GRATITUDE JOURNAL - DAY TWENTY-FOUR -

 List three ways you’ve grown in the past year

Hello, bloggers! I hope you are having a great day. Today I bring this prompt to share with you.

Considering the year is starting I believe that looking back the three ways in which I've grown are: spiritually, affectionately and professionally.

Let me start with SPIRITUALITY. Since the day I was operated on two years and a half ago, I decided it was high time to change the way I thought about many aspects in my life. I decided I woulod give it a go at complaining less, understanding more and meditating in any way possible. I have to admit it has been one of the most rewarding decisions I have made since then because I feel much more grateful now than I ever did before. 

Another point to consider is growing AFFECTIONATELY. By judging less and understanding more, listening and appreciating others no matter whether theyr beliefs match with mine I have enjoyed a sense of calmness that it has only been growing ever since. I still have a lot to learn, of course, but I'm starting to see things in a broader perspective and this has led me in the right path so far.

Finally, regarding the world of WORK I have to say that I've become more assertive and self-assured in my field and that has been incredibly rewarding. I feel less pressure and more motivated to finish projects. It has also given me a lot of confidence to assist other workmates and friends in their own areas which is also very gratifying.

How have you grown in the past year?

Thnak you for reading! Have a wonderful weekend!!

💖💖💖END OF DAY TWENTY FOUR💖💖💖

GRATITUDE JOURNAL - DAY TWENTY THREE -

 What is a challenge you’re facing now that you can find gratitude in?

It's very difficult to talk about challenges when you are enjoying summer holidays but still I'm going to do my best and write about one.

I think that what first comes to mind is judging less, listening more and understanding better. I tend to overthink a lot about everything and consider all the scenarios of a situation I think is happening and it drains me out. The best remedy for this is actually verbalising my thoughts, anxieties and worries but sometimes I feel it is not the right time or the other person is not going to properly listen and it quickly becomes a vicious snowball of thinking and overthinking that I end up drained and doing nothing to overcome it.

I find gratitude in the possibility I get each day of trying to do something about it. Sometimes I follow through, other times I don't but I'm always trying to see the positive and feel grateful for the times I managed to take action.

What challenges are you facing with gratitude? Please, let me know and THANK YOU for reading!

💖💖💖 END OF DAY TWENTY THREE 💖💖💖

GRATITUDE JOURNAL - DAY TWENTY TWO -

 Describe a time when you felt appreciated.

This is a very nice but at times very challenging exercise. We take so many things and people for granted that we sometimes forget to pause for a minute and be grateful. Today's topic asks me to mention one time I felt appreciated but there have been so many times when I felt like this that it is difficult for me to pick just one.

Let's see. It may sound silly to anyone reading it but I believe that if it is important to you - no matter how small or "trivial" it may be - then it is important for the people around you.It's all about feelings. Let's dive right into it.

A couple of weeks ago, I was chatting with a group of friends. We were each commenting on our summer activities and it came about the idea of meeting up before the start of the "academic year" - we are all teachers. We started picking dates and venues to meet and one of those dates was not convenient for me, they decided to change the whole thing to suit my needs. 

Again, it is something minute if you come to think about it but when people actually say "we want you there with us" it gives me an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. 

Have you had a similar experience? Share your anecdotes! Thank you for reading!

💖💖💖 END OF DAY TWENTY TWO 💖💖💖 

GRATITUDE JOURNAL - DAY TWENTY-ONE -

What are three things that went well this week?

Good evening, guys!!

How are you today? I hope you are having a great day. The question I bring you today is very interesting to start asking ourselves when our day, week, or month is not going as we hoped for. I believe it always helps break the negative train of thought to do this kind of exercise.

Even though it is not my case, this is today's prompt and here I am ready to give it a go. Sofar, I think, the first that I consider to be going well is sticking my routine of going to the gym. Since the day I decided to start working out, I almost always showed up except for those times when I had to cancel due to social engagements. I'm feling very proud about it and I still have hope I will be able to stick to this routine throughout the year. Maybe not as often as I'm working out now because I'm curreently on holidays but at least with a frequency that allows me not to lose so much practice.

