Day 28: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 28: Today I am grateful for finishing work earlier than expected!

So we're almost at the end of the 30 Gratitude Challenge - or as I've been thinking about it differently -30 Day of Gratitude.  If you said you wanted to join in on the Gratitude Challenge and at first it's easy to start, but the moment we skip a day, those days we miss end up being more frequent than you like - perhaps start asking yourself "How can I make time to contribute daily to my gratitude practice?".

If you have been enjoying the process of the Gratitude Challenge, but haven't been that committed to it, perhaps ask yourself if a daily gratitude practice matters to you?

For me, I have started and I have stopped my gratitude journal and then I have started and again have stopped... but what it came down to was that I soon realised, I was a better person for doing it, so for me - IT MATTERED! It was important to enough to me, contributing to my general overall BEING and made me a better person more than less, that it became important enough to no longer make excuses.  It wasn't about 'having' time, it became about 'making' time.

Perhaps you've heard the saying - How you do one thing in a part of your life, is a reflection of how you do everything... So if you're making excuses for one thing (that could  be more important to you), what else are you making excuses for?

Day 27: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 27: Today I am grateful for my mum, for everything she's done for me in ally years of my life

The baby hasn't arrived yet, but with all the antenatal classes I've been attending, I've been learning how to cope with labour, what to do when the little human gets here, how to change a nappy, when, how and how often you might feed the munchkin etc etc. 

All these things are great to know and a kickstart on how to be a good mother -  lessons I know I'm going to just have to work out along the way...but it's made me appreciate everything my mum had to go through when birthing me, bringing me up in this big world and the guidance and life lessons she's tried to teach me along the way. Of course she still likes to tell me how it's done or how I should do things...but then that's up to me whether or not I decide to take it on board or make my own decisions about it!

As we get older and we from our own lives with our own personalities and form our own beliefs, we may not agree to everything our mother or parents said but it's important to be grateful and appreciative for all that they've done and try to do. 

We don't need to follow everything they say, but we probably need to be a little more understanding and know they have just come from a place of their own life lessons, beliefs, upbringing and ideas on 'life'. 

Our mums (like soon-to-be-me!) aren't perfect, but they are good or great in so many ways! 

How are you grateful for your mum?

Day 26: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 26: Today I am grateful for all my life's learnings, for it has brought me to where I am today

We're all life-students, really! Everyday we learn something new and we don't necessarily need to be in education or going to school. 

Every time I read something new in one of those pregnancy books I'm learning something to prepare me for my unknown life ahead! Going to the prenatal hospital classes, even if I've heard it before, I'll still learn something new that just might not have stuck, the first time. 

Embrace being a Life-Student and see what learnings you gain for your future self or reflect on what you have already learnt or 'stumbled upon' that had prepared you for what and who you are now.... 

Day 25: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 25: Today I am grateful for all the little things my husband did for me today

Ok, so I'm getting further along in my pregnancy, which does lead me to have to restrain from doing EVERY thing I might have liked, needed to or wanted to - there was a small moment, where i felt a little helpless today...  But, I know I just had to let it go, accept where I am in my life and ask for help.

My amazing husband, well I just appreciate all the little things he has done for me today - like, coming home in between games (he plays "football") to help me with the fridge debacle (which turned out to just be the light bulb, but these days moving a big fridge is not really ideal at this moment of my life!).

Wanna know what other amazing things I appreciated him for? He did a little housework - and I know you think that he should be helping me with it anyway, but given the fact he's been working a lot of long hours at work, coming home to work more on the laptop, being dragged to parenting classes at the hospital, mustering up the energy to play his usual amounts of football etc etc. and he's done all this housework for me (because I asked for help) with his whole heart when he probably needed a rest, more than anything.

I simply, am HAPPY for having him in my life, that we met and all that mushy stuff ;)

A BIG THANK YOU for being you goes out to my lovely husband! :) xxx

- and I know he appreciates me for carrying this little munchkin I'm growing inside me! ;)

Day 24: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 24: Today I am grateful for the feedback which I received from a friend and follower on my 30 Day Gratitude Challenge

If we're not doing things for ourselves, then who are we doing them for? 

I started this 30 Day Gratitude Challenge for myself, but wanted to share it with family, friends, followers - EVERYONE! When I started blogging, I had no idea, this is where it would lead me - having this new found passion for inspiring others and reminding not only myself but others to see things different (get a different perspective) and perhaps filter in a change in people to BE more positive and happy.

For me, the gratitude challenge part is easy - I have a gratitude journal which I write in every morning - what's been challenging is the actual blogging everyday!  But I have completely embraced it and enjoying the process.

I certainly have a much better appreciation for the little things as well as those who are writers full-time, where writing is their number one passion!

How has your world changed since you took on the Gratitude Challenge?  I'd love more feedback!

