Have you noticed? All the New Year stuff is already starting to fade. While we are just 2 weeks into 2019, the healthy food sales are starting to wane. TV ads are changing back from Planet Fitness and Orangetheory to Papa Johns and Miller Lite. Keto and Whole30 are being exchanged for Valentine’s Day Chocolates.
From the outside, it appears that things in culture are going back to the old normal.
I have many friends who live by the ‘one word’ mantra – where they focus on one word each year. “Strength!”, “Presence!”, “Hope!”. Their social media feeds were littered with quotes and memes and graphics about their chosen words.
I wanted to pick a word, but I haven’t had time to focus on what that should be. The words of the past few months have been ‘frantic’, ‘stressed’, ‘no possible way to ever get caught up.’
Not exactly the words that I want to bring into the new year!
Actually – it may not be a bad idea. A line of ‘frantic’ coffee mugs and water bottles. ‘Stressed out’ Tattoo art and hand calligraphy prints to hang in your kitchen. ‘Too frantic to be focused’ t-shirts.
This ‘Keep your
I have to be honest. In December, I realized that a word had been chosen for me. It comes from a most unlikely source.
Good Morning America’s Tori Johnson.
You see. I love a good bargain. And I love small businesses. And I work from home. Mix together those three facts and you get a semi-unhealthy addiction to the “Deals and Steals” segment of Good Morning America. These deals have branched to other ABC properties, The View and GMA Day. I may have set calendar alarms for these segments on my work schedule. I may have already figured out when they post the deals, before the shows go live on Eastern Time.
Every now and again, they offer a deal box, where they pick out a bunch of products you can try – and if you send in around 30 bucks, you get this sampling of products.
I’ve gotten two of these offerings, and are typically pretty cool. I’ve found several items and new companies to support because of these boxes. Candles, lotions, a reflective band to wear while walking the dogs at night, cooling towels, socks, sunglasses – it’s a great way to discover items you never knew you needed in your life.
And both of the boxes I received had gratitude items.
I am sure it’s not by accident.
When dealing with family members having a major health crisis while trying to live your own life, it’s tough. It’s hard to advocate for someone when it feels like the system is built to say “no”. It’s hard to stay positive when days are filled with answering machines, being passed off to other people. When health care companies and workers don’t do what they say they are going to do.
And what did the all-knowing Tory Johnson say that I needed in my life?
Gratitude.
First is was a gratitude journal.
Then it was a gratitude bracelet.
I started the journal in the middle of my mother’s health decline, just before she went in the hospital. The book is divided into months and you can pick and choose which prompt you write on each day.
How I showed love today
Calming moments today
People I connected with today
Silly things about today
Things I appreciated about today
You get the idea. And it hasn’t always been easy. After a day at a care center, fighting with care givers to give the care they are contracted to provide, it’s hard to choose between the 2 remaining prompts for the month: lovely smells I smelled today or delicious foods I ate today (ended up being the late night drive-thru at the Chick-fil-a by the hospital!)
The bracelet was a lovely reminder to stay on track. Yesterday, I was struggling to balance work deadlines, driving around attempting to find the correct kind of adult diapers, and fielding cryptic text messages from my sick father. I was reaching the end of my rope and found myself just complaining, to myself.
But I remembered to be grateful. That I have much to be thankful for. That I have the ability to maneuver this challenge with my job. That this is temporary. That God gives me everything I need to complete the challenges of the day. That His timing is perfect.
Don’t believe me? Science proves it. That whole ‘attitiude of gratitude’ thing isn’t smoke and mirrors. It helps us stay healthy. It helps with connections. It helps us sleep better. It keeps us mentally strong.
Here’s what Forbes has to say: https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2014/11/23/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-of-gratitude-that-will-motivate-you-to-give-thanks-year-round/#130f76c3183c
Here’s what Psychology Today has to say: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/gratitude
I took a deep breath. Said a prayer. Said thank you for the sunshine. Said thank you to another client who graciously postponed a meeting so I could make my mother’s care a priority.
And I thank Tory, who, with her addictive segments promoting products and companies, helped me find my word for this season.
It may not be for all of 2019, but for this season, I am grateful.
Want a Gratitude Journal and Bracelet? Here’s the links to the companies:
Gratitude Journal – https://www.erincondren.com/petiteplanner-gratitude-journal-edition-2
Gratitude Bracelet – https://www.mantraband.com/collections/all/products/gratitude
And you should just watch GMA Day each Tuesday and Good Morning America every Thursday so you can get hooked up with cool new products and companies. You can keep an eye on their offerings here as well: https://gmadeals.com/
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