Day 8, Thank You Notes: Self.com’s 14 Days to a Happier, Healthier You!

I must say, I really liked completing today’s task.

Once you get past all those addictive urges to think negatively, you’re really left with this comforting, soothing feeling in your head.

Taking the time to write down what you’re grateful for sounds like a chore with no real reward but it isn’t. And once I got going I was not only was amazed at all that I had to be grateful for, I gained a better perspective on my life. I appreciate now the things that have gone right in my life, rather than dwelling on what went wrong or worrying about what will go wrong.

It was like all of the good things and happy memories of my life were scattered in random sections of my brain. And writing down some of them helped put the pieces back together and made them easier to access.  It was kind of like disk defragmentation for my brain.

Specifically, Day 8’s task involved  writing down a few things I love about my family before I went to bed. I came up with ten things I love about my mom, dad and brother. And I’ll share them with you now:

1. They’re pretty funny. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have survived most things if I hadn’t been around their jokes and laughter my whole life. And a good number of my funnier stories involve them.
2. They’re not passive aggressive for the most part. They’re actually pretty blunt. This has an obvious downside, but I much prefer their straightforward, no b.s.  way of doing things. I may not always agree with them, but I always know where they stand. I’m not the type of person who just loves to guess people’s motives. I don’t have time for that. A blunt family is perfect for me.
3. They’re proactive when it comes to problems. They generally don’t just sit around and wait for a solution. They get up, do the research and get it done. That’s it. No excuses.
4. They’re supportive of my career goals and projects. Even if they don’t always understand why I’m doing it. They also push me to keep going so long as I’m happy doing it. They let me make my own mistakes: they didn’t always, but they do now.
5. They’re quicker to forgive than I am and I feel like they’re more forgiving than most people. (Oh, they won’t forget and they’ll totally make fun of you, but they also don’t stay mad for long.)
6. They’re more understanding, or at least they’ll try to be. They’ll also make the time to be there for me and listen to me when I need it.
7. They probably worry more about my health than I do. And they’re probably better at keeping me healthy than I am.
8. They always try to do the right thing, regardless of personal expense. They’re good role models.
9. My family might know how to push my buttons, but they’re also the most successful at calming me down and making me feel better.
10. I’m also thankful for how thoughtful they can be, even when they’re super-busy and I least expect it.

That’s all.

As always, I hope you enjoyed this post. Don’t hesitate to let me know what you think. I’d love to hear your opinions, questions and stories! What are you thankful for?

I’d also like to thank SELF Magazine for posting the article, “14 Days to a Happier, Healthier You!” , which inspired this blog post.

Thanks for reading and I hope you’re all having a lovely weekend!