August 31st - Energy

August 31st
I am grateful for energy. I am grateful for the many types of energy.

I am grateful for the energy generated in myself, helping me to exercise, to do daily activities, to think and learn, using my brain and muscles before getting tired and fatigued. I am grateful that I am able to re-generate energy by eating food and sleeping. I am also grateful for the energy that people give me when I am feeling weak or tired, either by their words or efforts.

I am grateful for the external energy that are used everyday which is electricity. I am grateful that electricity powers lights and appliances which help me with my daily needs.

August 30th - Dishwasher

August 30th
I am grateful for dishwashers. I do not have one at home but I have used one during my holiday and it has saved me more time to do other things like procrastinate..... or making sure I do productive things.

I am grateful that it saves me time in my day, allowing me to concentrate on doing other things around the house, or exercise, or continue cooking. I am glad I do not have to nurse it and it is a reliable appliance to have, making sure it does clean my dishes well.

August 29th - Learning

August 29th
I am grateful for learning new skills and information which I can use to get through life. I am grateful for classes, programs, demonstrations and my brain for helping me learn.

I am grateful that I am able to learn to skills, whether it is to develop with my work, hobbies or interests or for myself.

I am grateful for the opportunities to learn, and that I have taken the opportunities given to me to learn.  I am also grateful that I have found an interest in learning and wanting to understand more about the world. I should have had this interest when I was in high school.... many years too late hahaha

This year I have learnt many things and I am surprised at how well I am coping. This has built up my self esteem and made me realise that I am actually a smart person.

August 28th - My Memory

August 28th
I am grateful for my memory. At times it can be shocking, but there are many moments when my memory works so well, its impressive.

I am grateful that my memory can hold information that is irrelevant at most times, but is still stored when you do need it at those times of importance.

I am grateful that my memory can help me recall lines when I am doing a production, infact, I can memorise a whole play if it requires me.

I am grateful that I can memorise information I have just learnt and store it for furthur use in my life, such as languages or information for my work.

I am grateful that my memory can recall past moments in my life, allowing me to learn and heal from the past, smile and laugh at the good memories, and even recall memories of past loved ones.

August 27th - My Sexuality

August 27th
I am grateful for my sexuality. This could be a little M rated but I am grateful for my hetrosexuality and being attraction of women, in particular, my wife.

I am grateful that I am able to express myself to my wife and give her all my love, attention and affection to her comfortably.

I am grateful that I am able to share intimate moments with her (sexually or unsexually) and finding a sense of relaxation and comfort in doing so, releasing endorphins, which helps me feel positive about myself and all that is around me.

I am grateful that I am able to express my sexuality these days as I was deprived of doing this in my younger days. Growing up in a strictly Catholic upbringing, I was told it was a sin against God and the religion and I should not practice or think  sexual thoughts about women, or be in conversations with others about my thoughts on sex or women, therefore keeping me in a state of fear and depression, making me feel I was not a good person.

August 26th - Spell check

August 26th
I am grateful for spell check on my computer and mobile phone. This may sound like a silly gratitude, and probably is but spell check has saved me from sounding ridiculous, or having the reader misinterpret words or meaning which I didn't intend to write in the first place, making the reader seem lost or unsure of the message.

I am grateful that it also teaches me how to spell words correctly if I didn't already know. This, saving me from needing to look up the dictionary

August 25th - Annual Leave

August 25th
I am grateful to have annual leave. I believe this is a privilege to earn and work towards and feel so grateful to use when I am able to.

I am grateful that annual leave from work allows me to go on holidays for some relaxation and rest, re energising myself to continue working, allowing me to fulfil commitments outside of my general work or to have some time to organise life around me for a brief time.

I am grateful, especially now, that my annual leave has allowed me to visit places interstate and to enjoy exploring towns and areas I have never seen before. I am grateful that I am able to relax my body and mind, rejuvenating myself to get back to my everyday schedule when I arrive back home.

I am grateful that my workplace provides me with annual leave and encourages me to use it with best intentions.

August 24th - My Liver

August 24th
I am grateful for my liver. It has taken care of my health and in return will help maintain it to function to the best of its ability.

I am grateful that it detoxes my body, getting rid of all the toxins inside my body and helping my digestive system to work at its best.

