How are we now over halfway through the year? As places have started to open up here, we’re starting to venture outside – into the real world. We’ve been eating out a little, went to the cinema once, and saw two musicals. And I loved it all. 

In the home, we’ve been consuming a lot of TV shows, and watched some that have really resonated with me emotionally. Modern Love and, surprisingly, Feel Good have opened my eyes and got me really thinking. Other shows are just hilarious and wonderful for a little escapism and learning, like Men in Kilts. 

So it’s been a somewhat busy month on the media consumption. And my body has had better days. Reading back on my daily gratitudes it appears I’ve had some eureka moments, some work related, others more meaningful and personal.

It’s amazing how stepping back and taking a breath can really open up your eyes and ears to everything around you. So, here is June’s gratitude journal:

1 Tea: grateful for tea today. Drinking some interesting teas lately and absolutely loving the self care, warmth, and soothingness it provides me.

2 Reading: grateful for reading today. Managed to get some reading done last night and it sent me straight to sleep soon after I put the book down. Grateful for having this activity to reduce stress, allow me to sleep, and also to get me thinking. It’s an interesting book, for sure.

3 Sunshine: grateful for some sunshine today. Practically swelteringly hot today, we have a skylight that makes the flat super warm. Almost got a bit unbearable today, but I’m grateful for some vitamin D and some sunshine, even if sometimes my skin is a little allergic to the sun!

4 A couple of things today. Grateful for medicine. Had my vaccine, took some ibuprofen, and also took some antihistamines too. Grateful for medicine and drugs providing convenience for at home treatment. Also grateful for colleagues, who have been showing they’re looking out for me and my welfare which is lovely. Really nice to feel appreciated.

5 Hubby: so grateful for the hubby today. Wasn’t feeling too great this morning, quite groggy, and the hubby essentially did everything. Grateful to have someone who is able and willing to help out. Acts of service is one of my love languages so definitely feeling grateful today.

6 A couple of things today. Grateful for sleep and recuperating, having a morning of rest was wonderful. Slowing down and taking things easy has been really good. Also grateful for awareness. I’ve been reading up on some things and I’m definitely more aware and understand things better. It’s as if the penny’s dropped or the waters are no longer muddy. Awareness is the first step, which I’m super grateful for, and I also aim to utilise some tools to better myself too.

7 Eureka moments: grateful for eureka moments. Today I read a few things that really opened up my eyes and ears. I don’t have to understand the why to everything, and it’s ok to just feel what I feel. Understanding or trying to understand may raise further awareness, but that doesn’t invalidate how I feel or how I’ve felt.

8 Sleep: grateful for sleep and lie ins. Still a little tired and arm is still absolutely bruised and aching, so grateful for some extra shut eye.

9 A few things today. Grateful for ice cream, especially due to the warm weather. Grateful for friends, potentially helping us with something really exciting. Grateful for Modern Family, which we have finally finished all 11 seasons of. Sad to see it end but also happy to see character progression.

10 Reading: grateful for reading today. Spent the evening working but then sat down on the sofa to read and it’s surprising how quickly I got into it. A relaxing pastime, for sure.

11 A few things today. Grateful for being able to see the bigger picture at work, piecing things together. It’s as if the penny has dropped. Also grateful for the feeling of safety. Been watching Modern Love again, and a couple of episodes portray deep conversations and tackle what it’s like to feel safe in relationships. I’m grateful that I have this feeling, of safety, of home – that I can be myself. And grateful for the hubby, as he is someone I feel safe with. Also grateful that he has a super effective moisturiser I can use when my skin flares up. And also because he reminded us to watch Raya and the Last Dragon, which was a super fast paced film and really funny with some touching moments. A lovely way to wind down the day.

12 A few things today. Grateful for the hubby for organising a really good theatre trip. Grateful for seeing Amelie, some pretty moving songs, and based on the really good film. So grateful to experience the theatre again. Also grateful for the film Promising Young Woman, really interesting and thought provoking film.

13 Several things today. Grateful for health, as I had an eye test and got to see the inside of my eye! Quite veiney. Also grateful for afternoon naps, as I was pretty tired. Recuperating and just chilling was really nice. Grateful for finding a new way to cook and season broccoli. Actually grateful for the TV show Feel Good, which I haven’t really thought too much about. But it’s highlighting issues around mental health, communication, and relationships. And grateful to be able to find romance in the every day.

14 Skincare: grateful for skincare today. Some new products have arrived which I am super excited to use. And I’m trying some new ingredients that I haven’t really used before. Grateful for skincare as I feel it’s a form of self care: a few minutes at the end of each day to be in an almost meditative state.

