A Month of Gratitude 2024: Day 2

Hello there! Another Monday done and dusted. Only four more in the year to go. That means there is still time to knock any outstanding 2024 goals out of the park or you have to reflect on what was and plan for what will be in 2025. So what put a smile on my face today?

Two Things I Am Grateful For and One Source of Joy

  1. Today, I am grateful for the teams I work with. No matter what the day brings, there is always time and space for a joke or a bit of silliness. A number of my colleagues have moved to the UK over the past year or two, and one of the most difficult adjustments they have faced has been the lack of connection with people at work. Some people don’t even know the name of the person sitting opposite them. So yes, I am very grateful for the teams I work with. They know my name and a little something about me and vice versa.
  2. I love starting the work week at home. We work hybrid, so I work from home two days a week. It means that as an introvert, I can enjoy the people I work with and have pockets of alone time to regenerate my energy throughout the day.
  3. One source of joy today was enjoying a cup of coffee in my little garden in the middle of the day. Although it was overcast, it didn’t stop the birds and insects from doing their thing. I love those moments. There is a whole world going on in my garden, and I am in awe of it.

On that note, I will leave you with a short quote from Karl Barth about the connection between gratitude and joy. They are inseparable.

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Thanks for popping by. Let me know what made your day today in the comments or drop me a link to your gratitude post.

Bye for now!🌼

Quotes to live by: Leonard Ravenhill

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I heard you his quote today and had to share. I hope it makes you stop and think the way it did me.

Less

That’s my word for the year. I have been looking around me for the past few weeks, and all I see is stuff. My wardrobes and cupboards are overflowing. My inboxes are overflowing. My folders are overflowing. There is just too much “overflowing” going on around me.

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That is not the only reason I want to have less of everything. I want to have less because I want to focus on the things and people in my life that will bring me more. More enrichment, more growth, more enjoyment, more experiences, more fulfilment, more fun and more focus…I guess you get the picture.

I am very grateful that I have been blessed with the means to accumulate all that, but I have definitely lost my way. I have accumulated largely for the sake of accumulating things and because I can sometimes, though, my bank balance takes some strain. 

The issue with accumulating stuff, responsibilities and projects is that you can quickly lose sight of the things that are important to you. There are areas of my life that run me because of this lack of focus which is not on. It is time to take back the areas I can control, like my finances and my home, for example. I have spent so much time, money and effort into my education that I have let the maintenance of my home slip. I have allowed so many little things that need fixing to accumulate. I don’t know about you, but I also find it quite stressful when things don’t work correctly, so fixing it all will lead to less stress.

Clearing the clutter also adds energy to a space, or at least that is how it makes me feel. The same is true for clearing the mental and digital clutter. I feel rejuvenated and more alive when I step into a cleared space. I must admit that if I have done too good a job clearing a room, I feel a little lost in the space. 

There are two areas that I will find the most difficult to clear: my bookcases and my clothes. I will have to come to terms with the fact that there are quite a few of each that I have to release for someone else’s enjoyment. I may never get to read/wear them, and that’s okay.

This is just one of my bookcases that is screaming for help 😱

I have tried physically decluttering before, but the clutter has somehow found its way back. I have come to the conclusion that it’s because I didn’t have a “why” that resonated with me each time I did it. I just did it because, at that point, I was tired of the clutter and wanted a clear space. This time, I know why I want to do this, and I am clear on the benefits for me and my son. I am clear on how to restructure the space to achieve my desired benefits.

Transformation takes time. This has been my other downfall previously. I had lacked patience with the process. I end up accepting a lower standard just to see a difference. So, in 2024, there will also be less rushing and lots more patience. 

So, I am looking forward to a clearer and more focused year. Less for More in 2024!

Thank you for walking with me through 2023! May your 2024 be blessed.

Do you have a word or phrase for the year to come?