My Graditude Journal

I've never been one to keep a journal. As a matter a fact, this blog is the closest thing I 've ever had to one. My personality has been as such that I am attracted to trying new things, and in the past that has been outwardly expressed through travel and seeing new places locally.

Now that I'm a mom, I've been cocooned in my home, limited by what an infant, now toddler, can do. That need for exploration has not gone away, but it has been channeled in different ways now, which I find to be an interesting phenomenon. For one thing, I'm entering a new career that requires skills that need to be learned and practiced, and mastering those skills and developing the courage to make that phone call or enter that place of business to talk to the owner is a huge step for me and it's exciting and scary - much like scaling the side of that enormous hill with a 10 inch pathway in the middle of the Himilayas!

So last Friday when Oprah was chatting with Elisabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love, Gilbert mentioned she keeps a daily journal and records two things each day. She asks herself What do I really, really, really want? Write down one specific want for that day. The next thing to write down is the happiest moment of that day. The last few days, that has involved my time with Aidan. I include one more thing in my daily journal: Write down one thing I am grateful for. Every day I think of something specific that I want to express my gratitude about and I reflect on it.

This is a fun and fulfilling experiment. My need for exploration has turned inward since I am limited by my outward opportunities. And I think it is a very, very good direction!