Gratitude
Happy Sunday!
Today I want to begin with a thought about handling stressors in life and how gratitude can help play into this. I'm sure most of you know what stress is between kids, laundry, cleaning, cooking, meal prep, homework, activities, relationships, work, and all the other things that show up in life. It seems to me that there will always be a "to do list" about a million miles long and as soon as you take something off the "to do list" you add something from the "Maybe one day I'd like to do this list" It never ends! But, at last, this is the life of a parent!
I am no stranger to stress and if i'm being honest with you today I have to admit the past two weeks have been a tad hard on me. Between starting last week with a flu that knocked out the entire family, to missing time at work because of the fore mentioned flu which leads to less money on the next pay check, to personal relationship stressors and hard changes (especially for this reluctant changer here). All I can say is, this momma needs a vacation. BUT more than that, this momma needed a gratitude check.
After focusing so much on the things I don't have and how "not fair" everything is and letting it drag me down the last two weeks I was forced today to express my gratitude. Thanks to the apprenticeship program i'm currently in for Beachbody. Today's assignment was to post on my Facebook what i'm grateful for and to be PROUD of it. It was an eye opener. This is the image I used and it really resonates with me:
So here is my list of things I'm grateful for. These are the things that make life worth living:
Today I want to begin with a thought about handling stressors in life and how gratitude can help play into this. I'm sure most of you know what stress is between kids, laundry, cleaning, cooking, meal prep, homework, activities, relationships, work, and all the other things that show up in life. It seems to me that there will always be a "to do list" about a million miles long and as soon as you take something off the "to do list" you add something from the "Maybe one day I'd like to do this list" It never ends! But, at last, this is the life of a parent!
I am no stranger to stress and if i'm being honest with you today I have to admit the past two weeks have been a tad hard on me. Between starting last week with a flu that knocked out the entire family, to missing time at work because of the fore mentioned flu which leads to less money on the next pay check, to personal relationship stressors and hard changes (especially for this reluctant changer here). All I can say is, this momma needs a vacation. BUT more than that, this momma needed a gratitude check.
After focusing so much on the things I don't have and how "not fair" everything is and letting it drag me down the last two weeks I was forced today to express my gratitude. Thanks to the apprenticeship program i'm currently in for Beachbody. Today's assignment was to post on my Facebook what i'm grateful for and to be PROUD of it. It was an eye opener. This is the image I used and it really resonates with me:
So here is my list of things I'm grateful for. These are the things that make life worth living:
- Babies - specifically my baby (she's not a baby she's almost 7) for she reminds me how cool the world is everyday and makes my life truly worth living,
- Family - no matter how distant because they are always there for you and love you unconditionally.
- Dirty House - Because it means I have a roof over my head and i'm pretty lucky for that.
- Never ending laundry - because it means my family has clothes to wear for any occasion.
- Dirty dishes - because that means we're eating.
- Luke and our relationship - because he cooks the food to make our dishes dirty and because he loves Alexa and I and would do anything for us. He's a great support system and he helps me with the hard things I have to deal with.
- Friends - because the close ones are more like family. With out them I couldn't have stayed sane while taking on all my ventures.
- Dolphin alarm clocks going off at 6:30 am - because it means I'm able to provide Alexa with great experiences at girls scouts where she can earn cool prices. Early mornings also mean that I have a healthy energetic daughter.
- Faith - I'm so grateful for such a loving God in my life. I always know I can pray and he'll help me
- Work- having multiple ways to earn money to provide for my family. Some people don't have even one way and i'm lucky enough to have opportunities to earn money.
- Fitness and health- I'm so lucky that i'm healthy and can use my health to get back into shape.
- $50,000 in student loans - I was given the opportunity to go to college and I graduated. Even being a single mom and working two jobs, I got it done. yes, it's a lot of money, but graduating college is something I can look back on and be proud of.
There are so many more things i'm grateful for and I could go on and on for days. Take the time today and EVERYDAY to think about what you're grateful for. Start a gratitude journal (like i am) and write about what you're grateful for everyday right before you go to bed. In the morning review that list quick and I promise you'll feel a little more positive. Letting stress and all the negatives in life get to you will kill you. Do it for yourself and do it for you loved ones.
There is nothing sexier than a smile. Be positive and breed positve thoughts. Smile and be sexy.
xoxo
Nikkki
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