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Its that time of the year again. I was toying between writing a round up post OR bringing up my WOTY for 2022. While the latter could have waited, I zeroed in on WOTY as this has been a transformational past few weeks for me personally , especially since I started practising gratitude more mindfully.

A few weeks ago I was going through a phase where things seemed too slow and stuck, a few changes I was hoping would work out seemed no where in sight and days felt bleak. It felt like I was going through this monotonous existence and try as I may to make the most of what I have and find my silver lining, it had started to feel hollow somewhere to my own ears.

When taking a morning walk which is a luxury for me as I am not a super early riser and I need to get my daughter ready for school on weekdays which means I typically end up missing my morning walk and those rare days when I can make it, its a luxury I love to indulge in. So one such walk sometime in November and I was feeling meh – suddenly I felt a whiff of cool air bow across my face and heard birds chirping- a crystal clear sound that was so melodious. I smiled , a smile from my heart, forgetting all about the zillion thoughts that occupied my head and soaked myself in the moment. I felt grateful that day for being able to experience nature at her best.

The air stopped blowing and the birds sounds faded away but a thought had taken shape in my mind. I went back home and opened the Gratitude app on my phone. I had been using it in 2018 for a few days and had then given up. I quickly jotted down an entry about how grateful I was to have experienced this sublime beauty. I decided to write an entry daily, a few words. I could also add one picture .

It was hard , extremely hard on some days when life was monotonous and days were bleak. Its so hard to find something to be grateful for – but its the little things that I started to look for. Like my daughter sleeping on her bed, blissfully unaware of her surroundings, a sight of tranquility and such raw beauty. Being around to witness this is indeed something to be grateful for. Or a flower that bloomed in my home garden after days and adorned the plant , transforming it into something so different ,me getting a good night’s sleep or listening to a favourite song that made me smile. I realised its the small things that matter and add so much value to life. We are mindlessly running in the pursuit of big bang things like that promotion at work, the wedding, the luxury vacation or car but when we look back at life , what often makes us smile is the countless small moments that we spend with our loves ones or doing the things we love.

There were easy days too and I started to realise things were getting better. I met new friends , in the most random way , something I had never envisaged. Life was turning around, slowly and for the better.

As we are about to wrap up the year, I can see clearly how much life has changed in the last few weeks and its wonderful . I strongly feel it all started with me practising gratitude and this is why there is no doubt that “Gratitude” is my Word of the Year for 2022.

I resolve or rather as a true Potterhead I solemnly swear –

1. I will find things to be grateful for , each day however hard it may seem. Its the hard days that matter the most and getting through them by being grateful for something will no longer make the day as hard.
2. I will time and again, unabashed tell my loved ones through my words and deeds about how grateful I am due to their presence in my life. I truly feel its a blessing to have someone love you unconditionally and thats a mighty reason to be grateful for.
3. Be grateful for “me”. Self gratitude is something we dont hear of much and may sound as being narcissist but in reality it all starts with self love, being grateful for yourself. While I always advocate and am a firm believer of self love , I am too hard on myself sometimes (as a loved one recently pointed out aptly). I will try and be kinder to myself and be grateful for all that I am.

Here is a wrap around of all the most memorable moments of 2021 that made it such a wonderful year despite the bleak moments.

Whats your WOTY for 2022? I would love to hear, please leave behind your comments. Wish you all a happy new year!