It was nice to write a week of small blessings, and a great way to lift my spirits. I could walk away from my list now, and perhaps do it again the next time I'm feeling disillusioned with life. Simple little exercise. Done. Moving on....
Instead, though, I think there might be some merit in looking at the kinds of things that have brought me joy or satisfaction, making me feel thankful. I will be starting a new career in a few months, so the time seems ripe (ha...see, I can't get away from food, even in silly little idioms!) to assess what I want the second half of this journey--aka my LIFE!--to look and feel like!
I sometimes wonder if I'm wasting my time with all of this self-exploration. Then I remember that I'm 45, my life is half over, and I still don't quite know what I'm doing with it. I'm alone, and likely to be for the rest of my life. I don't value money--but I value creating enough stability that I don't have to live in fear, or rely on others if something happens to me. I think that self-exploration is a requirement if I want to figure out how to create the space to have a life that makes me happy.
(PS: what did I learn from writing a week of gratitude? That the things that bring me the greatest joy are free or very inexpensive: solitude interspersed with moments of connection and kindness, productivity interspersed with relaxation, a sense of direction in life, outdoor activity (walks, garden, etc.), physical touch (even if it is paid touch in the form of a massage!), tasty food (even if I prepared it myself), happy memories, and people to engage with to stimulate my brain and challenge my thinking and get me out of my head and back into the world. I also learned that while I'm excited about the work I'm doing now, it's not the career for me--I don't want to have a career that does not involve medicine and/or the workings of the human body. That's a REALLY big realization/affirmation for me, since I'll be job hunting or creating in just a few months! Now I just have to find a way to create that job with the flexibility I also desire!)