Gratitudes

326 days ago I started writing down three things that I was grateful for every morning.  I’ve never been very good at routines like this, the only routine I’ve always stuck with in the morning is exercise.  Well, I’m pretty good at brushing my teeth, but I’ve tried starting other good habits like drinking water, writing out my intentions for the day, meditation, etc and none have stuck. But, this moment of thinking and expressing what I’m grateful for has been such a great way to start my day.  Some days are harder than others to figure out what I’m grateful for.  And those are the best days to do it!  The process on those days goes something like this:

“I guess I’m grateful my daughter didn’t kill us yesterday”

“But we did have a really nice dinner together”

And then I’ll write down that I’m grateful that I had a really nice dinner with my family last night.  When I’m having struggles with certain things, it makes the small moments so much more clear. And these days those small moments are pretty clear! There is a lot of sadness out there, and that makes me feel pretty grateful that my husband has a good job, and that we have a roof over our heads, and that I have a healthy body, and that my kids are doing ok in school.

There are also things that are harder, but that’s not my time to think about it.  That’s my time to think about all of the things that I really need to notice, and that can vanish into the background if I focus on the negative. It’s a fantastic way to start my day. 

What are some ways you like to start your day? Or do you do gratitudes in a different way?