How 365 Blessings Has Changed Me

When I started this blog, I did so because I knew I was allowing minor irritations and temporary situations to affect and ruin my day. All it took was one thing that frustrated or bothered me and I found the entire day was clouded with those feelings. I knew there was more to this life; I knew God had called me to something better and had given me all that I needed. The problem was me. I was focused on the negative and failed to recognize all the amazing and good things I have. So 9 months and 365 blessings later, how have I changed?

(Since I am so good with lists, I guess will just continue the trend.)

Better outlook- 9 months ago I was pretty down. I was frustrated with nearly every aspect of my life and I really did not see any relief in my future. Then I decided to change my focus and intentionally count the blessings in my life. Since then I have seen my outlook improve drastically. I still have those times when things weigh me down, but they are only passing moods instead of the prevailing wind. When I look to the future, I am eager with anticipation because I have great hope for what is yet to come- both in this world and at the end of this world.

Improved mindset and attitude in general- Besides just having a better outlook when it comes to my future, I can see how my overall mindset and attitude has improved. I have to admit that before I began this count, I allowed myself to wallow in self-pity and perceived injustices, and both of those things muddied my thoughts, feelings, attitude and relationships with others. I have learned that my attitude does not have to be dictated by my emotions but is a matter of my will. In the end, it is my choice. I can enjoy the life I have or I can always look for something "greener." Today, I choose to not only enjoy but thank the Lord above for my life.

Handle the ups and downs of life easier and with more grace- When controlled by your emotions, you feel as though you are on a never ending roller coaster, and not one of those kiddie rides, but the all out, lose your stomach rides. That is exactly where I was. I still have that initial knee-jerk reaction to drastic events or changes, but overall I recover quicker and can move forward with more ease.

Do not take my husband for granted- I would like to think that I have never taken Drew for granted, but I know that is not the case. When I was wrapped up in self-pity and despair, I found ways to mentally blame Drew and also failed to recognize his efforts and encouragement that might have lifted my spirits. That just isn't the case now. I know Drew is one of the greatest blessings God has given me, and he is right by my side no matter what may come or how I act.

Closer relationship with Drew- To me, this is just a natural extension and benefit from all the above. Not only did the above help our relationship because I had a better attitude and mindset, but as I was no longer weighed down with the burden of my responsibilities, I was freer to relax and enjoy the time we have together. I cannot speak for Drew, but I can say with all confidence that, for me, the past nine months have been the best months of our married life.

Calmed some of my perfectionism- Anyone who knows me very well knows that I struggle with a need to be perfect. I have been like that for as long as I can remember. It made for a fairly easy childhood as I always wanted my parents to be pleased with me, but as time has gone on, I have found it is more of a struggle to maintain and more detrimental to my well-being. Counting my blessings may be my cure because it is extremely difficult to claim that all you do is perfect when you can see that everything good has come from God.


So, now what? That is the question I have heard the most lately and that is the question I have been asking myself. Do I continue this journey? Do I need to make some changes as I proceed and find that some days the blessings I see are ones I have already counted? Honestly it has been quite a debate for me. Of course as I debated this yesterday, several new blessings came to mind and I knew I was not done yet. Not only do I have so many more blessings that can be counted, but I know that without the journaling, I would likely fall back into old ways. That is something I want to avoid at all costs.

 Looking back over my journey of writing about a year's worth of blessings, I can only think to leave it one way.... with a challenge. Whether individually, with a small group, Sunday School class, or group of friends- buy a journal and start writing about your own blessings. Do it for a month or two or perhaps continue for 100 or even 365 blessings, and I know that you will be as blessed by the process as I have been.