I don’t know about you, but right now there are a lot of uncertainties going on in my life. Not all of them are bad, per se, or giving me anxiety 24/7, but some of them…are. I have to admit, I have been driving myself NUTS trying to get all my ducks in a row so that the haunting feeling of the unknown, the one that keeps making my heart feel ten times heavier than normal, can go away.
Recently, I reached out to one of my sweet sorority sisters earlier last week and talked to her about how I had been feeling this sense of unworthiness lately. If you are on a career path where your worth tends to come from personal metrics or numbers, you know exactly how it feels to ocasionally find yourself trying to find your identity in your “numbers.” To say the least, it can get quite overwhelming.
I presented her with a SparkNotes rundown of a particular uncertainty going on in my life and before she even addressed my semi-freak out, she offered some really great advice. “Maybe you should try doing a gratitude challenge each day.” In my head I was a little defensive about her advice. What do you mean, of course I am grateful for each day! Of course I give gratitude to God on the daily before I even roll out of bed! Right now, we need to focus on my freakouts about the future, not making positive lists every day. That is not the solution to this problem…so I thought.
I just finished my first week of daily gratitude journaling. I had no idea the impact this would have on how I looked at myself, my purpose, the world around me, and how God shows up in spaces and places where I didn’t initially think He could be. Even on the “bad days” when I thought I would have nothing positive to write down, I found myself finding even the smallest things to be grateful for.
Gratitude journaling is helping me navigate peace through my uncertainties. It is building up my faith in myself and my God. I am learning to rest and have been really productive in practicing that balance in my life. Even though I initially didn’t understand where my sister was coming from, after this first week, one thing has become clear. Maybe because I have been focusing too much on all the things I perceived to be going wrong, I missed out on all the things that are actually going right.
What are you grateful for today? That morning coffee? Spending time with your family or babes? New groceries?
I think we get into such bad habits of thinking that the only way you can (or should) be celebrated is if you do something extraordinary like cure cancer. Yes, that should be celebrated, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t show joy and gratitude for the little things too.
I’m telling you, sister, my perspective is changing, my focus is sharper, and I can feel the intention in my heart and mind becoming more rich in authentic purpose.
I want to encourage you to see if you can try your out your own gratitude journaling challenge. It’s quite simple. Every day you write out what you are grateful for or positive things that happen. It can be in the form of bullet points or paragraphs. I write mine in the form of letters to God or in the notes section of my phone. I promise you that you will surprise yourself and start to feel a change in your heart.
Special shout out to my sorority sister (she knows who she is) for helping me during my time of need and I hope that you, reader, can pass this concept on to someone else who you know would benefit from.
As always, you are blessed, brilliant, and beautiful. Remember, joy comes in the morning. Don’t forget to look for it even in the smallest of ways.
Love, TD
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus
Philippians 4:6-7