Day 23: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 23: Today I am grateful for the lovely compliment I received from my client. 

How we carry ourselves is reflection of how we might be feeling or projecting in that moment. It can also affect others without us realising (even though we are not really responsible for their own feelings!).

I had the nicest compliment today from my client who told me she was glad I was a part of her special day because I was nice and calm and in control and that kept her calm too. 

It gave me that fuzzy feeling of satisfaction that I had done a job well done. Again this gave me an awareness on how our own energy can have a profound effect on others. 

How are you carrying your energy? Are you uplifting others or bringing them down? 

Day 22: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 22: Today I am grateful for a friend checking in with me

Isn't it nice to have someone check in with you now and again? How good does it feel? Out of the blue and it also allows you to check in with yourself. 

When I checked in with myself today, I noticed how much my energy had shifted and I was feeling amazing! I felt much better rested and noticed that it was just some rest which is what I needed to make a shift and change my attitude, my behavior, my actions etc.

It's important to check in with yourself on a daily basis. Ask yourself what is it that you need? Sometimes it might be the opposite of rest! Perhaps you are needing to do some exercise? Perhaps you just need to catch up with a friend to feel like you're being heard, perhaps you just need a hug.

Whatever it may be, allow yourself to have that and to fulfill your needs. It's much easier to help someone else when, you, yourself have had your own needs fulfilled :)

Day 21: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 21: Today I am grateful for the rain

I usually love, love, LOVE the sunshine because for me, it brightens up my day, it makes me happy and I associate it with growth.  But you can't have one without the other - if we only had sunshine, how will things grow without a little rain?

Today I am grateful for this beautiful rainy day - it didn't start off that way, but it's been raining for a few hours now and it's rather refreshing on this humid day.  It waters the dry land, my herbs and garden, it cools down the warm air. Today, there was a moment, where I found it peaceful, calming and soothing - the light pitter-patter of rain drops.  Almost meditative...

How do you view the rain?  And what about the ups and downs in life?  We know HAPPINESS because we've experience sadness... the two compliment each other! It allows us to appreciate the good times, the happy times and the UP moments in our lives :)

Day 20: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 20: Today I am grateful for the afternoon snooze I had

Sometimes we just need a nanna nap! Listen to your body and ask it what it needs. For me, I've been needing a little extra rest so today I decided that a nap was more important than any other 'domestic' thing I might have had to do when I got home from work today. 

We may not be having the best day, but if we can find a special reflective moment of when it wasn't bad, then at least we had a good moment in our day! And that's gotta good right?!? :)

Day 19: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 19: Today I am grateful for my meditation awareness this morning - to be made aware of my energy and what I may be projecting

In the last couple of days, my awareness has shifted to a different level - I did things differently...

I listened to my night time visualisation meditation lying down with my feet up against the wall - for me, I did this because I was trying to also do two things at once, I wanted to start practising putting my legs up the wall to relieve my swollen legs (joys of pregnancy!) and at the same time it was keeping me awake enough (whilst lying down) so that I didn't fall asleep during my night time meditation! It was AMAZING - I was able to listen to the whole visualisation meditation all the way to the end and I had a different awareness.

This morning, my mind was quite focused again and again I was able to listen to each word at the beginning of the meditation and had some new awareness and learnings - I am so grateful for this as it brought a different energy to my day.

Have you ever had an awareness around your energy?  What did it do for you?

Day 18: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 18: Today I'm grateful for my friend's happiness

This afternoon I caught up with a friend who came down to visit and I am so very happy for her how her life has turned around and she's happy where she is in her life right now, who she's attracted into her life and how she's loving her new situation/life, space, love and the people she's surrounded with. 

Sometimes we find happiness in seeing other people BEING HAPPY. 

Who are you happy for today? Sometimes we just need to give out love in order to feel the LOVE ;)

Day 17: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 17: I am grateful to finally get home and crash on the couch after a long day of busy-ness.

After a busy day of appointments and on the go all day long, it was nice to finally come home to do nothing and just relax. It's great to have a place to call 'home', to come back to, a place that's like my sanctuary where I can unwind, relax and find a space to 'detox' from the day.

Today I'm making up for the day I missed yesterday on my entry for my 30 Day Gratitude Challenge - I was absolutely exhausted and although I know I am dedicated to this challenge, I realised this morning that I had forgotten to post - but you know what? I'm just real. Sometimes we miss something we are committed to and that's ok, if it's important enough to us, we'll make up for lost time, so to speak - as long as your self-talk doesn't put yourself down.

What might you be saying to yourself?  Does your self-talk pick you up or is it bringing you down?

Day 16: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 16: Today I am grateful for my peppermint chocolate frog from Haigh's!

So it happens to be Valentine's Day today and I am grateful for having someone to share this day with. My small little gift is such a simple little thing to receive but it's one of my favourites - who doesn't like chocolate after all?! 