I am grateful that it keeps me healthy as well and making me look healthy and strong.

August 23rd - The dining table

August 23rd
I am grateful for my dining table. I am grateful that this is a place where I can have meals with my wife, family and friends, and have conversations without being distracted my televisions or computers. I have realised that some of the best conversations I have had were around the dining table.

I am grateful that it is a simple and easy place to eat, not needing to balance your food on your lap in the lounge room. I am grateful that I can place many different items of food on the dining table and have guests graze while socialising and enjoying the company provided.

I am also grateful that the dining table can be a place to store and organise items in your house when there aren't any guests present, doubling up as a desk to study on, or a place to read the newspaper.

August 22nd - My Scarf

August 22nd
I am grateful for my scarf. I am grateful that this helps to keep me warm during the cold wintery windy days.

I am grateful that it helps prevent me from getting sick, either stopping me from catching a cold or the flu. I am also grateful that it keeps me comfortably warm, allowing me to enjoy the day, the company around me, the scenery and places I am visiting and stopping me from concentrating on feeling cold and uncomfortable, as well as less irritable to others and for myself.

I am grateful for the many designs that can be printed or created on scarves, helping to present myself in different occasions, being casual or semi formal.

August 21st - my smart watch

August 21st
I am grateful for my smart watch. I am grateful for all the functions it provides for me to make every day easier, as well as telling me the time.

I am grateful that it helps me with my fitness and exercise, doubling up as a pedometer, tracking my exercise programs of walking, jogging, running or cycling.

I am grateful that when it is paired with my phone, it shows me any missed calls, text messages or items stored in my organiser, keeping me alert of any events that may occur which I may have forgotten.

August 20th - The word "YES"!

August 20th

I am grateful for the word and the meaning to the word 'yes'. This simple yet very effective word has lead me to many positive events in my life and has lead me to where I am now. 

I am grateful that after deciding that I will say yes to healthy, beneficial and positive things this year, I have become less lazy, I have become more healthier physically and mentally, I learnt a lot about myself, become less anxious and become noticed by many people in a positive manner at work and socially.

I am grateful that after making the word 'yes' a priority in my life, I have begun to take care of myself in many forms. I have begun to notice what is unhealthy in my life and being able to more away from those unhealthy points and concentrate on the positives. I have become more active, and taking a step forward from the group, putting my hand up to volunteer for jobs and projects and making myself known to people, not by putting others down, but by showing them what I am capable of doing and not shying away, which was something that I used to do.

I am deciding to keep going, especially when I feel like saying no when times get hard or the easy option is to give up. I am grateful that I have installed this into my life as I feel I would not be going far without focussing on the word 'yes'.

August 19th - Exploring

August 19th
I am grateful for exploring and looking further into things which I feel would be a boundary or limiting myself to.

Today is a good example of this. I have been afraid of walking a certain road during my walks / jogs, but I was getting tired of being afraid and letting my mind and imagination get the better of me and put fear in my mind that something bad would happen. But I was always curious to see what was down this road and where it leads to.
The further I went, I found buildings and parkland which I thought never existed. I felt a sense of absolute wonderful discovery. This made me think I always thought I knew what was in my own backyard, but there are so many hidden treasures which I can enjoy, and it is free.

I am grateful that I push past what I thought was a boundary or limit, but it was only in my mind. I am grateful that I have open up my world that little bit more and can say I know some hidden places in my town which many wouldn't probably know of.

I am grateful that not only can I physically explore places, but I can explore histories, languages, cultures, anything. The more I explore, the more I learn, the more knowledgeable I become, the more fearless I become

August 18th - Secrets

August 18th
I am grateful for secrets. I am grateful that I have secrets which no one knows, and some secrets which only a select one or few people know of. I am grateful for secrets which I discover within myself and use to my advantage to get through life, without abusing the information I have at my disposal.

I am grateful that other people have their secrets that they keep to themselves and use them to make sense of certain things that happen in their life.

I am grateful for certain places in the world which I feel is my own private haven or secluded area which I can call my own and no one else. I am grateful that these secrets I have in my mind help me with my imagination.

