Late January this year, my soul began beseeching me to start journaling again. But not the ordinary run-o-the-mill daily happenings I used to dutifully jot down as a teen, rather mindfully documenting 10 positive things that happen each day. Me being me, I ignored my soul for a week. I figured it’s only my soul, not the Dalai Lama! Till it began screaming for me to do it. I distinctly remember walking into the grocery store next to my work, and my body and mind and soul ganged up and I knew I was done! So, I dusted off my old diary and began my year of mindful journaling. Since January 20th 2017, I have journaled almost daily.
At the end of each day, I basically sit down with my beautiful journal and write down:
10 Positive Things
These 10 positive things can be pleasant exchanges with strangers on my commute, a good day at work, enjoying an ice cream, going to yoga when I realllllly didn’t want to, sweet moments with the husband, and so on. I felt the impact immediately and wrote a post about it. Read it here.
Now in my third month, it has evolved. I continue to write the positive things, but I also mindfully write down all the people I pray for — clients, family, friends, people in Alleppo — you get the drift. Of course it includes my marriage, career, etc. What I wasn’t expecting was lasting results. Especially in my relationship.
Recently, I was annoyed with the husband for some non-thing. I was trying to avoid thinking about it because it was time to journal and only nice things go in there. I happened to open the journal to a page where I’d written: “S surprised me by coming home early! I came home to a hot, home-cooked meal.” My annoyance was replaced with love. No, not because I’m easygoing. Because such acts of thoughtfulness are the norm in my marriage. But, I’d never had such a specific, powerful and timely reminder before.
And now, I purposefully I seek out the positive each moment of everyday.
Seriously, these are the littlest things that happen each day. I noticed the yellow flowers. Spring has arrived. You’re going in my journal! Client I was worried about is doing better — that’s going in my journal. A great hair day — yes, that’s a journal entry! These non-things made me fill up an entire journal in just 2.5 months. I bought a beautiful new one. And I can’t wait to fill it all with the nothings in my life.
I was talking to a colleague yesterday about this phenomenon and she said, “So, you now have over 800 positive things documented!”
It blew my mind. I do.
Are you interested in having your own book of the good stuff? Join me in this year of self-care and gratitude.
