Today I will be celebrating my 35th birthday. Some people see their birthdays as getting older, but I look at it as celebrating another year of life on this earth. I made it another year! That is something to celebrate. I wanted to make a post of the 35 things that improved my life, or things I appreciate to celebrate 35 years. It is good to put focus on the good, and look at the bright side, so I wanted to make this. The list isn’t in order of anything. I appreciate all these things equally.
1.Becoming aware
2.Practicing mindfulness
3.Appreciating connections with friends and family
4.Drinking more water
5.Eating healthier
6.Consuming less sugar
7.Creating this blog
8.Journaling
9.Learning not to strive for happiness/seek contentment
10.Accepting my flaws
11.Getting a better paying job
12.Having mindful time
13.Taking deep breaths
14.Meditation
15.Getting a dependable car
16.Taking small steps
17.Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise a day
18.Reading
19.Not allowing Social Media to control my thoughts & emotions
20.Learning to accept all emotions
21.Taking nature walks
22.Appreciating the people who love me/like me
23.Not caring about likes and attention
24.Expressing myself without worries
25.Appreciating being in my own skin
26.Taking in the moment as much as I can
27.Looking at the positives
28.Appreciating my strengths
29.Learning happiness comes from within
30.Finding appreciation for the people and things in my life
31.Finding the joys of life
32.Becoming a plant owner
33.Learning patience
34.Embracing the struggles
35.Accepting life for what it is
While writing this I found a couple of other things that I could list as well. You don’t realize how many things you appreciate in life, until you start looking. I implore you all to do a list like this, not just for your birthday, although that would be fun, but just in general to show you how much there is to appreciate in life. Yes, there are negatives and bad things that happen in life, but there is also plenty of good and positives. Putting your attention on the good brings peace and happiness.
Psychology of Mindfulness 