A few posts ago I mentioned making a “Gratitude List” to help fight depression & subsequent attitudes that follow. Of course I am grateful for my dear hubby, family, and friends. This list would be miles long if I mentioned them all (and be very boring to read) so …
So this list is what I am also grateful for:
My puppy (even though she is a complete and total pain in the butt, we adore each other)
That I live in a time with indoor plumbing and electricity
Hollywood Movies
Small towns
Retirement (I smile every time I remember that I am!)
Board meetings are only once per month
Novels – even the monstrosity I have written for the past three years now.
My blog. It saved my sanity in 2011-2012. (OK, but at least most of it)
I have the means now to see my BFF every year. (She lives 2,000 miles away.)
I cannot leave out the most important thing I am grateful for – a loving God and a VERY hard-working, ever patient, guardian angel. I’ve never met him, but I know he is there. Always ready to protect me from (myself mostly), and kick my butt when he has had it with my stupidity and needs to get my attention.
I imagine he looks formidable and handsome – like Ving Rhames.
I am also grateful for so many little, silly things. Maybe someday I’ll put together that list for Thursday’s Giggles and Bits. It’s a thought!
Let me say up-front: The Bitch has been up to her wicked ways, but she has not been successful. ♥
With major life changes going on, retiring and moving from a city to a small town in the Sierra foothills, I have dealt with stress and emotions for weeks now. I am wanting to start-up smoking again to relieve some of the pressure and strangeness I’m feeling.
Soooo, it’s time to remind myself of why I quit AND why I need to stay quit. I should remind myself of the perks too. Yes, believe it or not, there are perks!
Because I have not come up with the box that has my medical info and original list of reasons to quit inside of it, I will do my best to recreate it here. If you are recovering from any kind of addiction, I invite you to make a reason list along with me. You also have reasons to stay clean. Who knows? We may even share a few of them…
Jodi’s Reason List:
Both of my parents died young of smoking related illnesses.
I have chronic health conditions that are bad enough without being worsened by smoking.
I don’t want to be the source of 2nd hand smoke anymore.
Always had to interrupt whatever I was doing to go have a cigarette, because I just had to have one! (Perk: I won’t be standing outside in horrible weather because I have to smoke)
Two words: Ashtray breath (Perk: My gums are healthier and not receding anymore)
It embarrassed me to be the only one at work who smoked (Perk: People stopped giving me crap about it)
Was tired of being smelly (Perk: I can wear perfume and smell wonderful now)
Sometimes I would chain smoke until I was nauseous (Perk: I make a lot of baby blankets)
I hate the lying & conniving tobacco industry, and I don’t want to support them anymore.
I hate paying all the taxes when buying cigarettes. (Perk: I’ve saved $$$ )
Thank you message in the grotto of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (New Orleans). Image courtesy of Wikipedia
I didn’t know that either, until today, after I googled it. This is the perfect month for the National Thank You to be in. Right after Christmas, and to put a positive spin on the new year. January is usually my least favorite month. I’m either sick, depressed, or both. So, I will start being thankful that January only has a couple more weeks to go. 🙂
I came across the following article, “Tips for Nurturing Your Gratitude Attitude“, written by Laura Carlson and appears in ICDC Life, the official magazine of ICDC College. Perhaps you’ll get something out of it too…
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“When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself.”
—Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief
First and foremost, developing a gratitude attitude can actually help make you healthier and happier. Recent research shows that gratefulness has been associated with better sleep, lower anxiety and depression, and heightened satisfaction with life. Plus, it helps you behave nicer toward others.
Consider the facts from a University of California, Davis /University of Miami study on gratitude. The study’s subjects were asked to keep a weekly journal of five things they were grateful for (such as an outing they enjoyed, a friend’s kindness, or something new they learned). When compared with the control group, those keeping the journal felt happier and had fewer physical issues.
Second, further benefits of gratitude were shown in a separate study of people with neuromuscular issues. The ones who kept a gratitude log reported feeling happier, and they also fell asleep more quickly. They slept longer and woke up feeling more refreshed, too!
Third, other research showed that a grateful attitude is associated with reduced levels of aggression. A thankful outlook can improve mental well-being and motivate people to express concern for others.
Here are some ways to celebrate National Thank-You Month:
Keep a gratitude journal. Each week, jot down five specific reasons to give thanks—like anything going well in your life. (Note: If you have a way of viewing the world that is mean and downcast, you’re likely going to receive anger and frustration in return.)
Try doing small, thoughtful things for your family. It doesn’t matter how dysfunctional your family might be, you can do small, thoughtful things. For instance, when you truly listen to them, you will begin to see subtle, positive reactions, according to research done at University of California, Riverside.
Make a gratitude visit. Write a letter to a person who improved your life and remember to be specific. Bring it to them in person, and try not to tell him or her ahead of time what your visit is about. When you meet up with the person, read the letter slowly to the recipient. According to a study at University of Pennsylvania, you will start to feel happier yourself!
Hang out with thankful people. When you socialize with others who are optimistic and appreciative, it can be contagious. These people tend to be energetic, have a happy attitude, and are comfortable trying new things.
Jodi Lea's Place 