Gratitude: A Journal

[Zeesi]

December 16, 2016

I feel grateful for love.
I feel grateful for being able to do things that I like to do.
I feel grateful for having heat in my house on a cold, winter night. I saw a lot of people on the news tonight standing outside in a line, in the rain, trying to get into a homeless shelter. Again I say, I feel grateful for having heat in my house on a cold, winter night.
I feel grateful for kind words.
I feel grateful for blessings.

I feel grateful for chocolate.
I feel grateful for good food.
I feel grateful for the candle that I have burning.
I feel grateful for water.
I feel grateful for my Christmas lights.

 

[Zeesi]

December 16, 2016

++Some thoughts about gratitude++

Awhile ago I read a book, I think it was by Melody Beattie, and she was talking about gratitude, and how being grateful changed the way she looked at certain things in her life.

Of course, prior to reading her book, being grateful was not new to me, nor was it the first time that I had read about gratitude, however this particular book really resonated with me. I loved her take on things. It was a fabulous read for me because it had to do with housekeeping and homemaking and anybody who knows me knows that I'm all about that life.

I love all things "home"; interior design, dishes, fine china, nice drinking glasses, bedspreads, sheets, blankets, pillowcases, irons and ironing boards, a nice kitchen, pots and pans, cooking!! The 'decor' magazines, the catalogs, the websites, I love it all. Let's just say that Martha Stewart thrills me to no end, okay?

So, in this particular book, Melody is talking about how she, her husband, and her daughter had moved into a house that they had recently purchased. She said that she hated that house, but it was all they could afford, or something like that. She basically said that it was as far away from being her 'dream house' as it could get.

She goes on to write that every night after her husband and daughter went to bed, she would go into the living room and sit down in the middle of the floor and cry. She said this went on for months.

Finally she became sick of herself acting so pitiful and decided to pull herself up out of her bad mood, so... she decided to be grateful. Grateful for everything.

She said she faked it for a long time, but somehow she was able to sustain the attitude of acting as if she was grateful. She said about a couple of months into this attitude of "acting" grateful, things began to change for her.

She said instead of loathing the house, she began to work on it to make it better. The house that she had once despised became a place that she began to lavish attention on.
She began to paint; pull up old, worn carpet, take off old doors, and do all manner of things that made her terrible house go from being a place she hated, into being a home that was beautiful, well-loved, well taken care of, and cherished.

I might have some of the particulars of the story wrong... that's why I wish I could find that book, so I can read it again. I love that story. I don't know if I even still have that book. I have looked high and low for it.
I have boxes in my garage that I have not really looked into in years, so it could be there, but I'm thinking that it was 'lost' several years ago when I moved.

I have gone to many book stores, and even searched online trying to find that book. I don't even remember the name of it. One of my favorite stories about gratitude. So inspirational.

These days, I have some challenges on my plate. But things always work out for me, so instead of focusing on the challenges, I want to be grateful for what I have and build upon that.

So, this journal is to help me stay focused on being in the spirit of gratitude.

I have gratitude journals all around my house that I write in by hand, but many times those gratitude journal entries fall by the wayside when I get busy with other things. I want to make sure that I stay accountable to my being in a state of gratitude by posting a gratitude journal here, something that I can't toss in a pile with the rest of my journals, and neglect it for months on end.

 

[Zeesi]

December 16, 2016

I feel grateful for love.
I feel grateful for being able to spend time with someone who has a great sense of humor.
I feel grateful for laughter.
I feel grateful for the cup of coffee that I'm about to go make.
I feel grateful for the Christmas season.

 

[Zeesi]

December 17th, 2016

I feel grateful for the so-called "simple" things.
I feel grateful for having goals, gives me something to strive towards.
I feel grateful for the hot dog, peanut butter, and honey sandwich I just ate; sounds peculiar but tasted fantastic.
I feel grateful for love.
I feel grateful for having things to be grateful for.

 

[Zeesi]

December 19th, 2016
Monday

I feel grateful for the so-called "little" things.
I feel grateful for essential oils.
I feel grateful for great books.
I feel grateful for the enlightenment of imagination.
I feel grateful for my newest magazine that I received in the mail, can't wait to devour it!

