Have you ever wished your life was completely different? I did. Every waking minute of every damn day. I wanted peace, happiness, wealth and of course less stress. I stumbled onto the Power of 10 and thought it was hooey, but I tried it anyway because they told me THIS would bump up your mood. Who doesn’t want that?
The old me was angry and resentful all the time. ALL THE TIME. I am not sure why. I don’t actually know why I was frustrated with the world and all the people in it, but everything made me angry. And not just a little miffed. I mean full-on raging throwing yelling out of-control angry. It wasn’t a good look and it made for a very pathetic life. One time I was so mad at the ex-husband that I took everything he owned and piled it on his side of the bed. Everything was wedged between the bed and the ceiling. Things like his toothbrush, plates and bowls he used, boxes of electronic wires and marrettes.
EVERYTHING.
Finding peace and happiness was elusive. I needed to change a lot of things in my life but didn’t know where to start. You may notice as you scroll through your social feeds you will find the magic formula to a new life, a new home, or even a new bank account. All those things are great and all but they won’t bring peace and happiness or bump up your mood. I know – it's hard to be happy when you can’t pay the bills. All of that is true. All I can say is, life isn’t always fair, and it can be very hard. But I am going to share with you what worked for me.
I experienced a mind reset and a way to lean into gratitude. It’s not a new concept, lots of people do this as a regular practice. The most conventional way is to keep a journal. This is how I started, every night before you sleep, write down three things that you were grateful for that day. For me, it was things like:
1. My kids
2. A rood over my head
3. My husband/food in my fridge/warm clothes.
My gratitude list was basic AF. I gradually increased the list to five.
1. Kids
2. Home
3. Hubs
4. Donut day at work
5. Found a quarter
Still basic AF.
But I began to notice things about myself. I slept better. I said thank you more often. I began to recognize nice things when they happened to me. Did I think nice stuff didn’t happen before? No, I knew good stuff did. BUT I didn’t acknowledge it, so it didn’t stick in my brain. THEN the more I acknowledged good stuff the better stuff seemed to happen until I didn’t notice bad stuff anymore and I realized I was happy. I laughed hard and out loud more often. I noticed pretty nature things everywhere. I leaned into cozy and smiled every damn time. I was present for kid hugs and gifts like rocks, dandelions and sticky shared snacks.
Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t easy. Some days my gratitude was hard to find. As I flip through my journal, one particularly bad day said:
1. I took care of myself by calling AMA to unlock my car
2. I have several shirts to choose from when I slopped peanut butter on my shirt.
3. I stubbed my toe and took 5 minutes rest before I moved again
I had to look HARD for the good on that day. But the good news was, I could still find it.
I still run through my gratitude list as a daily practice, but sometimes I need a bigger boost. I like to go to bed vibing high so I sleep well. This is what the Power of 10 looks like.
ou create three columns:
1. My Top 10 Desires – these are things you want to manifest or wish for
2. My Top 10 things I am grateful for – these are things that make my life infinitely better
3. 10 Things I Love to do – fairly self-explanatory
Here is what my last one looked like:
My Top 10 Desires
Mortgage freedom
Pay my daughter’s school loans
Pay my son’s school loans
A ranch-style home with a granny suite for my parents
Retirement
Freedom to travel across Canada
Resources to travel when and wherever I want
A library in my home
A butler’s pantry
Hardwood floors
My Top 10 things I am grateful for:
My children
My hubs
My parents
My pal Cap
A well-paying career
My well-loved home
Family dinners
Visits with extended family far away
Friends who listen and share
My guidance team
10 Things I Love to do:
Walking in the creek with my pal
Standing in the ocean
Reading a captivating book
Watching Australian survivor
Fringing
Experiencing Art – especially art my children create
Reminiscing with family and friends at picnics
Road trips
Sitting in the forest
Meditate in the mountains
Lists change, so it’s a good idea to do this every now and then. Especially when something manifests. Remember to be grateful for it and I promise you a new and happy life. Need help to figure out where to start? Book a session with me and we can get you started.
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