Gratitude Journal // Five - Three - Twenty Four

Sometimes, the bad days get the better of me. Other times, I get so caught up in my little world that I forget to give thanks for all of the blessings in my life. And sometimes you just need to write down the things you're grateful for to see all of your blessings. Though I admit that sometimes I take things for granted, I'm doing my best to be thankful for all of the good in my life. So, today, I’m choosing to give thanks for all of the things.

Cloudy Skies: While I enjoy the sunshine, I’m more of a stormy weather kind of girl. I enjoy cloudy days and a cool breeze. I enjoy thunderstorms and the smell of rain. Our area gets a handful of rainstorms and cloudy weather each year, but we’re getting a lot more this Spring than we normally do. You know, April showers and all. It has been so pleasant and even more enjoyable.
Consistent Sleep: Lately I’ve been averaging about 7 hours and 21 minutes of sleep each night. At least, that’s according to my Apple watch. This is down from the six-month average, but it’s to be expected with this season of life. Still, there was a time when I only slept about 6 hours and those were rough times. So, I’m grateful for anything over 7 hours. The goal is to hit 8 hours again this summer. School is about to be out for summer meaning my schedule won't be so packed. But we'll see. 
My vehicle: Two years ago, I purchased a used Ford Edge. We needed some extra room that my Equinox was no longer providing, and it was just time. Unfortunately, the Edge was not the vehicle I wanted, but it’s the one I could afford. It was brown, instead of black as it had been advertised too. However, I was tired of looking and going back and forth so I just made the decision and got it. The price was decent and it had 3 out of the 4 features I was looking for. Since then, I have spent a lot of time talking down on it. It’s ugly. It had a good amount of miles on it already. And one of the doors started making this rattling sound right after the warranty went out. Because that’s how it works right? Still, I’m grateful for it. It’s a safe vehicle. Everything works on it. And it gets us where we need to go. So, I’m doing my best to look at the bright side of it all.
Answered Prayers: I have this long list of things I pray for. And then there are people I pray for too. And while I know that unanswered prayers are answers of their own, it’s pretty exciting when something you’ve taken to the Lord comes to fruition. Today, as I’m counting my blessings I want to give thanks for all of the prayers that have been answered. Those from the past, present, and future. I truly am grateful for all I’ve been given and all that I have not.
Good Health (for now): Recently, I was told I needed to press pause on running. And while there was a good reason for it, I felt so overwhelmed with anxiety because of it. A week and a half later I was given the green light to resume running and instantly felt much better. Had it not been for my good health, the outcome could have been very different. So, today, I’m giving thanks for my health. While I know things can drastically change from one day to the next, I’m doing well at the moment. I’m able to run. And my little scare turned out to be something minor.

And that wraps up my gratitude post for this month. What are you grateful for today? This week? This month? What do you do to help bring some positivity back into your day if it's been a bad one? How do you make sure to stay grounded? Are you ready for summer? Are your kids? Do you have any vacation or staycation plans? Let me know below. Until the next post, I hope everyone has a great weekend! Adios!

“Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” // Mother Teresa 

❤

Wordless Wednesday

 

Journal Writing Prompt // Stress

Prompt: What is currently causing you stress?

Everything, if I’m being honest. Bills, home life, work, and feeling stuck. Right now, our finances are not the greatest. We had some setbacks in January and February when my husband wasn’t able to work. And while he’s back to working now, for a different company, we have yet to be able to catch up. And because of that, our credit card debt, which had previously been paid off, is back up. And if you know me, you know I hate debt. However, what else can we do when we need a credit card to cover bills and groceries?

To add to our stressors, my husband and his friend are starting their own construction company. This means a lot of work from all parties, including myself. Realistically, the first year or two will not produce any major profits. In fact, we may have to put money into it. And while I am trying to think of the long term, it can be hard to see the bigger picture when we’re struggling enough as it is. That said, this is an opportunity and dream that my husband has had for a while now, so I plan to contribute in whatever way I can to make this a reality.

Work has been on this rollercoaster lately. Some questionable things have recently come to light and made me feel uncomfortable. On more than one occasion I’ve been asked to come up with solutions that allow others to “skirt around policy.” There has also been an increase in toxicity lately, and some of it is spearheaded by leaders. There have been instances that I’ve wanted to speak up, and on occasion I have. Only it’s met with, “You don’t want to get caught on the wrong side of this.” And well, I need my job.

Now, don’t get me wrong, this is just a blip. My job and workplace haven’t always been like this. It’s a very recent development that was triggered by new internal changes. And some power struggles. I hope that with time, and some upcoming leadership changes, things will start to smooth out. Still, it doesn’t lessen the stress while dealing with it.

And finally, I’ve been feeling stuck. At the moment, I have really great benefits. The trade-off is that the pay is not ideal. Even though I’m making more than I did at my previous place of employment. And well, I’m tempted to start looking for another job because we could really use an increase in income. Plus, my student loans have kicked in, and well, I feel really bad about working so hard for a degree that I’m not even getting a decent amount of income by using it. Does that make sense? And so, I feel stuck. On the one hand, I have great benefits. On the other, pay is lacking. So, what do I do? I’m not entirely sure. I've been praying for some guidance and direction. I've been praying for doors to open or expenses to be reduced. While I know things could be a lot worse, and I'm grateful that they are not, my stress levels have been on another level lately.