Well, I've noticed that there's a lot of anxious and depressed people online, and I've also been really hard on myself lately. As I was thinking about this, it reminded me that two years ago, I was really struggling with my mental health. (Not life threatening, but it was making every day misery.)

My mom insisted from time to time that I make a gratitude journal. Hokey, right? Like scrapbooking all the silly fluff that gives you a sniff of serotonin would make me feel better. But I'm religious, and my mom insisted that she kept feeling prompted to tell me to try. So I did. 10 things. Every night. Stupid fluff. Not repetitive, and not generic, but genuine, sincere stuff that made me grateful- to be alive, to be out and about, and to keep pushing to be a better person. And... well, it worked! It didn't "cure" me of depression/ anxiety, but it made the interim of finding the right lifestyle balance and medication and dosage far more bearable.

Now, like I said, I'm religious. I personally know that God loves it when we take a moment to be grateful for the beauty and detail he puts in our lives, big or small. But whether you believe that or not, there is power in positive thinking and keeping an eye out for things that make you happy. It's easy to spot stuff that sucks because we naturally remember annoying, angering, or saddening things. But happy stuff? Looking out for that forces you to rewire your brain! So, I think I'd like to pick this practice back up again, and anyone is welcome to join me.

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Keep it happy

Keep it small and specific

Keep it clean (so everyone feels comfortable being here)

I'm religious also! A Christian to be exact :p

and this is a great idea! I'm gonna start doing this aswell!

Today I'm grateful for:
-Babyback ribs. They're dang delicious.

-Toothbrushes. 'Nuff said.

-Funny childhood stories. (Like the time I ran inside the house screaming that there was a "scary fish" on the porch? yeah. "Slug" was the word I was looking for.)

- Mad Libs

- People who can draw like, freakin amazing stuff.

- Doofy love songs, like "Tiptoes" by Jamie Dee

- Word counters, like the one in the text box I'm typing in now! What did people do before them...?

- Secret passages in stories. They're the coolest.

- This one really cool D&D store at the mall near where I live! Regular game store in the front, but a inconspicuous hall leads to a totally decked out tavern in the back.

- Nail clippers. What if we just had to live with nails that snagged on stuff?!?

Glad to hear! It really did help me get out of a downward spiral, and I think that even just reading it is helpful for others, so I decided to share! What denomination are you?

Today I grateful for:

- Garden departments at home improvement stores. Though I may never be a good Gardner, it gives me hope. XD

- Glasses

- When you peel a fruit and the rind comes off in one piece.

- Big sofas. The kind that are nice for naps...

- Pistachio thin Oreos. Theyre the BOMB.

- Funny bilingual double meanings. (Like Spanish! The word esposa means both "wife" and "handcuff")

- Crépes

- Hawaiian Pizza

- Apple pencils

- Inspirational bops such as "Battlescars"

Today I'm grateful for:

- getting kitten supplies at petco

- helping out with Vacation bible school

- My dog

- English muffins

- large tack boards so I can put up so many pictures if needed

- Hammocks that are like cocoons because they are cozy

- The fact that I get 2 kittens

- My close freinds

- organizing my room

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(Oh to answer your question: Baptist)

This is so kind

-loved ones

-books

-dog wolves and black widow (the packs)

-close friends

-Army

-a mom and dad

-packs that gift apples

-animals

Oof I missed yesterday. 20 things today!

- Clean gas station bathrooms (theyre the unicorns of road trips)

- The few and far between instances I rick roll Hurrican Blizzards. (Not nearly enough though... :') )

- Snazzy mismatched socks

- Funny wisdom tooth surgery videos

- Being Out-customer-serviced. (When a customer comes in and is nicer to you than you are to them)

- Friday night, pizza-and-a-movie night

- Friends who just sit in silence on the phone with you, not needing to say anything because youre both just... chill. (I miss my buddy... :') but he's out on his mission!)

- Really obscure, but still relatable emoticons and Lenny faces. (If that's what theyre called... I think...)

- the song "Love you like the Movies" (It's just so dumb but I love it.)

- Apple Beer! (It is literally just fancy Manzanita Sol- just carbonated apple soda. like root beer!)

- Family recipies

- The fact that I can spell fairly accurately almost any reasonable word, except for the word RECIPE and most "I before E except after C" words because i think all words are the exception to the rule.

- the fact that my sister is on such a similar brainwave as me. All. The. Time.

- Bluetooth keyboards. It makes typing this on an iPad exponentially faster!

- My grandpa's garden (he was a botanist in his prime, so his yard is lit.

- super squishy mattresses

- cute little fountains in ponds and stuff

- Dum-dum lollipops. So many bargaining chips for siblings for so little money...

- All the funny nicknames people have accumulated in the chat

- the song "Life is a highway" by rascal flats.

For me it is morning so I will make something shorter and be back here tonight to finish it up ^^ this looks like neat thing

What I appreciated today were:

-my cat sleeping next to me in a blanket nest and allowing me to stare at her for a bit before I dozed off (that was around 3am)

-sight of my cat laying on my laptop when I woke up again

- Eurosong winning song on loop

- fanfiction that was bit heavy themed, but nice none the less

- half corn bread for breakfast was nice despite its stuffiness

Okay, rest of my day was pretty draining :') but there were nice things too:

-my teachers ( 2 specific ones)

-my cat being adorable loaf

-my plant bloomed and opened its first flower

-pancakes of course

-I get to go to sleep early tonight-hopefully XD