Gratitude

Winter is one of my least favorite times of the year even though I can dress in layers and wear lots of scarves. I love drinking hot coffee and snuggling with cats to stay warm, but I HATE being cold. My hatred of winter has been much worse than normal this year because of moving and subsequently being in a different state than Phil for way too long. Surprisingly I haven’t complained about the cold as much as I normally do.

My stressful/confusing life situation and the cold weather have been frustrating, except for Wednesday when it was 60 degrees. On Wednesday I was very happy. Being able to run in shorts and a t-shirt eliminated at least half a load of laundry!

Then, on Thursday I felt like I was in an arctic tundra running through the melting snow that caused my whole day to be CANCELED! On Thursday I was not happy so I am focusing on Wednesday’s warm weather.

Despite the #wackyweather I have been doing my best to stay positive even if I am freezing!

Last week I ran with Lyndsey. After our run I was drinking coffee and talking with her and her mom. They reminded me about my 2015 gratitude project. In 2015 I kept a gratitude journal and recorded things I was grateful for everyday. I found the experience to be very rewarding and really helpful on days when there are just so many things to be frustrated/negative/upset/annoyed/miserable/unhappy about. 2015 was a challenging year for me because I was at a crossroads with graduate school and working full time. I was also in a severe running rut and I was questioning a lot of my life choices daily. Finding small things each day that brought me joy really helped me overcome this challenging time and I completely believe that it pushed me to make necessary changes in my life. At the end of 2015 I had a very long list of things that brought me happiness. If something wasn’t on the list I cut it out of my life. I can honestly say that my life is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT now (in a good way)! I don’t feel bogged down by negative energy anymore, however I am in the midst a big life change and I am still not in Colorado with Phil where I belong. Because I have been struggling with staying positive during this transitional period I decided that I would once again keep a gratitude journal. Thank you Lyndsey (and your mom)! Every night when I log my runs in my Believe Journal I also write down things I was grateful for that day. It really has been helping me see the good in this situation. 

I encourage everyone to start keeping a gratitude journal and I wish I never took a 13 month hiatus from doing this.

Have you ever kept a gratitude journal?

What are some small things you are grateful for today?