I'm needing to refocus some things in my life. And I'm definitely needing help to find the moments of joy and gratitude in my life.
I've talked often and written often here about smile lists. About how I read once upon a time that making a list of things you were grateful for actually has the same effect on your brain chemistry as a mild dose of anti-depressant.
So, let me introduce you to the daily 5. Once a day for a while, I'm going to list 5 things I'm grateful for, or five things that made me smile that day, or 5 little successes or accomplishments from that day, or some combination thereof. And I'm going to do it here, because, well, it's my blog, and it seemed a good enough place for it. I'll probably be repetitive for a while too, and I'm okay with that. I'm a bit out of practice at searching for the joyful bits of life, and sometimes the same simple thing really does give me that little bit of a smile day in and day out.
Sometimes it's just in noticing that there is actually something that drew a smile, however minute that smile was, that the hope comes. I experienced that today. As I'd already mentioned, the weekend was hard, as I've already mentioned. Really hard. But today, for the first time in several days, I began to feel like I was emerging. There were little moments that drew a half smile, and even one out loud snicker. And it was such an unusual experience to feel that again that it caught my attention. It reminded me that there is hope, and that the growth within my heart that seemed to have been taken out in a massive landslide can grow again. That the things that felt stomped on can be cared for and receive light and nourishment and be revived.
So, watch for the daily 5, starting sometime later tonight!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
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2 comments:
I found your blog via Renee Altson's facebook- her posts about tea and daily fives (I'm obsessed with both tea and lists) and then she mentioned you, so I googled. I love this idea. I'm eager to dive in and read your archives. I especially like the idea of including little accomplishments in the list- so often gratitude lists really only include things that happen *to* a person (put in motion by someone or something else) and not necessarily things that *we* do ourselves. Sometimes I have days where I barely interact with someone so it's a nice idea to fill out a gratitude list with personal accomplishments, as well. Thank you for that spark!
Hi Chel! Welcome here! I'm so glad you found me via Renee :)
I started making daily 5's sort of out of necessity, and now it's become a necessary way to see life differently, and more positively. And yeah, for me, it's totally about celebrating any little thing that made me smile - a cup of tea, finishing a task that had been dragging, seeing a little kid laughing.
Hope to see you around here often! :)
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