I think this is going to be a great year, in many ways, and I look forward to seeing all the good things that are coming my way....and yours, too!
We had a small gathering to ring in the new year and it was a lot of fun. I am grateful that I have so many wonderful friends and even though not all of them could be here for the festivities, (our house is not big and some of them live far away!) at least I was able to celebrate with a few of them. My thanks to those who were here!
So, have you all heard about the power of being Grateful?
It is said that if you are grateful, you'll be a happier person. So, would any of you care to take the challenge that I propose? I challenge you to start a Gratitude Journal and keep it for a year. There are a couple of books that I'd recommend, for the journal. One is Jack Canfield and D.D. Watkins', Gratitude: A Daily Journal. The other helpful book, by Jack Canfield, is, The Key to Using the Law of Attraction. I highly recommend this book. But, if you haven't seen the movie, The Secret, yet, maybe you should do that, first! I had to wait for a week to rent it from Movietime a couple of years ago, but perhaps it has calmed down by now. I hope not. :)
I was looking for calendars the other day in Incahoots, (for you locals) and found these gorgeous desk calendars!! I bought three of them, for three different friends, and when one of those friends opened hers, she said it was too beautiful to fill in with appointments and meetings. I suggested using it as a Gratitude Journal... and she agreed that that was a lovely idea! You can see these books here:
http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/products/?isbn=0740775448 The one I'm showing here has a butterfly theme, but the one on the website is called, "Nesting" and is a bird theme. Both equally beautiful, in my opinion. (I bought both of them!) The pages for your entries look like old ledgers. Very antiquey looking. (Shown above as I can't figure out how to put these pictures exactly where I want them to be!!) :)
So, in Jack Canfield's Gratitude Journal, he talks about thinking about your day, at the end of each day, and writing down five things that happened during that day that you are grateful for. I'd like to ask you to write just three things that you're grateful for, here, just to get you started. :) (Click on "__ comments" and it'll take you to the comment area. The ___ is for the number of comments already posted. It might say "0 comments" or "2 comments", but that's where you want to go to comment!) One of the tricky things is to be grateful for even the things that you don't really want to happen again! In my mind, it's not really about being grateful for those events or happenings, but just to be grateful, always. I heard about being grateful for everything years ago, but I haven't had a clear understanding of why you'd want to do that ~ until this morning!! What The Secret tells us, from my perspective (and now I know that I need to watch it again!!) is that what we focus on, grows. Many of us already know that. But, also, what we are grateful for - we get more of. So, why would I want to be grateful for something "bad"? But, it's not what I'm grateful for that dictates what comes to me....it's that negative happenings have a lower frequency. Positive happenings have a higher frequency. When you have higher vibrations, via love and gratitude, (your feelings and emotions) you resonate with other higher frequencies! Plus, you simply feel better and so don't attract the lower frequencies! The Secret puts it in a fairly simple manner..... easy to understand, for the most part. Watch it. I'm finding that I want to give a copy to everyone that I know!! Especially to people who are having real problems in their lives.
Inside this Day Book, at each season change, there is this beautiful layout. The one I chose is for Winter... I thought that was appropriate. :) It's the photo at the top of this post.
I just learned that the best way to put photos on here is to put all the photos on, first, and then do your text around them. So, in all fairness, I should have photos of the Jack Canfield's Gratitude book.....but, I'll do that in another post so as not to confuse myself. :)
So, are you with me on the challenge?? If so, please add what you're grateful for here, too....just three things... that's all you have to write! Then, think about them the rest of your day. (You can write more if you'd like!) Then, start a gratitude journal and intend to keep it for a year. I'd love to hear your feedback after you've been doing it for a month or so. (The beautiful calendars/day books at Incahoots are on sale right now!) If you're going to join me in this challenge, please let me know! Thanks!
Since I'm asking you to list what you're grateful for, it's only fair of me to list what I'm grateful for! I'll start out with the obvious... my wonderful husband, our four great kids and that we are all healthy.
Here's to a year of Gratitude! Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!! I know, I know... here I am, wishing you a Happy New Year and, yet, I'm showing you more Christmassy things! Unfortunately, there will probably be even more after this.... I think I have one more of these to make...then, I can send them off!! You see, it all comes from starting on my Christmas preparations so late. That puts me still working on Christmas gifts when my mom's birthday rolls around on January 10th!! So, of course, I start out at a deficit and then that seems to continue all year through. :( It has to change. Please, someone remind me no later than September (!!), to start working on my gifts!! Plus, I like to make things for peoples' birthdays, too, so I am making things all year round. It's always one of my New Year's Resolutions....usually the only one, really. Manage my time better - and don't procrastinate (!!) - in order to get cards and gifts to people on time!! Wish me luck!!!
So, the snowflakes that I mounted over everything on these were from a punch. My son went crazy and punched a bunch of them a few years ago, (after he talked me into buying that punch because he loved it soooo much!!), but, then, we didn't really know what to do with them. I've kept them in a little open tin all these years, figuring I'd use them someday. I coated them with Mod-Podge and then covered them with an ultra-fine glitter... the color is "Crystal".... it's a Martha Stewart glitter, actually. Then, I adhered them by putting more Mod-Podge on the back.
The "Christmas Greetings" on this one is raised with double-sided foam tape. Mine is made by 3M, but it's no longer in its original package and I've had it for so long that I can't remember what the name of it is. I mean, I've had it probably close to 20 years! You can find it here. It's easy to cut, if you need it to be rounded off, or whatever. It's also under those birds on the one that I posted before.
