1. Today I am grateful that I was born.

Welcome to my Blog! My plan for the next year is to write about something or someone I am grateful for each day. This idea came from a couple of friends of mine. One friend posted on facebook about the 365 Grateful Project, I found the video to be really inspiring and loved seeing how others were able to find joy through recording the things they were grateful for. Another friend has been putting pictures up on facebook regularly with a write-up of what she was grateful for that day.  I was talking with one of these friends about the impact gratitude has on an individual’s wellbeing on every level including psychological and spiritual and the importance of recognizing the blessings we have in our lives.

When reading about this project I was inspired to spend a year writing down one thing each day that I am grateful for. Although I feel that I am generally a happy person, I feel that there is power in seeking good, recognizing blessings and recording your feelings. I want to challenge myself everyday to consciously recognize the blessings that I have and why I am grateful for this blessing. I feel that it is also important to let others know the impact they have made on you and why you are grateful to have them in your life. It’s easy to thank people for specific things they do but how about thanking people for who they are and letting them know the impact they have made on you. A few years ago one of my best friends was hit by a car and killed. I wondered if she knew how much she meant to me, how grateful I was for her friendship and the impact she made on my life. Since then, I have tried to make more of an effort to let people know that I am grateful for them, but it’s still something I could definatly do better.

Some people might be wondering why I choose to start today and not on January first. Today is my birthday, my 29^th birthday to be exact. I usually hesitate when telling people how old I am. Not because I think it is old but because I am not where I thought I would be. Ever since I was a little girl all I ever wanted was to be a mom and it`s sometimes hard for me to accept that I am not a mother. I am not going to give up on my goal of marriage and children and I do expect it to happen. However, I feel that there are so many things to be grateful for and I want to spend my last year of my 20`s recording those things and people who make me happy. Starting with today!

 Today I am grateful that I was born. With that also comes gratitude for other things such as the family I was born into and the Country I was born in and the opportunities that I have had. On a larger scale, I am grateful for those who came before me. I love learning about my ancestors and it`s neat to recognize various parts of who I am (or physical features) that come from them. On an even larger scale, I know that my life has a purpose and that part of Gods plan is for each of us to have a body so that we can experience mortality and return to live with Him again.

I am looking forward to the next year of my life and focusing on the blessings I have and what makes me happy.