Uff, it gets harder when I'm writing at the beginning of the week because I don't have much to go for so I'm considering a week back starting today and in that sense I can say that meeting my friends for some coffee and pastries has been another highlight this past week. It's always nice and comforting being surrounded with people who lift you up and stick by you no matter what. The freedom of being completely yourself and not feel judged about it is so rewarding and giving the same appreciation back is also a very enriching experience.

I would say that starting my second square in the CROCHET ALONG project has been very gratifying because it gives me the energy to keep going and as I always say STICKING TO IT is very important to me.

What three things went well for you, dear bloggers?

💖💖💖 END OF DAY TWENTY-ONE 💖💖💖 

GRATITUDE JOURNAL - DAY TWENTY -

 Write about a tradition or holiday that you’re thankful for

This is a nice one. Off the top of my head the end-of-year holidays are the ones I'm most thankful for. Mainly because my family is involved in both.

On Christams Eve, we generally split . My mum goes to visit her family in the outskirts of the city; my brothers spend the holiday with their in-laws; and my dad and I go to my uncle's house in the northern area of the province and we celebrate with my aunt and my cousins as well.

On New Year's Eve my family gathers at any of my brothers' houses or at my parents' house to celebrate and have a lovely time with my sisters-in-law and my nephews and my niece. 

What memorable traditions or holidays would you like to share?

💖💖💖 END OF DAY TWENTY 💖💖💖

GRATITUDE JOURNAL - DAY NINETEEN -

List three experiences in your life that have shaped who you are.

Good evening, folks!! I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday 😊

Today's prompt gives me a lot to think about. It is, in my opinion, a very profound reflection. It has always been very difficult for me to define anything in small quantities: top 3, top 5, top 1! So, I'm always left thinking there's more to what I'm sharing but due to limited space and in order not to bore you I will just pick the ones I belive to be transformative in some way.

Let's begin with the first one: I've always been someone who has struggled quite a lot in making friends. When I was at primary school, I didn't have many friends and my classmates were mean most of the time. In secondary school, I managed to have a nice group of friends who stuck with me throughout that time. When high school was over, it was very difficult for me to keep in touch with them. University life started and I managed to have a lovely group of friends but because of different circumstances and life choices we split up after we graduated.

Work life started when I was 19 years old. Work environment brought plenty of new faces and of course new opportunities. It  was the first time I started actually belonging somewhere so I started making friends and keeping them - in fact, most of my current group of friends I met at work - Through work I started doing other activities that brought me other friends close together such as working out, exchange study trips and online networking.

Moving on with the second experience that had an impact on my life is the operation I hnad to go through about three years ago when a big lump was taken out of my ovary and they had to remove it together with the falopyan tube on the right side. I remember feeling completely paralysed before the date and it made me realised that life is very short and we should never take anything or anyone for granted.

The thrid experience that comes to mind is somewhat related to the first one I wrote. When I was unemployed for a couple of months I began to think and feel very little of myself. A friend of mine gifted me a wonderful book that would help me regain my worth and start fresh in my pursuit of happiness and employment. I highly recommend reading YOUR ERRONEOUS ZONES by Wayne Dyer. I wrote about this book some weeks ago but every time I'm faced with life-changing prompts this book is what comes to mind. It truly opened my eyes in so many ways that I read it and reread it a lot at that point in my life.

With this last paragraph, I end today's reflection. Thank you for reading this far or even attempting to read part of it. It means the world to me to be able to express my gratitude every day in different ways.

💖💖💖 END OF DAY NINETEEN 💖💖💖    

GRATITUDE JOURNAL - DAY EIGHTEEN -

 What is something you’re looking forward to?

Hello, guys!

Welcome back to my daily gratitude prompts. Today the question I put forward is the one mentioned above. It is genuinely difficult for me to determine just one thing I'm looking forward to because it depends on the time you ask me that question.

I'm learning not to think too far ahead because it builds a lot of anxiety in me and it ends up being not very beneficial. Following my three main leisure activities I'm focusing on this summer, I would start by saying that I'm looking forward to finishing the goal of writing these journal prompts with the set number of 45 if I stick to the website where I'm taking these ideas from.

