Dear friend,

Can you believe it?! We've made it to the end of February and are wrapping up our month of journaling. We're taking 2024 by storm!

Throughout these past weeks, we've delved into gratitude, joy, and what we're proud of. Now, as we close out the month, we're diving into another crucial aspect of journaling. Keep an eye out for more tips and tricks I'll be sending as part of our "THIS IS MY YEAR" journey.

DO THIS...
For this final week, each day in your journal, I want you to focus and write down what was great, fun, lousy, and loving. Here's a quick example of how I format these entries:

February 27th, 2024
Today was...
Great -
Fun -
Lousy -
Loving -

I do this at the end of each day, and fill in a quick note for each of the four categories. I find this is a great way to end each day because we often never analyze in this level of detail. We tend to think the whole day was one way when in reality we are missing a lot of the nuance and variety.

You can choose other labels similar to these that resonate with you, and yes, you could jot down what was terrible, boring, interesting, or hateful, but those labels don’t help you stay positive about your world – so please use the first one.

THINK THIS...
You might wonder why I'd suggest noting what was lousy about your days along with the other positive points. Well, here's the scoop. Often, we carry a vague feeling that our lives aren't all that great, deep down believing they're downright lousy. So, I like to challenge that belief by asking, IS THAT TRUE? After listing a few days' worth of lousy moments, take a look back at these entries and realize that very little is truly awful.

One of the things I've learned, at least about myself, is my tendency to glaze over loving or positive moments with frustration, anger, or nervousness. My anxiety changes positives into negatives before I even know what's happening. So reflecting and searching for emotions and experiences beyond my default helps me be more self-aware and experience life in more "color".

If you're anything like me, you'll find it tricky to come up with all the different positives and negatives depending on the way you're wired. Some people are eternally optimistic and lack realism and analysis that can be found in the negatives. And others struggle with seeing the rosier side. Or maybe you struggle to reflect on any of these because you're feeling numb. That can happen too!

What you'll definitely notice after some time and some journal entry data collection is that your life is not just one "color" or one "channel". Sure, some bits and pieces of our days may not be exceptional, but most of our life is pretty darn grand. Even when faced with immense challenges, there's still light we can find if we just dig around and take notice.

And that's the big idea I want you to take away this month – YOUR LIFE IS AMAZING in so many ways. The media often paints a different picture, and social media can make us feel like our lives pale in comparison to others'. But when you make a point of noting one thing every day that wasn't so great, and then review those items over a month, you'll see that very little is truly awful and your life isn’t pale at all.

On the flip side, when you list what was great, fun, and loving, you're focusing on the details of your life that bring fulfillment and happiness. Isn't that way better than letting your mind dwell on the negative? To be our best and move forward, we need optimism and the ability to see all the possibilities ahead of us.

Remember, we shape our thoughts, and in doing so, we become the architects of our life's direction. So let's craft our best life together.

Wishing you a happy last week of February,

Liz