Want to start a gratitude journal this year but don’t know where to start? Check out these simple gratitude journal prompts to help get you started. Many years ago, when I first started gratitude journaling, I was going through one of the most challenging seasons of my life. I was discouraged, stressed out, and just overwhelmed. Something had to change. I knew I needed to shift my perspective from focusing on what was going wrong to focusing on all the good in my life. In addition t[...]
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When you are in a challenging season, being able to cultivate a grateful heart can seem almost impossible. Sometimes life is hard and keeping the right perspective can seem just out of reach. There have been several seasons when life wasn't going the way I planned. I was often frustrated, disappointed, and, at times, just angry. I've sat on the side of my bed, crying, full of questions. Why is this happening to me? How many times do I have to go through this? When will th[...]
Wow! Within the last week, thousands of schools were closed, and a multitude of parents became “suddenly-at-home” parents. From being told to work from home (if that is even an option) and now being responsible for “homeschooling” your kids, most parents are just trying to figure out the next step. If this is you, you are not alone. Many parents have more questions than answers. We are striving to find some sort of norm, giving more screen time than usual, searching for toilet tissue, and[...]
Things never go my way. I’m always messing up. They never listen to me. I don’t matter. Ever had any of these thoughts? I know I have—more than I care to admit. I get it. Some days are hard. Sometimes we make mistakes. We all have those thoughts of self-pity and doubt. While it can be challenging to avoid those negative thoughts, we can choose to exchange our self-pity for gratitude. Self-pity keeps our eyes on blame, fear, and discontent. If we are not careful, self-pity will immobili[...]
It's the most wonderful time of the year. Hmm, sometimes the hustle and bustle of the holiday season can definitely feel not so wonderful. The time between Thanksgiving and the New Year can pull and stretch even the best of us. Travel, parties, interesting family dynamics, school plays, finances, and more can magnify issues we can generally manage. Plus, when you add seasonal depression and health issues that can peak ahead during this time of the year, the demands of the holiday season can create so[...]