GRATITUDE KEEPS ME GLOWING AND GROWING

By Myrtle Russell

For me, most days begin with my morning ritual; today was no different. I first completed my gratitude list, which included a couple of pleasant surprises: invitations to share my gratitude message with a group of writers and on live-streamed radio. I then moved on to my inspirational reading, which began with this quote: “Behind every blade of grass, there is a special angel whispering, Grow, Grow.”

“Hmmm,” I thought, “Today, I feel like a blade of grass. I, too, have angels nudging me to grow, grow.” So I decided to add my guardian angels to my Gratitude list, and beside each name, I wrote a few sentences on how they had nudged me over the years, even when I wasn’t listening. It didn’t take me long to fill up a couple of pages in my journal. That’s how Gratitude journaling works. Something nudged me to reread the quote (perhaps one of my angels), and this time my “monkey mind” took me to the words “grow and glow.” For a second, I wondered where the word “glow” came from, but the answer came quickly, it was the radiant glow within me, the result of learning to live grateful. And it’s that glow that inspires me to keep sharing my small change blessons (lessons and blessings). Yeap, the universe was lining things up for this to be a great day!

But, before I could close my journal, my monkey mind leaped again, this time recalling a public health program that my department used to promote titled “Grow and Glow.” It was a WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program that encouraged breastfeeding among WIC moms and provided support to those seeking to breastfeed. So, to satisfy my monkey mind’s curiosity, I decided to see if the program was still active and to get a feel of why it was titled “Grow and Glow.”

So I did a little research and learned that “Grow and Glow” consisted of 10 training modules, and I was shocked to discover that one module included a short session on journaling. Breastfeeding mothers were asked to journal how it felt to breastfeed and to share their barriers to breastfeeding. Imagine that - a government-sponsored program that recognized the health benefits of journaling. All I could do was smile. I didn’t take the time to research the success rate of the program but because it’s still being implemented, I hope young breastfeeding mothers and their babies are still “Growing and Glowing.”

So there, I had my answer. And as for my monkey

small change Wings of Gratitude

mind, it does what monkey minds do, 24-7, even when we are asleep; it shifted back to the quote: “Behind every blade of grass there is a special angel whispering, Grow, Grow.” Like grass, glowing and growing is a lifelong journey, one that requires support from others. Grass needs help from the sun, rain, and soil to grow; they are its angels. We humans need everything that grass needs and more. We need each other.

I’m grateful for today’s blessons:

-invitations to share my Gratitude story to two new contacts

-a reminder to never lose sight of the work that my guardian angels do behind the scenes

-you, my readers

-learning how to tame my “monkey mind” Listing your blessings each day is the beginning of learning to live grateful. Here are a few more benefits of Gratitude Journaling:

-It slows the “monkey mind” and satisfies the soul’s curiosity

-It helps you focus on what is important

-It fosters a positive mindset and the ability to bounce back from difficult situations

-It reduces anxiety and enables you to manage stress

-It improves self-confidence and self-esteem, making you feel better about yourself

-It teaches you to appreciate the simple things in life

-It helps you become the best version of yourself

-It is transformative; it changes you on the inside

-It makes you “Grow and Glow”

-It prepares you to put wings on your dreams If you’re already journaling, for the next seven days, take some time each day to list one person, place, or thing that helps you grow and glow, and beside each name, write a few sentences about how they help you grow and glow. Want to make someone on the list glow? Send them a thank you letter. It’s a small change that over time, yields big results.

If you are not journaling and need help getting started, contact me at smallchange@myrtlerussell.com Glow and grow on the small change Wings of Gratitude.