
I found an exercise/self-reflection on Instagram (@laurajaneillustrations) that I really liked: “7 ways to be more kind to your mind.” She breaks it down to one item per day for a full week. Looks like Sunday is Day 1, so I figure I’ll start there – and I thought I’d share, just in case you would like to do it as well.

“Write a list of everything and everyone that you are grateful for at the end of the week. Read back your list: be present with just how much you have in this moment of your life, however big or small, grand or simple – you have something to be grateful for.”

This was a good week for gratitude, as my list is long. I won’t share it all here, but here are a few highlights.
- Time spent with family
- My Mom’s birthday
- Time in the park with Finn
- A day off from work
- The joy of seeing my sons (and now my daughter-in-law also) living good lives
- Baking, learning new things and sharing those learnings with family and friends
- Beginning of fall colors peeking through
- Signing up for a race with my son and having something to look forward to

- Working lights, air conditioning, etc. (she writes as a storm blows into the area and prays the power isn’t knocked out again)
- My favorite podcast – and time to listen to it
- Daily prayers
- An answered prayer
- A really good run
- A reasonable work week
- Opportunities to laugh
- Making the week a little brighter for a struggling colleague
- Not only accepting my own idiosyncrasies, but loving them
- Kind neighbors
- Good health
- Car rides with the top down
Anyway, that’s all I’m going to list here, but she is correct — I have a lot to be grateful for in this moment.
Day 2 of “ways to be more kind to your mind” will follow tomorrow.