Today I decided to try something different. Maybe it was wanting a better week or maybe the influence of Thanksgiving, but today I decided I was not going to say anything negative and instead give thanks in everything. This idea came to me last night when I was unbelievably grateful for the beautiful day that allowed me to go for a walk on the beach with my friend Chelsea. I realized I’m not grateful enough for my day-to-day life and how could I ever expect more if I’m not happy with what I got. So I first started with being grateful that my cat Bob peed in his litter box. Sounds so simple, but with his personality and bladder issues that tends to be a problem. I went on to be grateful to have dishes to put away while I heated my oatmeal. I was thankful for the beautiful weather this morning and for the good music while driving to work.

Walking into work I noticed a difference in my attitude. I’m usually smiling as I say hi to those I work with, but I’m not usually happy that time of morning. It amazed me how different I felt so far, so I was motivated to keep going. I was grateful for the desk I got to use (as a consultant I’m lucky to have an actual space to work) and for the friends I got to share the office with. I was grateful that my charts were easy to find and the weights for those residents were available. I was grateful that one of my tube feeding residents was eating, grateful that my work wasn’t as extensive as I expected it to be, grateful the rain held off while I ran to pick up lunch, grateful that I had a wonderful store like Native Sun to pick up a wholesome lunch from.

The more I was grateful the happier I became. Today was a typical day and I could have spent it wishing I was somewhere else or doing something more, but instead I was grateful just to be. It wasn’t easy. There were several moments I caught myself starting to say something negative or starting to feel complacent, but as soon as I noticed I found something new to give thanks for.

My goal is to continue this. It was nice to feel happy. Not only happy, but joyful in everything. Joyful in a day that I may not have found joy in otherwise.

Until next time,

Kaycee

P.S. My favorite song today was Thrive by Casting Crowns. I hope it brings you joy!