Gratitude is my go to solution
Those of you that have been reading my blogs for a while will know that life has been somewhat challenging for the last year or so. It doesn’t show any signs of letting up anytime soon, I’m not asking for sympathy, I don’t want that in the least, I’m just setting the scene, it is what it is and it will pass.
I am tired, tired most of the time, and when I’m not tired I’m a bit hyper because I’m not tired and there’s lots that I want to do. Frequently I struggle to have a good night’s sleep, this is not good for me because I am worse than useless if I don’t get at least 8 hours shut eye.
I have a go to strategy to end my day and it is this, I list all the things I can think of to be grateful for. Just to myself, in my head, usually starting with my bed, my pillow, my blanket, and moving out from there. It grounds me, relaxes me and makes me feel good and I can drift off to sleep contentedly.
Lean into Life
Guess how I start my day? by thinking about all of the things I’m grateful for. I know this sounds a bit corny but just to take a minute to acknowledge how good life is, how much I have that brings me joy puts me in a place I want to be. I think of it as leaning into life and not fighting it, trusting that I’m on the right path and that everything is always working out for me. I used to write it all down in a journal, but can’t be bothered to do this anymore, although I highly recommend it if you haven’t tried it, because it’s good to look back on, and sometimes writing it down makes it more real.
I’m in the right place, I can’t get it wrong and I can never get it done, life is always working out for me.
Living my best authentic life
I am particularly grateful that I can spend my time making art and being creative, it hasn’t always been this way. For years I had a proper job and tried to resist the quiet but insistent voice that called me to make art. Making art is like constantly looking at yourself in a mirror, it enables me to reflect on who I am and how I fit into the world. It’s a lot more fun than seeing a therapist but equally as therapeutic!
Grateful to you
I’m really grateful to everyone that shows an interest in my work, I don’t always find it easy to talk about it, sometimes it feels very personal and sometimes silly or unimportant. But I know that it makes a lot of people happy and brings them satisfaction and this makes me really happy. Thank you for being here…
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