Sometimes it's the simple things in life which are often the most beautiful ;)

Day 15: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 15: Today I am grateful for staying committed and taking myself to the pre-natal yoga class I had intended to go to all day.

It's so easy for us to give ourselves excuses to not do something we know will make us feel SO much better once we've done it - it's like there is a liiiittle obstacle in our way and perhaps the worst thing we might do for ourselves is to not do it. And if we don't, other 'stuff' might come up, like guilt or feeling worse than we did beforehand.

This afternoon, I felt I had already been pretty active today since I went for a swim at the pool, so I almost decided not to go to pre-natal yoga which is what I promised myself I would do since I didn't go the evening before. Setting intentions at the beginning of the day, can set us up for how we might choose to live our day.

I said to myself "Now I made the commitment and I'm going to stick with it" - also knowing deep down inside I would probably feel much better about myself and of course it's good for the baby, which is such a motivation driver for me at the moment!

Do you find yourself giving excuses and putting off something you know will do you good?  If we keep doing the same thing and giving us the same excuses but expecting a different result - well that's just the definition of insanity! LOL.  Make the shift, make the change, stick to your guns and your commitment to yourself.  You will have EVERYTHING to GAIN!

"Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you HAPPY" - quote from the movie, Legally Blonde

Day 14: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 14: Today I grateful for where we have chosen to life at present

I absolutely love where we live - in Bondi. We're close to the beach, close to nice dining areas, close to a lot of things - did I mention the beach??!?

There's something so magical and calming about going for a morning stroll along the beach and breathing in the ocean air - and even better, watching the sun rise.  Ahhhhh.... and I love that we're so close - within walking distance!  We're so lucky and I'm so grateful we have the ocean so accessible to us.... BLISS :)

How are you grateful for your surroundings?  Maybe you live in a city, but you LOVE the city?  What do you love about it that you can be grateful for? Being grateful for it, has it changed your perspective in any way?

Day 13: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 13: Today I'm grateful for the change in weather

There are plenty of things we can't control and things we cannot change - we just need to accept whatever is, be.  So stop resisting and refocus your energy on what's actually working for you or what can be changed.  Much easier flow, right?

For example, the weather - we have absolutely no control over that, do we? What else can't you change?  Once we acknowledge that we can't change those things, it makes it easier for us to let that go and make a shift towards changing what we can focus on that is working for us instead.  

Today, I was grateful that the weather had dropped slightly and changed from yesterday - I found it much easier to breathe. But the weather is never consistent! The sun came out later and although I was grateful to see the sun shine, I too am grateful I went to the cinema with a friend in the afternoon to get out of the heat and into some air conditioning to be cooled down and to feel relaxed :)

Just...Let go.... :)

Day 12: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 12: Today I am grateful for my dad popping over and randomly helping me with the housework - more specifically the vacuuming!

Each day, there is always something you can be thankful for - especially other people.  

My dad popped over to drop something off and pick something up and little did I know or he knew for that matter, that he would end up helping me with the housework (ok, so I had the intention to vacuum my house, but I didn't realise today I would be feeling tired, out of breath, a sore back and a baby stretching out so much in my tummy making it difficult to move around today - Hello third trimester pregnancy!).

I am so thankful for the visit for a number of reasons, particularly the little thing of housework!  Who doesn't like help with housework! :)  It's the little thing that counts and my dad is the best!

Take a moment to think about some of the members in your family - why might you be grateful for having them be a part of your life? What might they have done for you today or in the past that you might not have given a second thought on?  Perhaps just let them know you're thinking of them and you're grateful for them :)

Having an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE is a wonderful thing! 

Happy Dayz!

Day 11: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 11: Today I am grateful for meeting some amazing girls at a retreat in Bali. They are all lovely with their unique talents and big hearts :)

The other day I got to catch up with some beautiful girls who I met in Bali last year. We have kept in touch over Facebook and I'm grateful as they are some of the loveliest people I have met who, with their unique talents and personalities, add total value to my life. It's amazing how this can be when I have not known them for years and years as many of my other friends. But here's to new friendships I say!

I later discovered that one of them, Nicole, writes a blog: www.healthyhappymind.blogspot.com.au

Which I wanted to share with you. I find it inspirational and perhaps you might too!

It's so important to surround yourself with HAPPY people. People who INSPIRE you. SUPPORT you and UPLIFT you - this is what feeds your "well" BEING! 

Day 10: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 10: Today I am grateful for being given even more baby stuff from our friends!

As we're starting out with hour first baby, we're slowly discovering all he things we need to get for it's arrival! Like a cot, change table etc. and we're lucky and grateful that so many of our friend have been so generous and have given a lot of they're old stuff! Not only had it been saving us money, but also we get to have some things we probably didn't think of getting (yet!). 

