Happy I'm Grateful

by Judy

Over the past several years I worked from home and I loved it.  It was just me, my computer, my cups of coffee and soft music playing in the background.  Although I was always very busy, I felt so lucky to have that job and to spend my days in my own "happy place."

 Fast forward to the part where the CEO/Owner retires and dissolves the business, leaving me looking for a job.  Bummer.  I knew there was no way I was going to find a job like the one I had just lost, however, I was very lucky to find another job quickly, that is close to home, and works perfectly with my son's school schedule. So imagine my dismay when I realized, just a few days into this new job, that one of the people I work very closely with each day is an extremely negative person.   A real Debbie Downer.  A Greta Grouchy.   A Whiny Winifred.  Yes. That bad.

Now in the past, this would have really bothered me.  It may have even made me grouchy and negative after days of that.  You know they say negativity breeds negativity.  Boy is that true. It can spread like a wild fire! 

As some of you who follow this blog regularly may remember - at the beginning of this year I began a grateful project.  Every day I write down something, or many things, that I am grateful for that day.  I fold the paper up and place it in my "grateful jar."  If you'd like, you can read about it here. 

I cannot believe how much this grateful project has changed me.  After nine full months of focusing on gratitude I am a much happier person.  I don't dwell on the negative, which I'm sad to say, I used to do quite often.  And when something bad happens I can immediately think of things to be grateful for, realizing that things could be much worse.  Living gratefully helps me manage those times that life brings me negative and destructive feelings, or people, or emotions.  It is something that has been so simple for me to do, but has changed my life for the better in such a short time. 

Have you ever done a "Grateful Project?" We 'd love it if you'd share it with us!   If not, I do hope you will think about starting one.  You can do what I do, write in a grateful journal, or post on your blog.  I'm sure there are as many ways to do a grateful project as there are people in this world.  And it is such a wonderful feeling to start each day with a grateful heart.