Well, I guess it is a time for change around here! I’ve been thinking about the weekly tradition of Gratitude Sunday and have been feeling it’s time for a change. I love writing Gratitude Sunday posts and sharing them here, but doing it every week starting becoming too much of a should, and less of a joy. I want to shake that off to make it fresh and fun again. (I have enough shoulds in my life, and need to be letting some of that go!) Many of you have written to me about how much you love Gratitude Sunday and look forward to those posts, and don’t worry- I’m not stopping Gratitude Sunday altogether, but I’m feeling sharing a gratitude list on a monthly basis, rather than every week, will be such a better fit for me right now.
I still write a gratitude list before bed most nights, and that daily spiritual practice of simply counting my blessings has been so enriching for me all these years, but I want to skip nights when I don’t feel like it and not stress about coming up with a list each week! That stress really defeats the purpose of what it’s all about for me, which it to connect to my spirit and have a quiet relaxing practice before bed each night to bring me back to the center of myself, by choosing to focus on the gratitude in my heart. I don’t want to feel like a gratitude-list-machine cranking out a certain amount per week. (Or worry that I’m saying the same exact thing over and over!) That’s not to say that I haven’t enjoyed writing Gratitude Sunday posts here all these years, I have, and I feel like for the most part it’s been such a positive practice for me, it’s just that now I feel a shift inside of me and I need to go with my feeling.
I like to keep it real here, and be authentic, and to do that I need more space to write spontaneously, rather than always on a set schedule. I feel that monthly Gratitude posts will be such a better fit for me and I look forward to writing them with more joy, less stress, and with more wiggle room to share when the inspiration strikes, instead of what day is on the calendar. I’m also looking forward to more cozy Sunday mornings with my family, without rushing to get my post finished in a timely manner despite all the distractions around me, or worrying that I forgot (again) to take any pictures to go with the post for that week. (And I know Jeff would appreciate getting some Sundays off from making breakfast! Which he is doing while I write this, by the way.)
I’ve had readers tell me that our life seemed so peaceful and problem-free, and I think weekly gratitude lists, as positive a thing as they are, can make the perspective a bit skewed sometimes- as if our life is all rainbows. Like everyone reading these words here, we have struggles and challenges, and I hope my intention to share what I’ve been grateful for hasn’t somehow made you think our life was perfect and not ever messy. Gratitude has always been a humbling thing for me, shifting my view from waiting for some future time when things are just so to enjoy life, to being in the present and seeing with fresh eyes what is before me.
Gratitude humbles me in knowing that I cannot change and control everything around me, but I can change the way I see it. I can always choose to be grateful for something and I hope that’s what you’ll take away from the gratitude posts I’ve written all these years- not that I’m somehow lucky and have so much to be thankful for- but that you have the power to choose to be grateful every moment of every day. That power is all yours. And it’s easy to forget, which is why I practice so often. As I’ve written about before, gratitude is a choice, not the result of a special set of circumstances. I am blessed, as all of us are, in so many ways, and I’ll continue to count my blessings and share them here (I won’t start writing lists of my complaints, though I’m sure that would be very entertaining), but on a day when I just don’t feel like writing a gratitude list, I won’t. And I’m grateful to be giving myself the freedom to do that.
Here’s to positive changes!
[Edited to add: P.S. Even though I make a point to count my blessings, I do complain, just ask my family and friends who call often. Ha!]
Pamela says
Though I’ve enjoyed reading your gratitude list every week I understand the change. I’m sure it was a pressure to have a schedule. Being repetitive makes sense (but I never noticed) because there are things in your life that don’t change that you are always grateful for — like the things your family does, beautiful flowers etc. Your gratitude for your life shines through your other posts. My suggestion is that you don’t even commit to a monthly list — write it when you feel moved.
I have found your gratitude lists inspiring to think about my life and what I’m grateful for. I forget to think about the simple things that I take for granted and though the past year was very tough fighting cancer I am so lucky in many ways and have appreciated the reminder.
I hope people have told you that you are a beautiful writer. One day you might want to look at your posts and think about compiling them (no extra pressure though!).
tarynkae says
I’m finally replying to this- I wanted you to know how much I appreciated your comment Pamela! I appreciate your suggestion and might end up doing that, we’ll see. I can’t imagine what your year was like and I admire your outlook through it all. I’m so grateful my gratitude posts reminded you of the blessings in your life. Thank you, truly, for taking the time to leave me a message here!
Joy says
You are right that there is a season for everything and something that brought joy and inspiration can then become more of a chore or just not offer you the pleasures that it did. All the blogs i follow have had times of doing some regular posts and then wanting to shake them up or change them altogether. I look forward to seeing what evolves next. Enjoy the space these changes bring and what might come along next.
tarynkae says
Thank you Joy!