thanks giving

one of my favorite magazines, real simple, has an article this month about the benefits of giving thanks. one of their challenges was to keep a "gratitude journal" - just to jot down every day a few things that you are thankful for. the benefits? according to research, it helps you 1)feel more in control; 2)improve your health (people who keep gratitude journals actually exercise more and eat more healthily!); 3)cope better with trauma; and 4)bolster your self-esteem. just a little lesson in the power of positive thinking.
so i've been trying to find the time to write down a few reminders to myself each day (or as often as i can remember, which is really nowhere close). here's an excerpt from my gratitude journal on a particularly trying and exhausting day about a week ago:
i am grateful for...
-sunny no longer screaming and crying every time he gets his hair cut
-friends who speak honestly to me and trust me with their secrets
-zucchini with parmesan (even if no one else likes it!)
-crockpot meals you can make at 3 and be done with
-a husband who (almost) always does the dishes
-a long nap in the afternoon when i'm just done in
-a job i look forward to
-people who try hard to be helpful and accomodating

there's a little story behind each one of those, i'm sure you can tell. and truthfully, when i was done writing them all down, i felt much more positive about life in general.
and the in the editor's note in this edition of rs, she agrees. she writes that when the big things seem overwhelming, to think small. "because when your grateful list is focused on the small things, the list can just seem endless."

true.