I started this blog right after I began a gratitude journal back in September. For this Thanksgiving, I want to list the things I have been thankful for on a daily basis over the last couple of months...
Our military, firefighters, police force; Hot showers; Health & safety; The Internet; Borrowing clothes; Future goals that make us work harder; The gym & my desire to live a more healthy lifestyle; Shawn going back to school; My blog - a new outlet for my memories and thoughts; Good haircuts; Finding things you need on sale; Weight Watchers; My counselor; Jeans that fit just right; Friday!; Fall weather; Alone time with Shawn; A good friend's pregnancy; Family nap time; Weekly & activity points so I can splurge; Nice emails from Mom Mom; Warm, soft blankets; Chipotle; The Phillies; Isaac - my snuggle buddy; Free antibiotics from Wegmans; Co-ed softball league; Borrowing instead of buying; Old friends; Zumba; Chocolate milk; Compliments; Dinner dates without phones; Nights alone with our little family; My husband; Weddings & love; The cross-trainer; Steak; Meetings that get me away from my desk at work; Willpower to say no to pastries at the meetings; Good health benefits; Delicious pastries (Note: I like how the very next day I was thankful for the very same pastries that I said no to the day before, hehe); Old pictures & memories, A fresh start each day; My college degree; A flexible boss; Phillies in the playoffs; Jeans day at work; Perfect Fall weather; High school friends; Fleece-lined sweatpants; Lazy days; Giving myself a break from my diet without feeling guilty; Supportive friends; Hair color; Being able to run a mile without stopping (10/6/11); Socks; Goals: 5K in November & Tough Mudder in April; Shawn motivating me; Movies that make you appreciate life; Restaurant.com dates; New clothes; Church; Beautiful days; Running; "She is clothes with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future." Proverbs 31:25; Pinterest; Budget plans; Running 1.5 miles without stopping (10/11/11), Support: both giving & receiving; Up All Night; Rain that cancels softball games when I don't want to play; Self control while shopping; Fiber One Brownies; Supportive WW leader; Weekend plans with friends; Word FM Radio; The reminder to put others first & myself second; Relaxing TV nights; Toms; Happy Adoption Day, Isaac!; New Camelbak water bottle; Fruit; Vick's VapoRub; NyQuil; Cookie/brownie/oreo dessert; 2 lb. weight loss; No weekend plans; My weddings rings - re-sized!; Bahama Breeze; Pizza Bingo at work; Reconnecting with friends; Recipes; New running gear; Peruvian food - El Serrano (thanks Katie!), 3 mile run! (11/13/11); Twitter; Quality time; Confidence about an interview; Getting the job!; God; Supportive "cheerleaders"; My first official 5K (33:50 - 11/19/11); Weight loss compliments, My grandparents.
I know, a long list. And believe it or not I didn't write every day. But what does this tell me? I have a lot to be thankful for. A lot to be grateful for. Silly things, serious things, awesome people.
It is hard to believe that at the beginning of the year Shawn and I both lost our jobs. 11 months later, we have come so far and I am so thankful for everyone and everything that has brought us to where we are today.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Enjoy!
Showing posts with label gratitude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gratitude. Show all posts
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Should
I'm going to preface this blog post by making a shocking announcement. Are you ready? Brace yourselves...
Shock. Gasp. Ohmygosh. Are you judging me? Are you over it? Okay, good. Let's move on.
Now that we've cleared the air, I want to talk about one of my sessions. It involved a conversation about the word should.
Do any of these sound familiar? I can't be the only one plaguing my life with should's.
Now let's examine how much of a negative connotation this word holds. By labeling things we should or should not do, we are basically setting ourselves up for failure. We're making whatever that thing we should(n't) be doing so!negative! and we are completely criticizing ourselves in the process. Why would we do that to ourselves?
I say we stop making excuses. If you don't want to go to the gym or eat a salad for dinner, own it. If a healthy lifestyle is one you're after, great. One off day now and again isn't going to throw your plan completely off if you've truly committed yourself to a goal. I actually believe if you deprive yourself of things you want to eat but "shouldn't" then you're more likely to derail your overall plan than if you give in one time. (Disclaimer: I'm fully aware everyone is different. I'm only speaking for myself here.)
Anyway. I'm on a mission to rid myself of the should's in my life. Here is my new goal: either do it, or don't do it. It's a waste of time and breath exclaiming what I should be doing. No more excuses. I'm going to stop setting myself up for failure and I'm going to start owning my decisions. This is an important step I'm taking on my quest for gratitude and latitude. I'm going to accept my flaws and be grateful for the choices I'm allowed to make.
Is anyone with me? Ready. Go.
For the past 8 weeks I have been going to see a counselor.
Shock. Gasp. Ohmygosh. Are you judging me? Are you over it? Okay, good. Let's move on.
Now that we've cleared the air, I want to talk about one of my sessions. It involved a conversation about the word should.
"I should go to the gym."
"I should eat a salad for dinner instead of a big greasy cheeseburger."
"I should go back to school to get my Master's degree."
Do any of these sound familiar? I can't be the only one plaguing my life with should's.
Now let's examine how much of a negative connotation this word holds. By labeling things we should or should not do, we are basically setting ourselves up for failure. We're making whatever that thing we should(n't) be doing so!negative! and we are completely criticizing ourselves in the process. Why would we do that to ourselves?
