Daily Motivation: 365 Days of Gratitude

On February 1, 2011, I set out on a journey. In the midst of postpartum depression, I was trying to manage working full time, parenting two children under 4 and maintaining a marriage that was temporarily put on long-distance status due to my husband’s job location. Frankly, it was one of the lowest periods of my life. It took nearly everything I had in me just to make it through each day. I had been going through counseling and taking medication but I just wasn’t where I wanted to be or feel. I felt stuck, trapped, inside a body watching an incredible life of family, love and friendships swirl past me each and every day. I was a bystander in my own life.  

After the New Year, I noticed a friend of mine writing posts of gratitude and prayers on her blog each day. They were simple yet meaningful moments within her day that she found worth noting. I read her posts religiously; eager to read what was coming next. They made me smile and after just a few short weeks, I realized I needed to follow in her steps. It was time to make a plan to become an active participant in my life again. 

365 days. That was my goal. I already had a blog and an audience. Now I was going to add purpose. Each day, for one year, I was going to chronicle something I was thankful for. Little things, big things, sad events, milestones, the day’s end -- all qualified for recognition. And so I set out, one foot in front of the other, on a journey without a map to find me.  

Each evening I sat down to write. Some days, topics came easily and I couldn’t wait to share my story. Some days, I struggled to find the good in the day and dreaded having to write. But a funny thing happened over the course these “days”: time passed. A lot of it. Before I knew it, my husband’s far-from-home work project was complete and he had moved back to Denver. We celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary, our son turned one and our daughter, five. Before I knew it, sitting down to reflect on the day became part of my routine and I looked forward to having ten little minutes to myself to be grateful.  

Before I knew it, I was on my way to finding me. 

Next week, I will reach my 365 Day milestone. I can’t begin to express what this experience has meant to my emotional, psychological and even physical well-being. I set out with a big goal in mind and had “hoped” I would be able to accomplish it, but quite honestly, wasn’t holding my breath. What started off as a way to end my day on a positive note has turned into makeover for my soul. One daily goal has branched out in what feels like infinite directions and far beyond just being thankful. For the first time in years, I am feeling whole again. I have come to realize that finding one moment, however small, within each day to be thankful for serves as an invaluable source of happiness.

I found my inspiration through 365 days. Where will you find yours?

Meghan Daniel is a teacher, mother and wife in Denver, Colorado. Meghan writes daily about finding thankfulness in life, love and parenting in her popular blog, Adventures Out West.