I'm also looking forward to continuing with my working out routine throughout the year even though I know at times it will be more challenging because of work issues and tiredness but I'm committed to work out as much as I can.

Another thing I'm hoping to continue and stick to is the MOOGLY CROCHET ALONG project. I've been meaning to immerse myself in one of these for a while and I never found the time or I made up excuses not to keep it going so I'm eager to see it through this year.

Surely I've got more things to be excited about but not to make this post too long and in order to keep me motivated with these three goals in mind this is where I'm going to stop.

What are YOU looking forward to this year? Share your thoughts 😁

💖💖💖 END OF DAY EIGHTEEN 💖💖💖

GRATITUDE JOURNAL - DAY SEVENTEEN -

 Reflect on a piece of advice you received and how it has helped you

This is a really tough one. Hi, guys! How are you doing today? Today's prompt makes me think over and over again about the many times I received counsel from many sources ranging from family members, to friends, colleagues and even strangers.

Out of all the people who have given me advice - and thankfully many still do so - I believe the most common one is: STOP OVERTHINKING.

I tend to think way too much before actually doing things and more times than not opportunity leaves me fmaking me feel terrible about it.

This is why this year I have made up my mind to start changing that about myself. I keep reading: START SMALL and then stick to it. This is what I'm going for. So far - since the year began - I started: writing this gratitude journal, going to the gym 4 times a week, and working on a CROCHET ALONG year-long project.

I feel very positive about these 3 activities and I truly hope I can stick to them for as long as I can throughout the year.

In other words, if you feel the need to start something new/ change something in your life my (recycled) piece of advice is: STOP OVERTHINKING. START SMALL. STICK TO IT! YOU CAN DO IT!

💖💖💖 END OF DAY SEVENTEEN 💖💖💖 

GRATITUDE JOURNAL - DAY SIXTEEN -

 What skills or abilities do you have that you’re grateful for?

Today's prompt is as usual very interesting to discuss. I've always had many interests that I wanted to pursue. At one point in my life or another, I either started and finished; started and stopped or never started in the first place.

This year, I've decided to change that to the best of my possibilities. Let me describe some of these skills/abilities I started to work on this year:

CREATIVE WRITING: I started small with a GRATITUDE JOURNAL to see where it takes me from here. I love writing but I find it truly challenging because I never know what to write about or how to start writing about it. So, writing a journal every day or periodically can help me achieve some habit of generating ideas and then move along to something more demanding.

CROCHETING: since the moment I started learning this craft I have never stopped trying to get better at it. I have my periods of learning a lot of stitches and techniques and trying them out on new projects; at other times I continue with previous projects I had never finished and lately I've decided to follow a year-long project or to follow one project each time so that it provides me with consistency and I avoid the temptation of quitting.

WORKING OUT: this is probably the most proud I am of resuming after 15 years or so of having abandonded the healthy habit. Starting this month considering that I'm on holidays I made up my mind to resume gym classes so I've taken up PILATES and WORKOUT classes at a gym round the corner and I couldn't feel happier about it.

Tell me about your skills and abilities!

💖💖💖 END OF DAY SIXTEEN 💖💖💖 

GRATITUDE JOURNAL - DAY FIFTEEN -

 Write about a time when a stranger did something kind for you.

This is on point because Saturday night as I was waiting for a cab outside my house, a neighbour in my building was just coming back from walking her dog and she decided to keep me company until the cab arrived and I felt so much gratitude towards her that I gave her a hug and a smile and told her I would return the favor somehow.

I've got another memory of a stranger doing something kind for me. This happened a while ago. I was on the bus when I realised that a mugger had stolen things from my bag. As soon I as I realised it, there was nothing I could do but shout and get really anxious. A young woman being close to me decided to help me by giving me an extra bus card and some money to get by. 

Since that moment, I started thinking and learning a lot about paying it forward so whenever I can I try to do that. I still have a lot to learn. 

I'm also interested in the philosphy behind doing RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS. I truly believe that if enough people do small things every day things are going to get better and people are going to be more fulfilled.

What do you think?