 

[Zeesi]

December 21, 2016
Wednesday

Feeling grateful for this cup of coffee that I just fixed for myself. It's a brand of coffee that I've never bought before. I love drinking good coffee, so I don't like when I buy coffee that I'm unfamiliar with, only to get it home and find out that it tastes horrible.

This coffee tastes okay, so I'm grateful for that. It'll do until I'm able to get to a store across the way that sells Starbucks instant; that stuff is fabulous.

Feeling grateful that a meeting I was supposed to have early this morning was rescheduled. I mean, I didn't really have a problem with the meeting time, but it's days before Christmas, it's the holiday season, and sometimes you just want to relax, and not have meetings and such.
So, the lady that I had the meeting with called me yesterday to reschedule until next Thursday. I'm grateful for that. I can chill today, and do some things.

I feel grateful for love.
I feel grateful for that creative spark that comes along when you least expect it.
I feel grateful for beautifully filmed Christmas movies, yes.

I feel grateful for this Vulcan emoji--love it!! And speaking of Vulcans, I feel grateful for the 2 day long original Star Trek marathon that I watched a couple of weeks ago. I love Captain Kirk, I adore Spock, I love Bones!

 

[Victoria Sheffield]

I must admit that using a journal is never something that i've been accustomed to doing but because I am an author and actually create them, I now see that they can be very therapeutic. I first heard Oprah Winfrey say that she keeps a gratitude journal. I thinks that being grateful for what may seem like the little things in life can help us not look at what we feel we don't have in life.

 

[Zeesi]

I must admit that using a journal is never something that i've been accustomed to doing but because I am an author and actually create them, I now see that they can be very therapeutic. I first heard Oprah Winfrey say that she keeps a gratitude journal. I thinks that being grateful for what may seem like the little things in life can help us not look at what we feel we don't have in life.

Hi, I'm very accustomed to keeping a journal, and write in one (or several), by hand, every single day, and have done so for decades,
ever since I was just a little girl.
Writing is my thing, I pretty much could write all day, every day. Writing, working in a planner(!), cooking, homemaking, that's me.

You create journals??
Are they for sale?
If so, where?
When?
How much?

I'm all about that life, so please, do tell!!

I'm pretty sure that I also heard Oprah say something about keeping a gratitude journal, but I'm not really all that into Oprah, so I didn't/don't tune in to her previous show, and currently her network, all that much. She's a boss though, gotta give her that. I've heard her talk about the power of intent and the law of attraction. Whatever she is doing, it works as far as business is concerned.

Being grateful for things definitely does seem to make one stay focused on the good things in their life as opposed to other distractions that always seem to be going on.

 

[JCP]

Fantastic Journal @Zeesi

 

[Zeesi]

Fantastic Journal @Zeesi

Awww, how sweet of you to say so.

Please, feel free to come back often, every day if you want.

 

[Zeesi]

December 22, 2016
Thursday

Is today Thursday? My goodness, why do I feel like it's Friday for some reason? I must need to drink another cup of coffee.

I feel grateful for the tacos that I just fixed and ate. Delicious!
I feel grateful for this next cup of coffee that I'm about to fix myself.
I feel grateful for this wonderful smelling candle that I'm burning right now... Tobacco suede, who knew?
I feel grateful for krazy glue, it just helped me fix a serious problem.
I feel grateful for my empty fish tanks, currently no fish in them, but hopefully soon.

I feel grateful for my family.
I feel grateful for love.

 

[janemariesayed]

I am grateful too! I'm grateful for the lovely food I've eaten today, and all across this holiday period. I'm grateful for the time I got to spend at the beach this morning running my dogs. I'm grateful to have seen a beautiful sunrise glistening across a flat sea. I'm also grateful for the time spent with family and friends. I am grateful too for being in a warm house with good lighting, and being able to slouch on a cosy couch to watch TV. I'm especially grateful for my computer and my connection to the whole world. I am grateful for this wonderful life.