What gifts might you be grateful for receiving?

Day 9: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 9: today I am grateful our schedules finally falling into place so that we were able to have a family dinner

It's always nice to spend time with the family and have a laugh, but with anything, nothing is perfect, there's the good times and the times you might 'fight' with your siblings when you were younger ;) but it's always good to remember the good times and to have fun together. To gather with the people you've known your whole life who love you unconditionally and support you in their own way, the way they know how. 

Love your family and love your friends. Your friends are your family you choose for yourself after all :)

Day 8: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 8: Today I'm grateful for being appreciated. 

Often, we might go about our day, without stopping to think what we might have to offer to the world, our community or our friends and family or even our work colleagues. We just go about our day 'same old, same old' and with no awareness how we might have an effect on others.

Today, I felt appreciated by the talent and it felt really good! Sure, I feel confident in what I do, but it's such a compliment when you find out from the talent themselves that they were so glad to see me on this job as it gave them the confidence in themselves too :)

Do you have an awareness of how important you are? How important you might be to someone else or of part of a team?

We are all important in one way or other for whatever reason. It's another reason why I consistently like to check-in and create more awareness of myself, my well BEING, my state of mind, my health and my mindset. For I know that when I am the best person I can be, I'm an even better version of myself to/for someone else.

How about you?

Day 7: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 7: Today I am grateful for for finding this little gem of inspiration!

Of all the places to find inspiration, I certainly didn't expect it to be on the ANZ banking website!

Everyday there is something out there waiting to be noticed - but have you found that you didn't notice something that has always been there and then suddenly you see it?

It's because we didn't have an awareness of it before and now that we are ready to notice it - it comes into your life or your attention :)

What are you needing to notice?  Just put it out there to the universe and when you're ready, the universe will present it to you :)  Sometimes we just need to come into the present moment to notice that little gem!

Day 6: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 6: Today I'm grateful I went to PT and for doing some exercise - and that a good friend introduced me to my current trainer! I'm also grateful for the friend who have me this book as a birthday gift one year - always great for a reminder!

Exercise is so worth it, no matter what you think at the time. It gives you energy you didn't think you have and you will generally feel good and happy once all those endorphins are released!

What's extra special for me is that going to personal training with Mel, is always fun, even if I'm not 100% up for it - like today. I was feeling a bit...tired? (For use of a better word). It could have been the weather or the pregnancy that I was finding it a tiny bit of a struggle with my breathing today. But we always have a laugh and it's never boring as every week she's set up something different! She's always so encouraging and at a particular session she minded me of this very book above (I was telling her a story from the weekend). Don't Sweat The Small Stuff! And she's so right. Sweating the small stuff can alter your mood dramatically. It leads to bigger stuff and that bigger stuff didn't need to happen but it did because I didn't let go of the little thing!

So let go of the small stuff, incorporate some exercise into your week and overall you're that little bit happier ;)

Day 5: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 5: Today I'm grateful for having the opportunity to work with and collaborate with such a great creative team

I think it's important to do what makes you happy because in return you end up loving what you're doing - you enjoy going to work each day, or you love turning up to that yoga class or going for that swim or waking up early just to see the sunrise. 

Do you love what you do? Does it make you happy?

If you're not in the most ideal situation, what could you be doing right now, in this moment to change your situation - either short term or for the future?

Day 4 - "30 day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 4: Today I am grateful for my dinner being made for me! 

It's always a treat having someone else cook you dinner or perhaps a cup of tea when you seem to need it most!

We all have needs and it's important to listen to your body and be intuitive to it. I may have had 9 hours sleep last night but I was still feeling lethargic when I woke up. I'm not perfect and I'm ok with that. After all we're not super human. 

Sometimes we have commitments that we have committed to, like going to work each week or day (or a full weekend if birthing classes!), even if we may not feel up for it. We just have to remember the purpose of doing what we have chosen to do. 

As soon as you get home, look after yourself as best as you can in order to rejuvenate. It's different for everyone. Perhaps it's doing some meditation to centre you after a hectic day, a bath or shower to forget any stresses that may have turned up and to release those tense muscles or just another early night to bed so your brain can just process the day. 

Whatever it may be, try to find some positivity in your day at the end of the day. Maybe this might be the best time for you to reflect in your gratitude journal. It might be the very thing to help induce a more restful sleep! ;)

Day 3 - "30 day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 3: Today I'm grateful for my amazing supportive husband!

It's the little things that count - like my husband coming to calm birthing classes all weekend when I know he would rather be relaxing at home or doing anything but! (Especially after a full week of work!) - it's the support that he gives from his heart.

So next time, why not notice all the little things that your partner (sister/brother/friend etc) does for you instead of picking on the things they haven't. 

Got that warm fuzzy feeling of goodness and happiness? :) Thought so... 

Happy Times! :)