February 20, 2014

Thankful January

Last year was a really tough one, with many challenges and heartbreaks along the way. It managed to get the best of me and put me in a negative frame of mind most of the time. While I know that I couldn't have done anything to change what happened throughout the year, I sometimes wish that I would have done something to change the way I reacted to what happened, that I could have seen more of the positives even when the negatives seemed to outweigh them.


But that is the past now, and this year is a new beginning in which I want to focus on the positive as much as possible. So, to serve as a constant reminder of my intention, I had an idea of doing a year-long project in which I would express my thankfulness for something in my life for every day of 2014. I don't usually do this kind of projects because I'm generally not very good at following through until the end, but so far I'm really enjoying it - while at the same time not putting any pressure on myself to be completely perfect. 

I made it into a Twitter/Instagram project, and I've been using the hashtags #thankful2014 and #yearofthankfulness to keep track, and it has been very interesting so far - most days a lot of fun, some days a bit of a struggle, but so far a learning experience about myself, thankfulness, and long-term projects like this. 


These are the things I was thankful for in January:

  • a sunny start to the year
  • our weekly organic produce box, especially now in the middle of winter
  • the simple things, like a yummy home-cooked meal
  • a quiet evening curled up on the recliner with my newest knitting project on the needles
  • one last day of blissful rest & relaxation before work started again
  • our cozy sofa, especially when compared to my desk chair at work
  • my pillow where I can rest my head and recharge after an exhausting day
  • the wonderful people and things that blogging has shown me over the years
  • beautiful music getting stuck in my head and lifting my spirits
  • the weekend after a long week back at work
  • family movie night
  • a patch of blue sky and sunshine among all the darkness
  • the milder weather that allowed me to wear a skirt for the first time in a very long time
  • potential new opportunities on the horizon
  • a break in the routine and a glimpse at what used to be and what might be again soon
  • a walk on an almost spring-like day, mild and sunny day, that made my heart happy again
  • an easy and calm end to the week
  • my acupuncture sessions
  • a relaxing day that involved sleeping in and lots of time spent on the couch
  • having great things to dream about, work towards and look forward to
  • school and education in general
  • the warmth and comfort of home, after being out in the -20 some degree weather
  • finding a way to get organized that seems to work well for me
  • my mittens, like never before
  • weekend days with late mornings, late nights, and no agenda in between
  • technology
  • books and their infinite wisdom and wonder
  • quiet moments of daydreaming
  • a cozy bed
  • a productive evening in which I checked off almost all of my to-do's
  • the whole month; it was a pretty good one.

2 comments:

  1. Love this and couldn't agree more. It's so important to stay thankful, even when we struggle, we're surrounded by so much good!! Excited to read along! xoxo

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    Replies
    1. Exactly! And I've realized that I (& I'm sure many of us) forget about being thankful when things get really tough or busy, which is just when we need it most, so this is my little way to make sure that I don't forget and to be more conscious about it.

      Thank you so much for stopping by Veronika! :)

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