The Grateful Project

Today I'm starting a new project, both in my life and here on my blog.
A project to focus on goodness and all the things I am grateful for.

This is my homework, from Jane (my counsellor).
A project to replace old stories in my head with new ones.
A project to tell my soul that life is good - hard, yes - but Good. And WORTH LIVING.

I don't need to go into the details of why I need this right now, more than ever.
Suffice it to say that some of those bad-old thinking patterns have been exposed; those deeply held core beliefs in the very depths of my soul - the ones that make me constantly doubt myself and feel "less-than" and "not-enough". These are the stories I tell myself. The stories I have believed forever. These stories have to go.
And part of their destruction process? Gratitude.
Writing down, every day, the things I have to be grateful for.

So I have turned a little notebook into my Grateful Journal.
I began last night, and was surprised to find the gratitude flowing freely. Ten things, just like that (and this morning another nine... so many blessings when you stop and look).

I'm also going to dedicate the next two weeks to The Grateful Project, here on my blog.

It's another way of keeping myself focussed. Keeping myself on track. Keeping doing it.
You might want to join me, grab a notebook yourself and start a Grateful Journal of your own. Or blog about it, whatever.
I'm doing this for me, but join in if you need it too.
(Cos we all need this, at times, don't we? To remind ourselves of our blessings?)

So here I go. From the top of my head on a crispy Wednesday morning...

DAY ONE

Grateful for seeing my boys hugging in the kitchen this morning. And hearing Dash say to Scrag: "I Love ya! Meet me at morning tea and lunch time, OK?" Really. I needed that. Warmed my heart. 

Grateful (so grateful) for my warm bed and extra blankets to keep out the cold (on the coldest night of the year).

Grateful I remembered Fingerknitting, last night, and taught it to Miss Fab in 30 seconds flat. (She was getting upset cos I couldn't teach her crocheting or knitting, saying, but I just want to spend time with you). We made each other friendship bracelets. She loved it (and then went to bed and made about 6 more metres of the stuff which is wound around her neck this morning.) Grateful for a special moment.

Grateful for the way we've all started sitting around in the lounge, by the fire after dinner, doing homework altogether. It feels warm and cosy and not hard or a chore. Maybe we can stick at this?

Grateful that my hubby took the kids to school for me (again). So I can sit here in my dressing gown, writing and being Grateful.

Grateful for a clear sky and sunny day after a stormy freezing day of hail and sleet and thunder yesterday.

Grateful this means Miss Fab will get to play netball today (last week's game was cancelled). And I get to watch and cheer her on. And hubby is coming too.

Grateful I have a slow cooker, so I can put dinner on this morning and it will be ready and waiting for us when we get home this evening, after netball. So there's no stress or rushing to cook.

Grateful for new words, new stories about the way I Mother. Instead of "I'm not enough" I can see that: I am WARM. I am INTERESTED. I am AFFECTIONATE. I am a LOVING MOTHER. It's enough. And I am Grateful.


See? Nothing earthshattering. Just the regular stuff of life. And yet... I really am grateful. For all of it.

What are you Grateful for today?

(more Grateful Posts)