Once again I want to share some of my reflections on the blog. It seems I get a certain passion and will of writing when I’m either travelling or some major event happens in life. Needless to say, the past six months have been a major challenging event for the entire world. I have been both thinking and writing a lot on a variety of topics and I felt the time was right.

One of the topics occupying my mind has been gratitude. Just before the pandemic I started to write a gratitude journal. Every night before bed I wrote down three things a felt grateful for. Sometimes I would also include a written prayer and a reflection I had but the main focus was gratitude. I did this every day until the book ran out of pages, after five months. For me this practice has been very helpful and something I will continue doing. I have tried similar practices before, for example thinking of three things I am grateful for when walking my dog in the morning, but I didn’t find them as rewarding as writing them down. For me, I appreciated the time sitting down and giving it a moment to really think about subjects of gratitude. Otherwise it’s natural to think about the same points everyday which I do not think will have the same effect.

I made a summary of everything I had written and I found more than 250 different things I was grateful for during the span of the journal. Many things which I take for granted and almost never reflect on nor feel grateful for on a daily basis. I think perspective is a keyword here. Giving myself a time to reflect and feel gratitude made my perspective shift not only towards a more positive way but an empowering one. I noticed how the things could vary from the most important parts in my life such as my daughter and wife to simple things for example the smell of morning coffee, watching Netflix, new knowledge or sunshine. Keeping a journal made me find these simple things of gratitude, that actually constitute a large part of life, and actively appreciating them not just in the moment. No matter where we are in life there are things to be grateful for and keeping a journal of gratitude is helping me appreciating my life and keeping the positive energy constant.

Speaking of energy, here is a poem I wrote the other day when my mind was wondering off to windy cliffs by the sea. Until next time, may you be blessed.

Thunder


Thunder came with fever
on the longest night of year
he fainted, his last power to pull the leaver
the ships in the dark will not need to fear

A lighthouse on the cliff of the sea
its watcher no longer crying
usually by sparkling fire sipping brandy tea
instead, by the savior of light, he is dying

Von Kaap the name on the shipwreck’s side
please, horizon beyond, save the captain in the tower
do not take his song with the tide
within him lies a pureness of power

Thunder came with fever
on the longest night of year
who, horizon beyond, will be his griever
the roar of death is drawing near

P. Hydén