15 Progress: grateful for progress today. Continually learning and growing and seeing little improvements, celebrating these little wins and cheering myself on as I try to be the change I want to see in the world. Grateful to have this perspective and being kinder to myself.

16 Several things today. Grateful for friends and conversations and almost a semblance of normality again. Grateful for food, delicious Georgian food. Grateful for being able to see the bigger picture and piecing things from end to end to hopefully make things easier going forward. Grateful for rain breaking the hot muggy weather. Grateful for an amazing moisturiser I’m using at the moment that is very soothing for my skin.

 

17 A couple of things today. Grateful for rain and dropping temperatures, it has been a tad unbearable with the super hot weather. Grateful for the hubby looking out for my itchy Moderna arm. As I was brushing my teeth he just put some anti itch cream on my arm – grateful for the efficiency.

18 Pragmatism: grateful for pragmatism and getting stuff done today. It’s great feeling a sense of accomplishment and ticking off to do lists and checklists. It’s nice feeling productive too.

19 A couple of things today. Grateful for google maps getting me around an unknown place and not getting lost! Grateful for the body for carrying me every day, I am anticipating to be rather achy tomorrow.

20 Vision: grateful for vision and corrective vision today. Collected my new glasses and new prescription sunglasses and grateful that I can see clearly. It was a little dizzying walking around with the new prescription lenses, but hopefully my eyes will get used to them.

21 Health: grateful for health today. A little achy from exerting myself too much yesterday and some muscles are not cooperating very well. So I’m grateful for my own health today. Also grateful that someone I know is seeking medical treatment, which is daunting but definitely good first steps.

22 Storytelling: grateful for storytelling today. Saw In the Heights today in the cinema, the first time we’ve been since the first lockdown I believe. Grateful for the music, lyrics, rhymes, dancing, storytelling. Grateful for the relationships, progression, history. Grateful for the inspiration to actually live your dream.

23 Musicals: grateful for musicals today. We went to see Everybody’s Talking Jamie, really good, funny, and entertaining. Talented cast, some songs really hit you in the feels, there were some ninjas carrying onions around for sure. Quite uplifting stamping down on bigotry. Grateful for the storylines being told and listened to.

24 Work: grateful for work today. Went for a picnic in the park finally meeting my colleagues for the first time since I started my new job. Was lovely meeting everyone and hitting a ball with an easily dent-able bat! Also had a tour around the office, was a bit surreal, but grateful to be able to see where the magic used to happen. Grateful for colleagues making me feel so welcome. Grateful for the work I do, I feel I do something that’s meaningful, to me, anyways. Even if it’s not revolutionising the world, I feel it’s reducing suffering in other ways and giving joy to people.

 

25 Men in Kilts: grateful for this absolutely hilarious TV documentary show today. We’ve watched a few episodes and I am laughing almost every second. Grateful for this show, learning about Scotland, whilst laughing my head off. Grateful for a little escapism and grateful to view the beautiful rolling hills and greenery.

26 Nature: grateful for nature today and flowers and plants and rivers. We visited a lovely little town in Surrey today and it was so green and lush. The weather was lovely and it was so nice wandering the streets, walking along the river, seeing the rolling hills in the distance, smelling fresh cut grass. Grateful to be able to spend a little time in nature today. And also we saw so many adorable dogs!

 

27 A couple of things today. Grateful for writing and using this tool as a form of catharsis and, I suppose, distraction. Also grateful for photos, looking through old photos of our Old Boy Merlin, seeing how his fur got greyer as the years went by. Grateful for the time we had with him, reminding me to focus on the present and pay attention to each moment and to be grateful for each day.

28 Laughter: grateful for laughter today, and being able to look back at past errors and chuckle. A couple of weeks ago I had ordered groceries, or so I thought. When I opened the door there was just a bottle of whiskey – no food. I told my colleagues about the ease of ordering groceries online, except for this one occasion, and it was a good laugh. So much so I was enquired about what whiskey bottle we had bought! Grateful to be able to laugh at the past and be ok with the fact that I’m only human. Also grateful for colleagues who love a good jest.

29 Four Weddings and a Funeral: grateful for this TV show today. We’ve been watching it lately and it’s charming and funny, but also heart warming at times. Grateful for the reminder to appreciate those who bring out the best in you, who root and cheer for you, who are in your corner fighting your battles with you and fully supporting you. So I’m also grateful for the hubby too, it’s been lovely watching this show with him.

30 Progress: grateful for progress today. My previous boss joked about something prior to me leaving and, lo and behold, it’s actually happened. It’s weird how, when in the midst of everything, you view your progress as very minuscule and you’re super hard on yourself. But after a little while, you step back and realise you’ve actually come a long long way. I’ve figured a lot out today, and I am super grateful for the clarity, but now this means I’ve only given myself more work to do in future!