Updated 12/1, 7:04AM –> winners have been selected! If you see how I chose them, tune into my Instagram stories for the next 24 hours! It’s completely random… Google number randomizer was very helpful 😀
As I wind down from a hectically busy and filled day from my day job to work on this post, I can’t help but feel so grateful for everything I have. Yes, I’m working against a tight deadline with a headache, an empty, growling stomach, and a neck pain from not sleeping well the night before. But I’m HERE. I’m sitting in this chair, typing on this Mac notebook, with an orange tabby cat named Miles sitting next to me. When this reality of where I am physically and mentally registers in my head, and I am instantly overcome with gratitude.
Why I’m so Grateful
They say people are not grateful because they’re happy, they’re happy because they’re grateful. I am a deep believer in the casual relationship between happiness and gratitude. I have a notebook where I write down on a regular basis things that I am thankful. And they aren’t always grand things. Sometimes things as little as the greenest of grass that reflects the light of dawn, the fast speed of my internet at work, the fact that my favorite TV show this season has 20 episodes, or the quick parking spot that I found on a trip to Target. I realized over time that practicing gratitude became a habit.
How Being Grateful Helps Me
When I am down, I have found counting blessings to be the quickest way to get myself back on my feet. This is why I’m writing this post today. With the holiday season in full swing, we tend to get swept up in the doing and forget about the thinking. I want to share this method with you and the 25 ordinary things that I’m grateful for and hopefully inspire you to practice gratitude in your life, too. I made sure these are things that are accessible to everyone and don’t require any special circumstances or a lot of money.
And if you’ve made it here… thank you for reading! At the bottom of this post, there is a giveaway waiting for you. I got two things that I’m very proud of sharing with you this Christmas season… read on and find out how to win!!
Ordinary things I’m thankful for:
- A lucid mind to always learn new things
- Clean air to breathe and clean water to drink pretty much 24/7
- A job where I put my talent and skills to good use
- The internet.
- At least 10 new books with very interesting topics lying around for me to read anytime
- Christmas lights the husband hung on the roof
- Laminate flooring that doesn’t get dirty from cat vomit, footprints, or any spills whatsoever!
- Immediate and extended families that I talk to almost every single day
- Friends I’ve known for 10+ years who I share many inside jokes with
- This $8 Riesling wine
- This article from The Atlantic about China’s advancement in space exploration technologies and how it referenced the novelist Liu Cixin who wrote my favorite novels in 2017 The Three-Body Problem
- Late night talks with friends about our culture, influence from our parents, how they influenced our beliefs and behavior and outlook on life.
- The Vetoquinol pill wrap that makes giving medicine to my cat Lulu a breeze (highly recommend for anyone who has to go through the torture of giving pills to cats!)
- The comfy throw that’s keeping me warm at the moment
- The Dave Ramsey podcast. Here’s why I’m especially grateful for this, in case you’re curious
- The Sound of Music movie. And the “My Favorite Things” song!
- That moment when you crack open a can of carbonated drink.
- Live plants & sunshine that I get in the office space
- Target’s makeup aisle
- Winter. And Snow. *This might be a Californian thing
- Watering the succulents and plants in my backyard
- The Magnolia Journal magazine by Joanna Gaines
- Tea. All kinds of tea.
- The health of my two cats, after a cancer diagnosis last month followed by chemotherapy
- You, who are reading the 25th item on this long list!
Now the giveaway!
Because I appreciate you, Cubicle Chic reader, I bought these two things on my own to share with you. To enter, simply subscribe to the Cubicle Chic newsletter (look for that pink box that says “Get More Cubicle Chic” on the top right of the home page!) and leave me a comment about which gift you want. If you’re already subscribed, leave a comment below and let me know about that in addition to your gift selection. I will do a random drawing at 8PM west coast time on Thursday and announce the winners (there will be two!) at the end of the day on November 30th!
Firstly, I have a David’s Tea Christmas Advent Calendar, currently sold out from David’s Tea! It’s got 25 boxes of tea in there, one for each day starting December 1! The other item is a book by Simon Sinek, who’s a speaker, author, the presenter of the most popular Ted Talk ever. It’s a book I personally draw inspiration from and have really enjoyed flipping through. It’s got a lot of pictures and very easy to read!
Cubicle Chic readers, I truly hope you like the gifts that I prepared this year. If I had the financial means, I would buy you ALL a gift. Maybe one day… when I make it as a full time blogger! But for now, please accept this token of appreciation I have. Merry early Christmas!
All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse