I started the gratitude project this year and I was able to complete the first month!
This month has been a challenging one with the low pressure area hovering over us and finally tropical depression Agaton made its way submerging the city in flood and we were not spared. And as I am writing this one, tropical storm Basyang has just made landfall in Siargao. We are under signal number 1. It rained earlier but it was not something alarming. Thank you, God!
Despite the challenges, I still have 31 reasons to be thankful for.
1. Gift of Family. I may be single, orphaned and an only child but I am not lonely. I spent the afternoon in a relative’s house for New Year lunch. We had a good time catching up. It has been awhile since we last had a get-together.
2. Digital photos. Whenever I want to recall something, I looked through my photos and memories come flooding in. It is easier to keep track of what happened at a particular moment in time.
3. Opportunity to hear mass. I always say that I am not religious. I am not one of those people regularly attend first Friday mass. My friend, Mitzi, invited to me go with her. The priest talked about being grateful instead of complaining a lot. He said something about not being too obsessed about living a perfect life. God will fill what we do not have.
4. Chat time with friends. I am not really a sociable person but, online, I can be ‘talkative’. I am grateful for friends who take time to chat with me and catch up.
5. New ideas. I found a tutorial on how to make a camera bag. My aunt was quick to measure my camera and create a gameplan. We have not yet made the project because I have not bought the materials. Soon, perhaps.
6. Little surprises. My cousin, Arvin, bought me “chicharon bulaklak”. He said it was his Christmas gift for me. Yummy!
7. The reminder to work harder. I started a new investment stream so I am forcing myself to save more.
8. Opportunity to travel cheap. I booked a trip for May. I will be traveling with friends I have not seen in 20 years. I am excited.
9. Good bargain. CDO ham was one sale! Buy one-take one!
10. Favor. I prayed for something and God granted it.
11. Online freebies. I got the Pantene kit from ilovebdj.com from the mail. Yay!
12. Happy smiles. My friend tagged me along to visit an orphanage. It was heartwarming to see genuine smiles from kids’ faces.
13. Energy to finish a task. When I am tired, I rest. This time, I pushed a little more.
14. Time management. I had a trip the following day so I needed to finish some tasks. It helps to list down tasks and tick them off as I complete them.
15. No motion sickness. A four-hour land travel usually makes me dizzy. I usually take Bonamine. This time I did not and I did not vomit.
16. Productive day. We accomplished what we wanted to accomplish for the day. Even with the low pressure area looming, we were still dry.
17. Safety. Butuan was in the news for heavy rains. My ceiling was showing signs of succumbing to the rain. Thank God! I was safe and dry.
18. Work opportunities.
19. No flooding. There was still heavy raining and floods did not enter the home but we already moved the furniture.
20. Acceptance. The day before we thought the flood will not enter the house. It did. Flights were cancelled. Trip was postponed.
21. Proactive aunt. (More like OC!) When the flood receded, we immediately cleaned it up. My aunt got busy with my floors. In less than 24 hours since the flood waters entered the home, we were able to clean it up.
22. Normalcy. We are slowly getting back on our feet. I was able to put in some work after days of flooding.
23. Clean garage. The water has receded from the garage. Street was still flooded. We used the flood water to remove the mud that accumulated in the garage. Lifting buckets of water was my core exercise.
24. Unexpected call. Thank you for the thoughtfulness of others. A simple phone call made my day.
25. Friendship. We were able to help my friend clean her room after the flooding.
26. Creativity. Thanks to my aunt for rearranging my living room. It looked as if Agaton never happened.
27. Glamourbox. This is the first time I subscribed to this box. It came just when I needed some pampering after all the backbreaking work cleaning after the flood.
28. Restraint. Sometimes we need to pause. There are things not worth the effort.
29. Bearable queue. I was sent on an errand to pay my aunt’s SSS premium. The line was long but it was bearable because I saw a friend and we chatted while waiting for our turn.
30. Ally. Sometimes when emotions get the better of you, it helps to have an ally who has your back.
31. Another New Year! It is the Lunar New Year. My friend said that it is an opportunity to reset resolutions. Ha!
How was your January?
31 i s not enough for me to be thankful this January. Good to hear form someone like you that counting their blessings/success rather than failures.
Allan (www.ourfamilyblogsabout.info)
Glad to hear that! I am also thankful for more. I picked highlights of each day. 😀
Happy to read your list Kat. I am glad you are getting back to normal after the floods, I know how it can be a curveball. Here’s to more blessings for February 2014!
Cheers, Vera!
I’m so inlove with your living room talaga Kat. And yes to that excited trip. Yahooo!!! Be safe. Uy this post gave me an idea to have everything noted down. But I guess, my Project Life is enough to have those tackled.
Oh, I always show the living room. It is the ONLY photo-worthy space in the house. The rest needs repair. 🙁 I love your project life. I’ll try that next year. 😀
those are wonderful reasons to be thankful and we should be thankful for everyday we wake up. =)
i just can’t believe January is over. that was too fast.
There are, indeed, so many things to be thankful for! How sad it is when we choose to focus on the negative. What a timely message for me today. Thanks!
(I’m also super thankful that Basyang didn’t wreak havoc!)
I also got a lot of things to be thankful for the first month. 😉 More to come!
Very inspiring post. I think I need this project to combat my complaining attitude.
Those are really great reasons to be grateful for January. Glad that you had so many different blessings.
Hi Sis! Medyo pumapalya ako sa aking gratitude project but I’ll post pa din what I got. Hehe… Medyo ngarag lang these past days. Ang galing mo because you have completed your list. I will do mine 🙂
What a very nice list of things to be thankful for. Right, it’s always better to count all our blessings rather than dwell over our problems. And oh, may I just say that I so agree with Jhari, your living room is Love! 🙂
Glad to know your “thanking ways” but one thing only to say, “Thanks for everything! Nice tips for this life journey 2014.
I have to admit, I do complain a lot. Sometimes I feel like I leave work to go home to do more work. (A mother’s work is never done!) But after I have taken 10 deep breaths and a stroll outside, I realize that the best way to feel content (despite all the tiring work) is to offer it to God. It makes everything seem easier because I know I am glorifying Him. Thank you for your post. Oh and BTW, your house looks lovely! wish I could keep mine that neat and tidy! 🙂
This is my favorite post this week. I find it a amazing when people are thankful for what they have. Oprah once said, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more”. 🙂
Chicharon bulakalak reminds me of my college days, I got addicted to that before lol. Love that you have a grateful heart!
I also received the pantene kit even I didn’t subscribed. But binawi din sakin in the end coz mali ang naibigay nila. It should be my BDJ Planner. Even binawi nila yung kit I’m still thankful coz nareceived ko naman yung planner ko 🙂
your living room is lovely!
I always wanted to start a gratitude journal but realized that all I can say that I am thankful for my husband, kids, family (repeat x30) haha
Agree with #3. Most of us looking for a perfect life and became obsessed. We never became contented of what we have. I tried to practice to be thankful of what we have and it works, I appreciate more what it is happening to me at the moment.
“Busy is the new happy” I love that and I think it’s true. Whenever I am busy, I am happy. 🙂
The guy in the first photo, I think he looks familiar… Hmmm. He works in BayanTel, diba? Hehehe!
This post just inspired me. Thanks for sharing! ^_^
Yes. He’s my cousin. 😀
I love your list of things you are grateful for…. all beautiful. Gratitude is an important practice and the more we do it , the more it grows.
Hope you enjoyed your blessings until now. The good thing is you’ve done your part of your life to influence others.
Having a grateful heart like yours is wonderful!
wow, you have a long list! it’s nice no when we start counting our blessings and focus on the positives? i’m looking forward to more of your travel entries coz you always capture even the tiniest details in writing! 🙂
Yes, there’s truly so much to be thankful for. What we always never realize is that, how blessed each and everyone is.
That’s a great project! By the way, nice haul on glamour box ha. I got the december box and sana i also got the january…
It’s nice to know you had a great January. We should always find something to be thankful for everyday.
This post exudes positivism, something the world really needs.