Gratitude Journal

Christie suggested I keep a gratitude journal but I think I left it on my desk at work. I haven't been the best about doing it, but I want to make it a routine to journal before I go to bed. Lately I am waking up nervous and just not happy. I think focusing on gratitude might just help. Here are a few things I've been grateful for the last few days.

• Cool fall nights
• That I have a job
• That my kids (mostly) enjoy being with me
• Coffee
• NPR
• Liz's meditation instruction--especially her meditation on kindness (May you be happy. May you be well. May you be safe)
• That I found something that I liked at Amy's--and it's adorable
• My friends (and my family who support me)

You are enough

You are enough, just as you are. That's what I've been trying to tell myself after my last session with the counselor. It's the first thing that's penetrated this thick skull in a long while!

My counselor feels that we need to fix the way I feel about myself before I can make any progress anywhere else (weight, career-wise, or relationship-wise). She suggested Brene Brown's Ted Talks on shame and vulnerability. I listened to them thinking, I am not alone--everyone feels shame and vulnerability and maybe it's ok to just be me. For example, I always hold myself up to two people professionally and I don't think I'm anywhere near as sharp, or confident, or motivated. It is something that has shamed me in the past. Now, I am trying to remind myself my clients/employers hired me. And that's what they get. And that's enough.

I had to give a presentation to a team of 6-8 and that's what I told myself before the remote meeting began. I have never been more confident, I don't think.

inspiring quotes from Reddit

Here's a sampling of some of my favorites from a Reddit thread about most unintentionally profound thing people had ever heard (http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1lbldn/reddit_what_is_the_most_unintentionally_profound/).

Act or accept.

Well, the longer I am up here the longer I am scared.

Sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.

Everything happens. Everything passes

You've got to shit some bricks if you want to build a house!

People with no insecurities are closet sociopaths.

A wet man does not fear the rain.

You think you've had the best but that's only because you haven't allowed yourself to have better.

This life in that body of yours is the only hand you're ever gonna be dealt and moping about how you got deuces is only going to make you feel like shit while everyone is having fun. Instead, you gotta bluff like you got aces and make the most of what you got dealt, hope for the best and enjoy the game.