 

[Zeesi]

I am grateful too! I'm grateful for the lovely food I've eaten today, and all across this holiday period. I'm grateful for the time I got to spend at the beach this morning running my dogs. I'm grateful to have seen a beautiful sunrise glistening across a flat sea. I'm also grateful for the time spent with family and friends. I am grateful too for being in a warm house with good lighting, and being able to slouch on a cosy couch to watch TV. I'm especially grateful for my computer and my connection to the whole world. I am grateful for this wonderful life.

Without totally coming off like I'm some desperate somebody trying to hook up with you on a dating site ,
I just have to say that I like and feel grateful for lovely food, the holidays, the beach, dogs (!!!!), and the sunrise too!!

And... I'm all about the warm house with good lighting!

Good lighting is so important, isn't it? It can make or break the mood of a room.
Why, just tonight I tried out 3 different light bulbs in a lamp to get just the right effect.

I like my cozy couch, and I like to watch TV while relaxing on my couch too!! And the computer, ditto!!

(Oh my, this really is starting to sound like a "we're compatible!" on an online dating site.
I'm not trying to go there, I promise!!)

 

[Zeesi]

December 29,2016
Thursday

I feel grateful that my Christmas was peaceful and beautiful.
I feel grateful for my family.
I feel grateful for my self.
I feel grateful for the spirit of gratitude.
I feel grateful for this online gratitude journal.
I feel grateful that my meeting this morning was smooth and successful.
I feel grateful that I bought some really good-tasting oatmeal cookies today.

 

[Zeesi]

January 29, 2017
Sunday

I feel grateful for family.
I feel grateful for being able to come back to this gratitude journal.
I feel grateful for love.
I feel grateful for blessings.
I feel grateful for this laptop and being able to type on it.

 

[Zeesi]

April 28, 2017
Friday

Have I really not posted on this gratitude journal since January 29th?!!I'm totally disgusted. But that's not what this journal is about, is it? Disgust. I am supposed to write about gratitude here. Well, I guess I will say that I am very grateful for being back here at this forum, being able to type in this gratitude journal.

I feel grateful for this nice black coffee that I am drinking. It's cold though, but I am grateful for the microwave that I'm going to heat it up in.
I feel grateful for love.
I feel grateful for constantly learning.
I feel grateful for a beautiful life.
I feel grateful for my family.
I feel grateful for my Self.
I feel grateful for energy.

 

[Zeesi]

April 30, 2017
Sunday

I feel grateful for love.
I feel grateful for the chicken, broccoli, corn, and potatoes I just cooked.
I feel grateful for the chicken, broccoli, corn and potatoes I just ate.
I feel grateful for clean, delicious water.
I feel grateful for beautiful words.
I feel grateful for my family.
I feel grateful for the spirit of gratitude.

 

[Zeesi]

May 5, 2017
Friday

I feel grateful for Cinco de Mayo
I feel grateful for love.
I feel grateful for my family.
I feel grateful for nice weather.
I feel grateful for kindness.

 

[janemariesayed]

This morning I saw a pigeon washing himself on a garage roof. He was taking ages and lifting up his wings a lot. I began to wonder if he was okay and it started to get to me. Then after about half an hour, he flew onto the fence. When I saw him do that I felt grateful that he was okay and even said 'thank God for that!'.

So, today, I am genuinely grateful for that pigeon's good health!

 

[Zeesi]

This morning I saw a pigeon washing himself on a garage roof. He was taking ages and lifting up his wings a lot. I began to wonder if he was okay and it started to get to me. Then after about half an hour, he flew onto the fence. When I saw him do that I felt grateful that he was okay and even said 'thank God for that!'.

So, today, I am genuinely grateful for that pigeon's good health!

I experience this type of care and concern for animals as well. It is good that the pigeon was okay. I find myself feeling anxiety for animals if I feel they are in some kind of distress.

I read a book a while ago, and the man writing the book was talking about how he had been talking to a friend about anxiety, the friend told him that--that morning he had looked out of his bedroom window and watched a bird waking up. The bird took its own sweet time, stretching its wings, even going back to sleep for awhile before fully getting up. Sometimes animals take their own sweet time doing things, and we can learn a lot from them. I feel certain it has been a long time since I have taken ages and ages washing myself like how that pigeon took his time on the roof.