Counting my blessings is something that I regularly do throughout the day, and especially when I say my prayers before going to bed.  I realize there is a therapeutic effect when writing down thoughts, so I thought this would be a different experience.  It was, in a good way and a bad way.

Writing down my blessings and why each happened, made me think more about my role in what happens in my life.  I already realize that the little everyday things in life are important, but actively pondering on the specifics help me to appreciate my friends even more.  It also helps me to track my progress in becoming the person I want to be.

I noticed that my blessings had a lot to do with friends and family, work, and my religious life.  Also growth and progress towards goals were an important theme.

Now, here’s the bad part.  Thinking about my blessings made me so happy that I couldn’t get to sleep.  I kept smiling and thinking happy thoughts, and then I would tell myself, “Okay, you’ve got to stop - and get some sleep.”  I tried meditating on my breathing, but was not really on board with shutting out happy thoughts, and they would creep back in and I would find myself awake for way longer than was good for me.  I think I need to choose a different time for this activity in the future.