August 17th - Zumba

August 17th
I am grateful for Zumba. This is a great form of cardio exercise where you follow a dance or Zumba instructors movements to music.

I have recently stepped out of my comfort zone and attended a few Zumba classes and have honestly found them quite fun. I have found that this is a form of cardio exercise in disguise. During the class, I felt I was not doing exercise but having a few laughs learning new dance moves and having fun in the mean time.

I am grateful that this has helped me with my fitness and allowing me to meet new people and enjoy the company of friends.

August 16th - Winter

August 16th
I am grateful for Winter. I am grateful that even though the weather is cold and it is harder to get out of bed in the morning to get to work, I can look towards many positives which make me feel so much better to dealing with the coldness of winter.

I am grateful that I am able to eat many many hot foods during winter to warm myself up. And I have found that the weather makes the food more tastier and enjoyable to eat.

I am grateful that I can put on extra clothes to warm up, other than needing to strip off in Summer and still feel too hot.

I am grateful that I am able to warm myself up by form of exercise, and it helps me burn more calories this way.

August 15th - Doona

August 15th
I am grateful for having a doona to sleep under during the night. I am grateful that this is able to keep my warm during the night, especially during the winter season.

I am grateful that I have this item to keep me comfortable and prevent me from getting a cold or getting sick. There are many people out there who do not have this item, this simple item of comfort, to keep them warm and battle it out in the cold. I am grateful this has prevented my health from getting worse.

I am grateful that, for looks and material reasons, doonas and donna covers brighten up my bedroom and make it look more presentable if visitors come and have a look into the room.

August 14th - Tables

August 14th
I am grateful for the use of tables. This is something we all use and would possible take for granted, abusing the use of it and sometime destroying the use of it with graffiti or causing some damage to it in some way.

I am grateful that I have the use of tables in many times during the day. I am grateful to have a table to eat my meals at, the complete my work, whether writing documents, letters or instructions, or to place my computer on to type the same items. I am grateful that I am able to store items on tables or even use them for purpose of displays.

I am grateful that tables reduce the risk of back pain or body soreness by bending down to lift items or even needing to work on the floor, as this would be the consequence of not having the use of a table, desk or bench to work with.

August 13th - 24 hours in a day

August 13th
I am grateful that there are 24 hours in a day and that this amount of time benefits me in many ways. I am grateful that there isn't an hour more or an hour less for me to work with as it would result in me being either lazy or stressed. I am grateful that I have been given this amount of time to be productive as well as having the time to rest and re-energise myself while sleeping or unwinding for the day.

I am grateful that this gives me a canvas to plan out my day and my time to help others, to help look after them and look after myself and to learn new things. For me, I have a flexible 24 hour deadline each day. I am grateful that this motivates me to be productive and stop myself from procrastinating.

I know of many people who don't do much with the time they have in the day and complain that they have not accomplished much and get frustrated or depressed, or find themselves rushing around to complete tasks which they could have done earlier. But if everyone remembers that they have 24 hours to get things done in the day, you can act intelligently and plan out your time wisely, including time to sleep and rest.

August 12th - Fruit

August 12th
I am grateful for fruit. I am grateful and privileged to have fruit to eat with easy access to as there would be many people who struggle to get this bit of food for survival.

I am grateful that it is a healthy option to snack on, rather than selecting a salty snack, full of sugar and therefore throwing my mood and body around, giving me a quick high, and a spedy low. I am grateful fruit does not do this for me and keeps my mood and mental state stable, as well as allowing me to think more clearer and perform better in what ever task I am doing.

I am grateful that this bit of food has helped me dramatically with my weight loss and helping me keep fit and healthy. I have understood that many fruits have low calories but gives me energy to last me a long time without feeling hungry sooner that having high calorie foods.

I am grateful that I am able to grow fruits on my own and provide them for other people, especially the disadvantaged people who may not be able to afford it.

August 11th - Positivity

August 11th
I am grateful for positivity. I am grateful for people who ooze with positivity, displaying a positive frame of mind and mentality, and giving positive advice to others.

I am grateful for those positivity around me when times are stressful or hard and myself or others are able to say, we can do it, or lets keep going, don't give up.

I am grateful for the positive advice from others I get when I am not thinking 100% and able to help snap me out of thinking of giving up, or from being in a bad mood.

