The past few years, I’ve followed this Instagram prompt by @positivelypresent. It’s a great way to reflect on the past year and focus on some good.
2021 has been the most difficult year of my life by a mile, but even in hard times, it’s important to be grateful for what is going right. So let’s kick this off and be thankful.
Day 1: Words
As I said, this year has been challenging. I’m not sure I want to go into it here on the internet yet, but it’s been hard. While chatting with my friend Nicole earlier this year, I said that I went to get coffee because I just couldn’t fathom making a pot myself. Instead of saying, “you lazy bum,” she said, “sometimes someone else needs to make the coffee.”
As silly as it sounds, I think about these words a lot. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s OK to not do all the things you’d normally tackle with ease. Sometimes, you let someone else make the coffee so you have the capacity to make it through more important tasks.
Day 2: Optimism
Sometimes focusing on the good is the best way to make it through tough times. That’s the point of this exercise this year. Is it optimism? Not quite. But I’m not quite ready.
Day 3: Color
As a kid, I always looked forward to the wild phlox popping up around my parents’ home. It’s been a while since I caught it, but I felt lucky to appreciate it this year. The bright purple is one of my favorites.
Day 4: Laughter
It might seem silly, but the second the waitress put this cocktail down at Buckatabon, I couldn’t stop giggling. It’s nice to be surprised and absolutely delighted.
I hope you have enjoyed a few sweet, simple moments like this in 2021.
Day 5: Health
Getting my COVID vaccine earlier this year was truly a high point. A big thanks to the co-worker who tipped me off to extra doses so I managed to get in a week or two before my eligibility bracket opened up. You helped me keep my family safe!
I’ll be keeping up with this series all November long. Stay tuned and please take inventory for yourself! 2021 is rough, but there are some bright spots!
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