I say we stop making excuses. If you don't want to go to the gym or eat a salad for dinner, own it. If a healthy lifestyle is one you're after, great. One off day now and again isn't going to throw your plan completely off if you've truly committed yourself to a goal. I actually believe if you deprive yourself of things you want to eat but "shouldn't" then you're more likely to derail your overall plan than if you give in one time. (Disclaimer: I'm fully aware everyone is different. I'm only speaking for myself here.)
Anyway. I'm on a mission to rid myself of the should's in my life. Here is my new goal: either do it, or don't do it. It's a waste of time and breath exclaiming what I should be doing. No more excuses. I'm going to stop setting myself up for failure and I'm going to start owning my decisions. This is an important step I'm taking on my quest for gratitude and latitude. I'm going to accept my flaws and be grateful for the choices I'm allowed to make.
Is anyone with me? Ready. Go.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Gratitude
My friend Carly started a gratitude journal a while back. I always found it to be such a great and inspiring idea, but just never made it to the office supply store to buy myself a notebook (um, lazy much?).
On September 11, 2011 - the 10 year anniversary of our nation's tragedy - I watched along with the rest of the world tear-jerking video clips, memorials, documentaries, and even commercials that paid respect to the heroes and victims of that infamous day. It really has a way of smacking you in the face and making everyone pull together for our nation, doesn't it? It also served as a great reminder of everything I have to be thankful for and how blessed I truly am. I'm ashamed to admit that sometimes I need a wake up call to make me realize I shouldn't take anything for granted.
This is the day I decided to finally start my gratitude journal. I guess if there was a day worth waiting for, this would be it. So now, every night before I go to bed, I jot down three things that I was grateful for that day. Sometimes it's silly things like a hot shower, and sometimes it's more meaningful like a person or a feeling. Whatever the three things may be, they are a nice reminder of what I have, how far I've come, and where I'd like to go. Not every day is going to be a good day, I know this. But I like that with this journal I am forced to stop and think of a few happy things even after I have a rough day.
Do you have a special way of reminding yourself of what made you happy each day? Do you blog about it, journal about it, or just keep it locked in your memory?
On September 11, 2011 - the 10 year anniversary of our nation's tragedy - I watched along with the rest of the world tear-jerking video clips, memorials, documentaries, and even commercials that paid respect to the heroes and victims of that infamous day. It really has a way of smacking you in the face and making everyone pull together for our nation, doesn't it? It also served as a great reminder of everything I have to be thankful for and how blessed I truly am. I'm ashamed to admit that sometimes I need a wake up call to make me realize I shouldn't take anything for granted.
This is the day I decided to finally start my gratitude journal. I guess if there was a day worth waiting for, this would be it. So now, every night before I go to bed, I jot down three things that I was grateful for that day. Sometimes it's silly things like a hot shower, and sometimes it's more meaningful like a person or a feeling. Whatever the three things may be, they are a nice reminder of what I have, how far I've come, and where I'd like to go. Not every day is going to be a good day, I know this. But I like that with this journal I am forced to stop and think of a few happy things even after I have a rough day.
Do you have a special way of reminding yourself of what made you happy each day? Do you blog about it, journal about it, or just keep it locked in your memory?
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Awkward First Post
Welcome to my first awkward blog post. Hopefully this will also serve as my last awkward post since I'm planning on sticking around and doing the whole blog thing for a while (and hoping to get more of a flow going, ya know). I can't promise you that you'll find any of what I have to say interesting, but I can promise you that this will serve as a great outlet and memory box for me. I've been contemplating starting a blog for over a year now and finally built up the courage to do so with a little push from some awesome blog ladies (Katie, Susan, Lyryn - oh hey!) that I've enjoyed following.
So here we go, I'll try and make this as painless as possible...
I'm Ashley. I'm 25 and married to a handsome Southern gentleman named Shawn. He plays guitar and his accent comes out when he's mad. I like to talk a lot. I'm obsessed with my dog Isaac and I treat him like he's a real baby (yeah, we're those people). I'm a lover of all-thing-Philadelphia, especially the Phillies. I've moved across the country and back again but I have learned that no matter where I go, my heart is where my home is. Guacamole is my favorite food. Sometimes I have really nice things to say but don't say them the right way and they come out completely wrong. I'm working on that one. I'm a Christian who is trying to find her way. I don't know all of the versus and I haven't read all of the books of the Bible, but I'm working on that one too. I'm a control freak who is learning to let go. I'm a firm believer that a smiling, happy face is a beautiful face. I want to remember all of the things I have to be grateful for and never forget how far I've come. So, here goes nothing...
So here we go, I'll try and make this as painless as possible...
I'm Ashley. I'm 25 and married to a handsome Southern gentleman named Shawn. He plays guitar and his accent comes out when he's mad. I like to talk a lot. I'm obsessed with my dog Isaac and I treat him like he's a real baby (yeah, we're those people). I'm a lover of all-thing-Philadelphia, especially the Phillies. I've moved across the country and back again but I have learned that no matter where I go, my heart is where my home is. Guacamole is my favorite food. Sometimes I have really nice things to say but don't say them the right way and they come out completely wrong. I'm working on that one. I'm a Christian who is trying to find her way. I don't know all of the versus and I haven't read all of the books of the Bible, but I'm working on that one too. I'm a control freak who is learning to let go. I'm a firm believer that a smiling, happy face is a beautiful face. I want to remember all of the things I have to be grateful for and never forget how far I've come. So, here goes nothing...
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