I am grateful for the positive examples I have seen in the past, and in the present. These help me to aspire to be positive to those around me, sometimes even mimicking positive traits to help someone else out of a negative mood or situation.

I am grateful to have a more clearer and positive frame of mind, I am able to say yes to many things which I would have once been afraid of trying. I feel a lot healthier, happier and relaxed. I feel less angry and tense with others, and especially with myself. I am able to learn new things with a positive mindset and grow to be an even more positive person.

August 10th - First Aide & CPR

August 10th
I am grateful for first aide and CPR. I am grateful that I am trained in first aide as well as having the reassurance that if something happens to me, I am surrounded by many who know how to perform first aide and CPR on me.

I am grateful that this is a lifesaver, as well as being able to be attended to when seriously injured. I am grateful that I am able to help assist someone who may be in a situation that required attention, whether it may be a broken arm or leg, cuts, or abrasions, or if they are not breathing or need chest compressions to keep their heart pumping.

I am grateful that training for this is available and I highly recommend more people learn these valuable skills, for themselves and for those around them.

August 9th - Vacuum

August 9th
I am grateful for the vacuum cleaner. As someone who likes to maintain a clean house, the vacuum cleaner is such a great help with keeping the floor clean, especially before I have visitors come over.

I am also grateful that my vacuum cleaner prevents me from getting hey fever and allergy attacks from dust in the carpet and rugs.

I am grateful that it is a quick and easy appliance to use, which is able to be stored away in the cupboard or linen closet.

August 8th - Heaters

August 8th
I am grateful for heaters, especially during the season of winter.

I am grateful that heaters help wake me up in the morning, making it easier to wake me up and get moving, especially those morni by when I am absolutely zombie-like and sleepy.

I am grateful that heater or heating make me feel comfortable when the cold is around me. I am grateful I can get heating at home, im my car, at work and even outside, when I'm sitting infront of a wood fire.

August 7th - My mistakes

August 7th
I am grateful for the mistakes I have made in the past, and the little (or big) mistakes I have made more recently.

I am grateful firstly that I have noticed that these are mistake and admit to making these mistakes. This first proves to myself, if not you, that I am not being taken over by ego or pride, and shows honesty to myself and others.

I am grateful that I can learn from these mistakes, knowing either not to do it again or figuring out how to avoid making the same mistake, understanding the consequences that will occur; if any, depending on the situation. Making mistake will them allow me to do better next time I attempt facing the same situation, kind of a bit like trial and error.

I am grateful that from my mistakes, I can move ahead and learn better ways of living. As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect.

August 6th - My marriage

August 6th
I am grateful for my marriage. I honestly don't know why I haven't written about this earlier. I am grateful for my marriage for many reasons.

I am grateful that I married to the right woman. I believe she is a God-send and so grateful that our paths met at the right time. I am grateful that, because of her, I won't be alone in this world. Yes, I have many friends, but she is the one I know that will always be there to keep me company when I don't have any friends or feeling lonely.

I am grateful to have that constant support by that one constant person, not getting mixed advice from other people, leading me to confusion; and she knows so much about me that she knows what's good for me or the best way to do things if I feel lost.

I am grateful that marriage had made me less selfish, teaching me to think of another person rather than myself. I am grateful that I am able to more effort now into making sure my better half is doing well, supporting her, motivating her, keeping her safe and making sure she is happy. And in return, I am grateful she does the same for me too.

I am grateful that I and loved. This is something I thought was not possible and would go my life not having someone love me the way that I am loved. I am grateful that I do not have to face the world alone any more and feel so much stronger than when I was single.

August 5th - My self discipline

August 5th
I am grateful for the self discipline that I have 're-activated' in myself to achieve many things. However, I am still learning to control myself through my own efforts to be a better person and believe that this will be ongoing throughout my life. I am grateful that I have snapped out of the mind frame of thinking I am too weak against negative influences and resistances from others as well as from my own mind.  I am still learning to become a stronger minded person.

To me, self discipline is knowing what is good for you and saying yes to it and doing it, despite having your mood and thoughts of being lazy or wanting to procrastinate take control. I am grateful that my self discipline has enabled me to prove to myself that I can do things which I once dreamt of achieving. I am grateful that my self discipline is improving my mental state, helping me to think more positive about myself, the way I do things and how I react to all types of situations.