💖💖💖 END OF DAY FIFTEEN 💖💖💖

GRATITUDE JOURNAL - DAY FOURTEEN -

Prompt for today: List five things in your home that bring you comfort or happiness.

This is a good one. I love spending time at home 🏡, don't you?

My books 📚 in whatever format - paperback, ebook, digital editions. I love reading. I admit that I do not do it with the regularity that I'd like but I still love it. I love reading fiction and nonfiction. I have an account on Goodreads where I catalog my books and in order to motivate myself to keep reading I do the Reading Challenge every year by setting the amount of books I intend to finish when the year is over. So far, I have completed them all. Let's keep it that way, lol!

My music ♭ in whatever platform or device I listen to. I just CAN'T spend a day without listening to music. No matter the mood I'm in I need to listen to music. I listen to music in English mostly but at times I listen to latin american music - especially when I'm with friends.

My laptop 💻/my phone 📱: They help me decompress when I need a break. I watch shows online, stream music/videos or write and it gives me plenty of joy. Of course, both are also used when I need to work but the feeling and how I approach these items when I need to relax is completely different.

My couch 🛋: I mean, who doesn't love just lying on their own couch, right? THE comfort I feel just by being there doing nothing is amazing. At times, there's no power in my building and unless I'm lying down on my couch I won't feel at ease.

My mate kit 🧉: this is a fundamental piece that mustn't be missing in my house. There's nothing more blissful than puring hot water on my mate with a good dose of yerba mate and just sip through my straw and be HAPPY.

What are your FIVE ITEMS? I want to know!

Have a lovely Sunday, guys!

💖💖💖 END OF DAY FOURTEEN 💖💖💖

GRATITUDE JOURNAL - DAY THIRTEEN -

 Hello, bloggers!!

Today's prompt I think is my favourite to write about so far:

Describe a book, movie, or song that you’re thankful for and why.

BOOK I'M THANKFUL FOR is Your Erroneous Zones by Wayne Dyer. Simply put, when I was out of a job, it truly opened my eyes in more ways than I could imagine and it helped me get through that rough patch. I truly recommend it! 

MOVIE I'M THANKFUL FOR is DEAD POETS SOCIETY. I watched it for a Philosophy class doing my English Teacher Training Course at uni and I found it deeply moving and having a lot of memorable moments. 

SONG I'M THANKFUL FOR is a bit more difficult because I live for music. Music is my life, it runs through my veins. COLDPLAY are my favourite band in the whole worls since the very first song I heard from them taken from Parachutes but then there are many ANTHEMS for many many moods in my life. The one I'm going to highlight today because of the weight the lyrics carry and the soulful rock melody accompanying those lyrics is CREEP by the almighty RADIOHEAD.

Have a blissful Saturday!!

See you tomorrow!

💖💖💖 END OF DAY THIRTEEN 💖💖💖

GRATITUDE JOURNAL - DAY TWELVE -

What are three things in nature that you’re grateful for?

First and foremost, the green areas I have near my house. I'm grateful to be living in a neighbourhood where you can find a lot of public squares and open parks at a walking distance and it gives me so much joy to go around them so often to walk, to sit with my parents, to run or just go through them to make a shortcut.

Second, I'm going to say my own green space in my flat. I have a very small balcony and I decided to create my green space where I grow all sorts of green plants. Some of them bloom flowers, some others just give a wonderful shade of green that is quite relaxing to see.

Third, the possibility of going to the river at times when I need to escape the city. One of my closest friends live near the river and every now and then I go visit her and we go to the river with her son, another friend of ours and sometimes her boyfriend.

Living in the city has its difficulties as regards smog, the constant noise and a very hectic day to day but it is also true that it can offer you these spaces to make you stop for a minute, breathe in and continue doing what you are doing.

Thank you for reading, bloggers!!!

💖💖💖 END OF DAY TWELVE 💖💖💖 

GRATITUDE JOURNAL - DAY ELEVEN -

 Today's prompt, my beloved readers!

How did a recent challenge make you stronger or wiser?

The most recent challenge I can remember is the surgery I had to undergo 2 years ago. It was the first time I was carried to an OR for a major procedure. It was terrifying. Hopefully, everything went well and since then I have been doing regular check-ups to control it.

