One of the eleven elements of Putting Positive Psychology Into Practice (link to my blog post on that topic here) is to Practice Daily Gratitude. I’ve created a habit, as part of my morning journaling, to write down “3 things I was thankful for yesterday”. Since I’ve often found inspiration in other blogger’s gratitude postings, and I’ve been feeling a bit down this past week, I thought it would be inspiring, for both myself and hopefully you, to look back on what I’ve been thankful for since moving to Florida. It’s another good mid-summer contemplation!
- We (I) only broke 4 small (glass) things in the move of 13,000 pounds of stuff. (That is one way to downsize.)
- Getting the main living room “box-free” at 6 weeks moved in, hubby helping me move furniture around multiple times to see what works best, and then hanging 60+ pieces of artwork. Whew!
- Checking off new doctor appointments (I call it the “-ist list”), new drivers license and registrations, and new Florida-based financial papers (wills, POAs, etc.).
- Feeling of belonging with my Florida Book Club. We are meeting outdoors or in large spaces; everyone vaccinated. (I think. I hope!)
- Hubby’s handyman abilities – from hanging artwork to fixing things to yard maintenance.
- Financial security allowing us to buy new fridge (needed) and plan a kitchen refresh (wanted).
- Boating with LP to Shell Key – on my wish list for years!
- Nursery explorations with DL and coming home with multiple new pots and plants (picture on this post is the favorite pot I bought).
- Dinner /lunch dates with new “compatible couples”. (Hoping to create a local foodies group over time.)
- SW continuing to provide Zoom Zumba.
- Normal days of yoga, reading, beach walks, and cooking.
- Figuring out new free source for my daily crossword.
- Peaches from The Peach Truck and learning to make peach smoothies (yum).
- Hurricane Elsa being a dud.
- Keeping connected to distant friends with FaceTime wine, virtual walks, and long chats.
- Mom continuing to be healthy, and starting to be able to go out & about post-pandemic.
- Increasing number of new things post pandemic – making new friends, joining local garden club, exploring shops, trying new recipes with fresh herbs & new spices (thanks LB for the gift of monthly spices!)
Looking back on my daily gratitude does help boost my mood and raise hope. I hope the local Red Tide (toxic algae bloom with massive fish kills) continues to subside. I hope our slide back into high Covid numbers can be halted as I was enjoying a return to doing things out & about. I hope you found my gratitude inspiring.
Do you do any form of daily gratitude?
Picture Credit: Me – one of my new flower pots!
retirementtransition 
I don’t actually write down my gratitude’s but I do think about them daily. I actually did a 31 day gratitude challenge a few years ago in a January as a way to really put it into perspective. Sorry about the Covid situation — I feel like we are all in for a rough 4th wave with the anti vaxer’s and my personal “opening” has been a lot softer and less inclusive than the health authority and the province have said it could be. I have two little grandchildren who can not be vaccinated yet so I have to be cautious on their behalf.
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I totally understand the caution for those who cannot be vaccinated. Yes, the anti-axers and those who just won’t bother are really making me mad. Florida numbers have skyrocketed again, and even folks with vaccines are getting the virus now. Not critically sick, but still. And I worry about transmitting it to someone, too. It’s so frustrating to be having to go back to avoiding gatherings!
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It’s really good to remember gratitude in the so-called worst times of life..as I have found and even though I may not be recording the 3 or more of the day as much, I can summon gratitude in a not-great situation (for example, lockdown week 5 here ) and that eases my worry.
You do sound like things are really moving forward in your new home and place to call home.
Thank you for linking up this week for #LifeThisWeek. Glad you could join in. Hope to see you next Monday. Cheers, Denyse.
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Denyse, I shifted to trying to be more positive about life a year or so before I was diagnosed with cancer and it was really helpful. I started the daily 3 things just before the pandemic, and it has certainly helped keep me positive through it all. And now, with our local huge Covid resurgence (our state has >10,000 new cases a day and highest hospitalizations since it started), the daily focus on gratitude is even more important. Because otherwise, I’d be depressed and angry…I guess I should say even more depressed and angry!
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Good work and excellent planning. Yes, being grateful helps me hugely too…as well as keeping away from some of the twitter convos that get me “mad”
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You did well to move and only damage a couple of things! That’s a massive tick. Re gratitude I tend to write down 3 things a day. Sometimes it takes more effort to spin than others and a dreadful day in the office becomes gratitude that I have a job with flexibility, for example.
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Jo, I like the spin onto a job with flexibility. I’m spinning the forced to stay at home and inside (Covid resurgence and Red Tide air quality) into I have a lovely comfortable home!
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Laughing hard at your filling the glass on the alternative way to downsize. 🙂 I hope nothing too valuable was broken! – Marty
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Marty, Thank goodness someone caught that! The worst thing broken was a couple of wine glasses and quickly replaced… so actually not a downsize! Because, wine glasses are a necessity.
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Anything moving related is a great thing to tick off and be grateful for.
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I often participate in a weekly phone-in gratitude group sponsored by the Alberta Seniors’ Center Without Walls organization. I appreciate the community of participants who always find something to be grateful for and I leave the hour long call feeling uplifted. I keep a Jar of Gratitude on the window sill beside the kitchen sink and often read through the entries to keep me inspired and motivated. Most recently, I am grateful for the perseverance and resilience of area farmers/ranchers who are dealing with the drought/heat in the area – a lesson for us all.
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I too am uplifted by others gratitudes. I keep a list of “daily things that make me happy” also, which I will read if I start to feel down about my life. I like the idea of a Jar of Gratitude also.
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I suspect you will learn why Floridians often ignore hurricane warnings. As my daughter in Charleston,SC has learned, sadly hurricanes are often predicted as dire but rarely turn out to be. Much like the thunder or snow storms in Cincinnati that are over promoted which helps drive ratings. After evacuating with pets during past hurricanes and paying for hotels, she no longer follows the dire warnings.
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I’ve been lucky in finding one local weather person who consistently says “don’t panic”. He did say prepare for Elsa, as it was on-path, at 12 hours out, to hit us hard. Not evacuate, just prepare. Not run for groceries, just “batten the hatches”. It being our first time ever preparing, it was a learning experience!
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Hi Pat – I think gratitude really does our hearts good. I’m glad you found so much to be thankful for in your move and that you seem to be settling in really well. I’m putting more emphasis on my real life connections these days – being more hands on and trying new things. I’m online less, and losing some of my blogging connections since turning off my comments – but that was to be expected I guess. Keep enjoying the sunshine – we’re in the middle of Winter here, but covid free and out and about, so I’m very grateful for where I live.
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Leanne, I’m leaning more into on-line connections as Covid resurges here. It’s very depressing to be sliding back into full-pandemic-mode living. Yes, the area I moved to is full of “anti-vaxers”, those who will not get vaccinated. It’s not something I explored before moving. Hospitalizations are at an all time high locally. Focusing on other things I’m grateful for was helpful.
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