I want to start this post by saying the BIGGEST thank you for all the incredible responses I have received since sharing my first blog post. I hand on heart wasn’t expecting such kind, supporting messages from so many of you. Before posting the link on my social media accounts I was nervous to say the least. Nervous to air my thoughts, nervous to touch on my own personal experiences and nervous that knowing me, I was bound to make an embarrassing spelling mistake somewhere! Because of all you lovely people, those feelings didn’t last long and instead I fell to sleep that night feeling incredibly lucky and thankful that fear didn’t stop me.
When things aren’t going right in life, it is so important to hold on extremely tight to the things that are. Recently I began to lose sight of the positives because the negatives took hold of the control and in result made my vision slightly blurred. After having to take myself away from the situation, a good old cry (ok I’ll be honest, several emotional breakdowns haha) followed by a few motivating pep talks, I told myself that this wasn’t me and I wasn’t prepared to let any shitty situation over shadow all the INCREDIBLE aspects of my life that I am so thankful for. We are in control of how we feel. I know there are periods in our lives when this statement can seem questionable but I really believe it's true. CHOOSING to have an attitude of gratefulness can alter your perception and make you realise that actually, things aren’t as bad as they seem. I have now started to see more clearly again!
Throughout December I set myself a challenge. Every day I would write down one thing I was grateful for in form of a ‘gratitude journal’. On some of those days I wrote down big, more obvious things, like being thankful for my mum and her hugs. Other times I wrote of much smaller things which happened to bring a smile to my face that day. I’m coming to realise that the art of being happy and more content with life is being able to extract joy from just common daily tasks that at the time may not seem important…it might be something as simple as having a good night sleep, a relaxing bath after a stressful day or even being thankful for the takeaway delivery guy (we’ve all been there)!.
Don’t get me wrong, completing this challenge didn’t miraculously change my negative thought process. I don’t always wear my rose-tinted glasses. I still allow myself to be in a grump if it is completely justified. I’m an adult…I realise that life can be tough, soft, loud, gentle, bold, sparkly and everything in between. There have been several occasions throughout the month where I’ve found myself staring into space, pen in hand, really struggling to think of anything that I’ve felt particularly optimistic about. Like every other human on the planet, I continue to and will forever have days where nothing seems to be going right. BUT, having this list on my bedside table, visible for me to see every morning when I wake and seeing it continue to grow every night when I go to sleep, reassures me that actually, yes, maybe today is a bad day and maybe yes, I might struggle again one day next week…but it will NEVER dismiss the amazing support I have around me to help me get through those bad times, the joy I get from writing blog posts, beautiful Knaresborough which I am able to call 'home', the cosy feeling of oversized jumpers on cold days, and above all else I suppose, it will never dismiss my healthy heart and mind that allows me to wake up every day, ready to fight.
I urge you to do the same! Start your journal. Start today, start now! And don’t stop. I still am continuing to write down one thing every day that I am grateful for and will continue to do so throughout the whole of 2017. See your list begin to grow and I can assure you that your life will soon begin to flourish alongside it.
Below I have attached a snap of my own gratitude log so far…I hope it gives you some inspiration!
Lots of love as always,
Beth x
When things aren’t going right in life, it is so important to hold on extremely tight to the things that are. Recently I began to lose sight of the positives because the negatives took hold of the control and in result made my vision slightly blurred. After having to take myself away from the situation, a good old cry (ok I’ll be honest, several emotional breakdowns haha) followed by a few motivating pep talks, I told myself that this wasn’t me and I wasn’t prepared to let any shitty situation over shadow all the INCREDIBLE aspects of my life that I am so thankful for. We are in control of how we feel. I know there are periods in our lives when this statement can seem questionable but I really believe it's true. CHOOSING to have an attitude of gratefulness can alter your perception and make you realise that actually, things aren’t as bad as they seem. I have now started to see more clearly again!
Throughout December I set myself a challenge. Every day I would write down one thing I was grateful for in form of a ‘gratitude journal’. On some of those days I wrote down big, more obvious things, like being thankful for my mum and her hugs. Other times I wrote of much smaller things which happened to bring a smile to my face that day. I’m coming to realise that the art of being happy and more content with life is being able to extract joy from just common daily tasks that at the time may not seem important…it might be something as simple as having a good night sleep, a relaxing bath after a stressful day or even being thankful for the takeaway delivery guy (we’ve all been there)!.
Don’t get me wrong, completing this challenge didn’t miraculously change my negative thought process. I don’t always wear my rose-tinted glasses. I still allow myself to be in a grump if it is completely justified. I’m an adult…I realise that life can be tough, soft, loud, gentle, bold, sparkly and everything in between. There have been several occasions throughout the month where I’ve found myself staring into space, pen in hand, really struggling to think of anything that I’ve felt particularly optimistic about. Like every other human on the planet, I continue to and will forever have days where nothing seems to be going right. BUT, having this list on my bedside table, visible for me to see every morning when I wake and seeing it continue to grow every night when I go to sleep, reassures me that actually, yes, maybe today is a bad day and maybe yes, I might struggle again one day next week…but it will NEVER dismiss the amazing support I have around me to help me get through those bad times, the joy I get from writing blog posts, beautiful Knaresborough which I am able to call 'home', the cosy feeling of oversized jumpers on cold days, and above all else I suppose, it will never dismiss my healthy heart and mind that allows me to wake up every day, ready to fight.
I urge you to do the same! Start your journal. Start today, start now! And don’t stop. I still am continuing to write down one thing every day that I am grateful for and will continue to do so throughout the whole of 2017. See your list begin to grow and I can assure you that your life will soon begin to flourish alongside it.
Below I have attached a snap of my own gratitude log so far…I hope it gives you some inspiration!
Lots of love as always,
Beth x
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