 This particular event has made me both stronger and wiser at the same time because it made me value everyone I hold dear in my life much much more and it made me go for what I want with more strength than before. 

As the word CHALLENGE implies, it is not always easy but it does not mean it is always difficult. So, I keep learning in the process and this makes me wiser.

What's your take on this question?

I hope you have a lovely day!

💖💖💖 END OF DAY ELEVEN 💖💖💖

GRATITUDE JOURNAL - DAY TEN -

 Good afternnon, folks!

I hope you are having a great day. Today's prompt is as follows:

What is a lesson you’ve learned recently for which you’re grateful?

Hmm. This is a tough one. What do you think, guys?

I think that because I've been doing a lot of meditation and spiritual awakening lately, one of the many lessons I'm still trying to learn is to be kind, loving and patient with anyone I know and everyone I meet. 

It is very difficult for me to cultivate these traits because I tend to be impulsive, impatient, anxious and at times quick to anger and learning to change these vices is taking me longer than I would like but anyway I think it is still very important and in the end very rewarding.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about this one. Drop a line and let's discuss!

Thank you for reading!

💖💖💖 END OF DAY TEN 💖💖💖

GRATITUDE JOURNAL - Day Nine -

 Good evening, my beloved readers!

How have you been doing today? Today the prompt I bring is the following:

Write about someone who has helped you in a time of need.

First and foremost I will always be grateful for my family and - answering today's prompt -  today is no exception.

About 15 years ago or so, I was out of work and completely devastated. I was still living with my parents, my brothers were thriving in their own fields and I was still very insecure about my own professional skills. 

At times, when I get too worried or too sad, I paralyse. I don't know how to move forward. I start overthinking and feeling anxious all the time. My dad saw that at the time and he pushed me to move forward in his own way. He talked to me in a way that was so eye-opening and motivating that I couldn't do anyhting else but get out and make it somehow. 

After much soul searching and job seeking, I landed a job that until today has brought me more joys than disappointments and A LOT of learning. I'm grateful for having that moment with my family and I'm grateful for having many friends who have known me in my lowest and still decided to stay by my side and support me unconditionally.

Tell me about that special someone or special people in your life :) 

💖💖💖 END OF DAY NINE 💖💖💖

Gratitude Journal - Day Eight -

 Happy Monday, bloggers!

I hope you had a lovely weekend. Today the prompt I share with you is:

List three things about your health or body that you’re thankful for.

I've always had some kind of complex with the shape of my body but never with the way I eat so that's something haha.

Considering three things to be grateful for, I would go for:

• Choosing what to eat without any hesitation is something I value immensely and this is so much more important since the day I started living by myself some 9 years ago or so. 
• I'm grateful for being healthy and not suffering any difficult illness. Last time I had to undergo surgery it was 3 years ago and from that moment I decided I would never allow some health issue to be unattended for so long.
• I'm thankful for being fit enough to resume the gym after a 15-year-hiatus and still enjoy it.

What are you thankful for regarding your health and your body? Let's talk about it!

💖💖💖 END OF DAY EIGHT 💖💖💖

Gratitude Journal - Day Seven -

Hello my beloved bloggers!

Happy Sunday. This is today's prompt:

What is something about your work or studies that you appreciate?

This is a very interesting question. I've always loved learning English since I was a child and when the time came to decide what to pursue academically I immediately thought about English. 

In my country English is taught as a Foreign Language and because of this there aren't many university degrees dealing with English culture besides English Language Teaching, Translating and Interpreting. I chose to follow English Teacher Training Course for four years and then I graduated first of my class.

Since that very moment, my love for the profession just deepened and at one point I had the craziest idea of immersing myself in the language so I began to listen to, read, watch and write in English. So much so that I eventually started thinking in the language more than in my own mother tongue - which is Spanish by the way 💜.

