Gratefulness leads to abundance. + 2015 goal.

I can't say what exactly started this habit, I've actually done it for years. I was able to embrace it in a new and impactful way 2 years ago. It's a habit I will keep for the rest of my life. This tool was awkward at first, but has improved my relationships, stress levels, finances, and more.

Let's start with the year I challenged myself to begin every journal entry with 10 things I'm thankful for. I committed to writing at least 2x a week same the year I was planning our wedding.  As a DIY bride there were many stressful days as I was trying to create the wedding of my dreams on our simple budget. After the wedding I took some time to look over the journal. I was so grateful, the memories I will keep forever will not be the stress, mental blocks, obstacles, or challenges along the way. It will start with all the love, support, encouragement, and victories I had during the journey. It focuses myself or any reader to look over that time period as a very joyous phase.

So what does gratefulness have to do with abundance? Great question, but let me finish my story.

The following year, I cut back on the list. I only required myself to write 5 things I was thankful for, but added 5 blessing, miracles, affirmations, or lessons to the list. This was the year I became an entrepreneur. I almost gave it up, more than once. It is scary and hard to create your own business. By journaling this way, I was able to see the lessons, not the failures. It was a great addition to my list of things I'm thankful for. It trained my mental eye to become more sensitive to my gut feelings, see God's hand in things, and embrace all the affirming encouragement to keep going.

There are many life lessons I hope to share from this year. This one is such a joyful one. Here is how being thankful has allowed abundance to enter my life.

1. When I am thankful for all that I have, I'm more confident and creative. I am able to approach challenges with the tools I have, feeling confident I have what it takes to complete it. In the past I found myself focusing on what I wanted. It was often followed with a sense of lacking. I would struggle to get through challenges thinking I "needed" something to achieve it. I had thoughts like "if I just had more sleep", "if I just had more help", "if I just had product X". When writing my thankful list I was able to sit back and see I was getting help, support, and I did have many tools to use.

2. When we are grateful, we are happier. I found that even on the hardest days, when hitting that goal of 10 things (I tried not to repeat any item during a month, so sometimes I had to be creative) when I was finished, I had changed my mood. It felt like moving from a space of struggle to a space of completeness or wholeness. During the second year, when I added other items, I was able to see the lessons vs. failures, growth and development vs. struggle and hardship, my abilities and strengths vs. weaknesses or short comings. I began to fall in love with the journey instead of simple wishing for the end. I was happier and fascinated discovering who I was, and where I was gong.

3. When I am thankful and happy, I don't need "more". I had more control over "retail therapy" and emotional eating. I was crossing things off a want list and found myself sharing more. I started seeing ways to simplify my life by getting rid of what was only taking up space in my home. I was spending less.

So I'm taking it to the next step. My goals for 2015 will continue down this path with a few new changes. I will continue to write 5 things I'm thankful for plus 2 affirmations or blessings, and finally my act of abundance.

What is a daily act of abundance? Well, here is how I'm going to define it, as I challenge myself.
Everyday I will give to another from a place of gratitude and abundance. This may include encouragement, support, aid, act of kindness, or even a gift. I hope this will help deepen some friendships and create new ones. I hope that by giving to others, life will give back to me. This is about sharing what I have, so others may find joy and abundance too. As we hope to buy a house this year and take on other dreams, I hope that cultivating abundance will allow me to enjoy what I have and the quest ahead.



 
 


I'm not sure what this will look like over the course of a year. I'm nervous about it. But any goal that makes you a little nervous is always worth trying. I hope everyone that reads this will be on the receiving end some day. I trust that 2015 has many great things in store for my husband and I. I'm supper excited for 2015. Let's have a great year!

Courtney Lathrop-Juhl