenging myself to make 3-4 of them something that happened that day. I started doing this practice, as I repeatedly found myself feeling pretty bummed out and lonely, especially on those evenings in my room when my roommates were gone and the house was cold, empty, and quiet. (side note: cold is a literal term, I freeze in my house at school hahahah, and as silly as it sounds, I feel like it negatively impacts my mood). Sorry, back to business. So, feeling so bummed out and lonely at night, I decided to force myself into gratitude to combat the negative effects of my over-thinking mind.

Now before you think I came up with this life-changing, yet simple idea on my own, cease your oohs and awws. I got the idea from Rachel Hollis from her book Girl Wash Your Face. She discusses her daily practice of gratitude, and I felt it would be a beneficial habit for me, and pretty easy to incorporate into my routine. The point is: no matter how little or much you have, there is so much to be thankful for, and you don't quite realize that until you put pen to paper and truly reflect on the positives in your life. Often, the happiest people don't have the most, but make the most of what they have.

Some of the "negative" things in our lives we often complain about such as having to study all night for your insanely hard exam in the morning or having to run (literally) because you are behind schedule and if you walk you will be late to your class/work/meeting, are sometimes things we should really be grateful for. You have to stay up and study for that hard exam because we live in a country where women are allowed to go to school and get an education, you are able to afford to get an education, and most importantly you have the ability. You are smart enough to be in school or have that job, you are independent enough to function at a high enough level to do your school work or occupation, and you are fortunate enough to know how to study/prepare and withstand the rigor of college education or a professional occupation. Maybe this hasn't occurred to you lately, but not everyone has the cognitive capability to get a college education or to hold a steady and prestigious job, not everyone has the drive and stamina it takes to complete a degree or continue to work at their occupation, and not everyone has the mental and emotional strength to adapt to change, take criticism and guidance, and improve themselves every day, all things that must be faced at some point in further education or in an occupation. And running around the house or (gasp!) in public? Not everyone can move their body. People are born with physical and cognitive disabilities, or they acquire them in their lifetime. Not everyone can move like able-bodied or minded people can. Appreciate that on your busy days, you can move and groove! No matter what stage of ability you have, embrace it! Move your body, appreciate your body for what it can do, and thank your body by caring for it.

There are so many seemingly ordinary things in this life that often don't receive the gratitude they deserve. Appreciate the every day things, and show them gratitude, because if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for today, more than likely you would want all of those seemingly ordinary things back. I encourage you to keep a journal, or at least take 5 minutes of your day to reflect on a few things that deserve your thankfulness and gratitude. It honestly shifts your whole perspective and lifestyle, making the little inconveniences, not so important anymore, and the bigger inconveniences more manageable and less intimidating to conquer, armed with the fact that no matter what happens moving forward, there is still so much to be thankful and grateful for in all of our lives.

you are blessed. you are gifted. you are loved and appreciated, just as you are.

mindfully, molli