Going back to the prompt of the day, I truly believe that what I appreciate most about my work is that I get to teach it to everyone who wants to learn it, I get to speak it with anyone who wants to share a conversation in that language and I get to meet people from all walks of life in the process who are also teaching me a lot of things that I'm so grateful for.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

I remembered a quote just now from Confucius that rings SO true to me:

"Choose a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life"

💖💖💖 END OF DAY SEVEN 💖💖💖 

Gratitude Journal - Day Six -

Good evening, bloggers!

I hope your Saturday is going well. This is my prompt for today:

Describe a memory that makes you smile every time you think about it.

This is a tough one, guys. I'll do my best and reminisce about the many times my family, my grandparents, my uncle, my aunt and my cousins spent weekends at a beautiful house that my grandpa and my uncle had built many many years back. 

The joy we had being all together playing sports, going to the pool, eating by the barbecue and spending day after day sharing memories as a family it fills me with much much joy and warmth in my heart.

I'm sure many of you have had a similar experience of joy. What is yours about?

I'm GRATEFUL for my family, the moments we shared as kids and the moments we get to share now as adults. I appreciate every minute of it.

💖💖💖 END OF DAY SIX 💖💖💖 

Gratitude Journal - Day Five -

 Today's prompt reads as follows:

What are three simple pleasures that you’re grateful for today?

When I first read this question, I thought of only one thing to write about. However, as the day went on, I realized that I had more. Here are my three simple pleasures I'm thankful for:

• The English class I taught online to my private student: what started one year ago as a grammar and speaking class ended up turning into a conversation class and I'm so happy about it. The topics are never.ending but the most gratifying thing is that it is always so spontaneous and filled with so much fun that it is impossible to get bored on either side.
• Going to the supermarket in the evening just before night time when the sun is still setting is so rewarding. The whole process of it beginning with putting on my headphones, walking those 800 metres to get there and choosing what to buy.
• Having an impromptu dinner plan with a close friend of mine because she was just in the neighbourhood. She texted me, we went to have dinner near my house out in the open with  wonderful summer wind blowing smoothly. The icing of the cake was ending the night with two delicious scoops of icecream each one of us.

💖💖💖 END OF DAY FIVE 💖💖💖 

GRATITUDE Journal - Day Four -

Good evening, bloggers!

I hope you are having a great day/evening. Today's prompt goes as follows: 

Reflect on a recent experience that brought you joy

I befriended him 18 years ago. We started sending messages online and then we moved to MSN Messenger. Since that first summer in 2007 til today he has become one of the most important friends in my life. 

Not so long ago, he introduced me to this world of roleplaying games similar to D&D but immersed in the world of Warhammer. I learned the craft - I still get mixed up with all the rules - and last time we played with other friends of his he let me host the game for the first time. I was flabbergasted. I didn't know whether I would do it well. Through ups and downs, I managed to pull it off and it made me feel like I had accomplished yet another thing. 

I know it seems silly and shallow when you read it but to me it was a lot of internal struggle: the idea of leading - that terrifies me. Having done this tiny thing for the firts time in this new experience of playing roles in a board game allowed me to conquer fear of being seen in a crowd.

This last thought reminds me of yet another milestone that happened last year - rounding up December 2024. I was celebrating a friend's birthday with some other friends and we had decided to go to a night club. Inside there were many stages and in one of those stages you could have the chance to sing karaoke in front of a crowd. 

One of my closest friends in this group insisted on going on stage with her and sing a song. I accepted immediately because singing is one of my favourite things to do. Again, the idea of performing in front of a crowd was petrifying to say the least but I decided to conquer my fear and do it anyway no matter how it went. It was last year's highlight no doubt.

I'm GRATEFUL for being shown these opportunities in which I can face my fears and overcome them. 

💖💖💖 END OF DAY FOUR 💖💖💖

Gratitude Journal - Day Three -

 Good evening, folks!

I hope you are having a great day. Here we are again with another prompt below:

Write about a place that makes you feel happy.

This is a broad subject to discuss in just a few lines so I'm going to devote more than a paragraph. Bear with me.

Starting with my own home, I feel the happiest in any room where I don't feel the need to do something compulsory. Let's delve a bit into it. First, my bedroom: the room where I sleep, I practise  meditation (listening to sleep stories for example) and I read before bedtime. It's the quietest place in my flat and I feel grateful for that. I still need to make some improvements regarding clothes and find some suitable fragrance like lavender or the sort that can help me go to sleep in a more relaxed way.

