Hey friends!

It’s the last day of February and I wanted to end this month with a list of the things that I am grateful for and that have brought me the most joy over the past 29 days.

You’ve heard the term “Count your blessings” right?

It may seem like just an old saying Catholic grandmothers tell their grandchildren, but it’s far more than that. Keeping track of the things in your life that you are grateful for can actually help you to maintain a positive mindset. Think about it, if you get into the habit writing down things that have brought you joy, you’ll find yourself looking for those things more often. When you look for those things guess what happens? You find them.

Looking at this month, and all that has happened within it fills me with joy.

Yes there have been frustrations, but that’s not what today is about. Today we celebrate wins. Today we say, “Hey, February, thank you for these beautiful things!” You can do it too, but since we’re here, I’ll start.

My List of Gratitude for the month of February

• Friends – This one is on the top of my list as it is the one I am most excited by. This month has been such a great month when it comes to friendships. I’ve grown closer with people I already love and connected deeply with others for the first time. My heart is sensitive and pretty much always guarded in regards to friendships, but this month I decided I would put myself out there and it has paid off.
• Adventure – I’ve discovered so many new things this month. Restaurants I love, places I need to visit again, food I will DEFINITELY eat again.
• Overcoming of Obstacles – I’ve had a lot of obstacles this month. Things that have popped up and caught me off guard and had the potential to completely knock me off of my game. But, I didn’t. I was able to double down and work 3x as hard when required. I did things I didn’t think I could do (i.e. write a months worth of curriculum for 3 different age groups one of those age groups being middle schoolers…yikes)
• Creativity – This month has done some THINGS for my creativity. Honestly I don’t really know what the catalyst has been (maybe it has something to do with my beginning of year determinations as discussed in this post) but I have been bursting with inspiration and ideas and thats been showing up all over my blog.
• Increased Engagement – On all of my platforms my engagement has been increasing pretty rapidly. I’m pleased about that because it honestly feels good when people engage with your art because they actually enjoy it.
• Connections – I’ve had the privilege of genuinely connecting with quite a few of you guys, many of you being writers yourselves. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you through your work and connecting with you through instagram or twitter. I call you guys my blogger friends now even though we’ve never met…I hope that’s okay.
• Niche – As you guys have probably noticed, I’ve started to find my footing as far as niches go. I struggled over the past few years find a niche, but honestly I think I was trying to force it because everyone said I needed to. Little did I know that sometimes a niche can just happen, as it has for me. I am slowly developing into a personal development and mental wellness space and I love that a lot.
• Wellness – Speaking of mental wellness, I have been doing really great this month as far as taking time to check in with myself and paying attention to my body. As a result I have been able to be more available for others while also keeping my own personal needs in the forefront. Wow, balance. Imagine that.
• Health – This month myself and my family have been pretty healthy. There were some scary moments for my family overseas in the beginning of the month, but as of right now every one is healthy and thriving and for that I am grateful.

I’m sure there are many more things I could add onto this list, but I’m going to wrap it up here.

One thing I will note in closing it this, choosing to focus on the positive doesn’t mean you have to ignore the struggles. You can see the beauty while simultaneously enduring something hard. I find that having seasons of struggle actually helps you to better appreciate those times when you’re not struggling. I personally believe I laugh harder and louder right after coming out of something that tried to destroy me.

The challenge is to be able to see these things regardless of how you’re feeling. Even in the midst of a season of struggle, if you look hard enough I bet you will be able to find something you can be thankful for…and when you find it, write it down.

See ya next month 😉

Nicole