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If you’re like me, you ended 2019 with some declaration that 2020 was going to be “Amazing!”. I can say many of my social media friends made posts to this effect in 2019 including new jobs, engagements, pregnancy announcements, etc. 2020 arrived and with it came local, national, and even global impact like:
RT: “What you focus on becomes your reality”
I talked about this in my last post… but let’s apply it here. You hop on a zoom happy hour with your friends and everyone answers the question “How’s quarantine going for you…?” What answers do you hear your friends saying? “Target is still out of toilet paper.” “I can’t work and teach my 3 kids at the same time!” “I don’t like this whole virtual learning thing.” “I had to postpone my vacation.” “Postpone? Ugh! Mine got completely canceled!” Guess what your outlook is going to be in 2020 if that’s all you hear or read on social media all day…?
What we make it, “Tell us 3 things that happened to you today that made you laugh, smile, and/or feel good!” It might make everyone have to stop and think about it for the first few times it was asked. But with more consistent practice, the good things become the first things to come to mind if the question changed back to “How is quarantine going for you?”
I posed two questions on my personal social media recently: What about 2020 has made you say “Is It Over Yet?!” and What’s something amazing that’s happened in the world and to/for you in 2020? Guess which question got the most responses…? Here’s what I want you to think about… We’ve ALL had good, great, even amazing things happen to us this year! So why do you like (or even choose) to focus on the negative?
Guys!! What!? CONGRATULATIONS!! There’s so much good news on this list. You’ve accomplished some amazing things this year! I’m so proud and happy for you!
How to Practice Positivity
I’ve mentioned before that you should try keeping a gratitude journal some people like to keep their gratitude practice private until they get the hang of it. And That’s Okay! Now, I realize this is 2020 and everything is digital and like, “if it’s not on social media is it even real?” Uhhh first of all, yes. But also, if you want to make your gratitude practice live on your social, DO IT! Do it with purpose and do it consistently, at least for 30 days, if you really want to commit, do it for 365! It may even inspire others who follow you to do the same! More positivity on social media, less perpetual scroll of negative blah!
There are a few ways to do keep a gratitude journal:
- Picking ANY 3 Things That Happened In The Day
- Picking 3 Things of a Prompted Subject Each Day
- Free Writing About At Least 3 Things That Happened Each Day
When I was just starting out, I opted for the first option. Some days I found that to be a little difficult, because, if I had something negative impact my day… that’s all I could focus on! Now, I opt for prompted gratitude. It allows me to focus and, if I know my prompt in the morning, I can look for things to add to my gratitude journal throughout the day. I’ve done private journaling and I’ve put my gratitude (prompts and responses) on my social media too. One thing I really like about putting it on social media is that it gives me the chance to lift someone else up.
Helping Many People Feel Amazing
In December of 2018, I shared 31 Days of Gratitude Journal Prompts on my Instagram. I kept my gratitude journaling private at that point, I really wanted to focus on myself as I was in a weird spot with my job and finances. In May of 2020, I decided to share 30 days of prompts AND my responses. This was a way for me to keep my mind in a positive space as I was preparing for surgery to remove the thyroid cancer. And by sharing my responses, I was able to tag people in my posts so that they knew how grateful I am to have them in my life and why.
Not only was I taking the time to express my gratitude, but I was also taking some of their time to show them that they are important in my life. How awesome and easy is that!? In fact, the way it impacted some lives back in May inspired me to work on a new series while I spent 2 weeks in the hospital. Are you following my Instagram for the inside scoop?
In my next post, I’m excited to share how some pictures from my hospital room are making a HUGE impact! See you soon!