Next, my kitchen. It's the brightest room in my house during the day and because it  is integrated in my living room - being separated with just a breakfast table - it allows me easy access from one area to the next. I love cooking, I drink a lot of mate and I keep most of my plants in this section of the house.

Going third is my studio. It's the smallest room in the house but it is the room where I have my work stuff: laptop, bookcase, wardrobe and - luckily - a window where the light comes in. I enjoy being in this room because I can not only work remotely but also watch shows, listen to music or read online.

In order not to make this post so extensive I'm going to stop right here. 

Do you have a favourite spot? Is it indoors or outdoors? Let me know and thanks for reading!

💖💖💖  END OF DAY THREE 💖💖💖 

Gratitude Journal - Day Two -

Hello again! 

Here we are with Day 2 of our January Challenge and this is today's prompt:

What is one aspect of your daily routine you’re thankful for?

It is very difficult for me to choose in any given situation. Choosing for me implies that one is more relevant, more significant than the other(s) and I try not to do that in general but I know it's something I need to work on.

Considering that my daily routine changes when I'm working and when I'm on holidays, the one aspect that remains and the one that I am MOST thankful for is the time I allow to have for myself to do what I want: some days is listening to music, others watching a show on my laptop or on TV, some other times is reading. It is never the same pattern. It mostly depends on the mood I'm in at that precise moment.

I consider myself to be very sociable and I truly value the time I spend with my family and my friends but whenever I get the chance to be on my own I find real joy in just being in the moment.

What about you? How would you answer this question? Share your thoughts in the comments :)

Have a wonderful day!

💖💖💖 END OF DAY TWO 💖💖💖 

Gratitude Journaling - Day One -

It's been a long time since I last wrote something of my own and with the excuse of starting a new year - and with it new projects - I decided I wanted to give GRATITUDE JOURNALING a try. 

This has always been on my mind since I first heard of it but for whatever reason it never came into fruition. As with every new project or task ahead, the first step is always doing some RESEARCH so here's what I have learned so far:

• USE PROMPTS if you don't know where or how to start journaling
• MOST COMMON TOPICS to write about: FAMILY, HEALTH, NATURE, FRIENDS.
• FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE aspects of life.
• CREATE A HABIT - do it on a daily basis at around the same time every day.
• CHOOSE A JOURNAL that helps you stay MOTIVATED - I wondered whether to do it handwritten or digital but given the fact that I hadn't been writing on my blog for a long time I thought it would be a great idea to start my journey here WITH YOU.

I believe this is it. Today marks my FIRST DAY so I'll start with a prompt right below this introduction. Please share your thoughts, recommendations and any improvements you think I should be working on.

LET'S MAKE A STARTING GOAL: GRATITUDE JOURNALING THROUGH JANUARY 2025.

PROMPT NUMBER 1:  List five people in your life who you’re grateful for and why.

MY PARENTS (1 UNIT) I'm grateful for my parents being still in my life and sharing every single moment I can with them. They are my foundation and I owe EVERYTHING to them.

MY BROTHERS (1 UNIT): I'm grateful for my brothers because it's through them that I have learned the ability to share, debate, argue and love other people around me. 

MY FRIENDS (1 UNIT): I'm grateful for the friends I still carry with me after so many years together sharing laughs, cries, misunderstandings and time apart. Some of them are engraved in my heart, some others have taught me harsh truths and then there are those who have fulfilled their mission for a while and decided to follow their own paths. To ALL OF YOU I say THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. I'm who I am today because of everything you taught me.

MY WORKMATES (1 UNIT): I'm grateful for the people I work with. Some mates have become very close friends, some others are great people to work with. Considering my bosses in this group, they have shaped me in so many ways professonally that I have nothing but gratitude towards each and every one of them.

MY NEIGHBOURS (1 UNIT): Since the day I started living alone in my block of flats, I have never had any disagreement with any of my neighbours and I am very grateful for that. 

💖💖💖 END OF DAY ONE 💖💖💖