I am grateful that self discipline had helped me loose weight, kick out many personal bad habits, built up my self esteem, and realise I am a human being and not a robot. I am grateful it has helped me to be more truthful to myself, and to learn from my mistakes, instead of convincing myself of the reason why I made a mistake, just to make myself feel good for that brief moment.

I am grateful that self discipline has made me more aware of the world around me, helped me understand my thoughts and actions, and to keep my mind active, utilising the time I have on this Earth to the best of my ability.

August 4th - Creative writing

August 4th
I am grateful for my creative writing projects, such as this 365 gratitude project being one of them. I am grateful that I have been able to expand my knowledge, imagination and ability to write pieces, expanding my creativity not only in writing but also in other aspects in life. I am grateful that I am able to see the world in different views this way, and describing to others the visions I can see in an interesting point of view.

I am grateful that creative writing is enhancing my vocabulary, helping me learn of more effective ways of wording sentences to make a message more understandable to the reader. Creative writing has also helped me verbalise more clearly to my friends during social interactions, while giving instructions or communication to work colleagues, or delivering a message to many through public speaking

August 3rd - Customer Service

August 3rd
I am grateful for good customer service I receive when I am at an event, restaurant or a store.

I am grateful when employees or managers show interest in helping myself, the customer, with enquiries or information about items they are selling, answering any questions they have, or just being of service to them when purchasing items. I am grateful when they give their time and energy to make sure I am happy with items that I am interested in purchasing.

I am grateful when I receive customer service with a smile and the employee or managers show interest in helping you and present themselves well to you. This makes me feel like I am welcomed to the store or restaurant, keeping me interested to return back if necessary.

August 2nd - Soft Drinks

August 2nd
I am grateful for soft drinks. I am grateful that this can be a treat to have whenever I desire. Because I am an adult and I can do what I want hahaha. But I am grateful that I can have soft drinks as a treat for when I go out for dinner or at parties.

I am grateful that I can mix it with bourbons or whiskeys when I am either at a party or just a drink to have at home or at a restaurant, giving the drink a different flavour, sometimes dulling the strength a little bit to be more enjoyable. I am grateful that it allows me to enjoy my meals, whether it is created at home or at a restaurant. 

I am grateful that it makes those moments in life a bit more enjoyable and pleasurable, even if it is a small item to enjoy for a small amount of time. I am grateful it gives me a little bit more energy when I want it as well.

August 1st - Time out

August 1st.
I am grateful for a lesson I just learnt and need to put in to practice more often. This is the lesson of taking a time out, slowing down, taking a deep breath, maybe a few more, calming down and to just be still and quite. And what I mean by being still and quiet is by slowing down my thinking or the running thoughts in my head.

I was tense today, I was tense all day today. I had all these plans in my head to do many many things. In fact, I have a white board full of things I wanted to do today. But my wife had other plans and needed my help. This threw my plans off track.

When I got the chance to do one of my task, I would get distracted or asked to help with something else, pulling me away from the task. This again throwing my rhythm and flow of completing my 'to do ' list successfully.

One hour ago, I put so much pressure on myself to try and complete all these tasks, that I ended up feeling so tense and frustrated. I tried multitasking and realising that the simplest of task were not going according to plan, and I ended up giving up on trying and sat in the bathroom with my hands in my face, shutting everything out. Until my wife walked in.....

She helped me up, sat me down and told me to read a book that she gave me until she comes back. This allowed me to calm down, de-stress and stopped me thinking of my 'to do' list. After 10 minutes she walked back in the room to see if I felt better, and I did.

I am grateful for having that 10 minute time out session, and for my wife making me do it. This forced me to slow down my thought and mental process of doing what I needed to do. Now that I have calmed down, I can think clearer, be more precise with what I am doing.

I think every now and then we do need to force ourselves to take a bit of a time out, otherwise we just run ourselves down, become tense, sometimes become someone we aren't or don't want to be and turn a want into a need, becoming too focused on things that really aren't important in the first place.

July 31st - Scales

July 31st

I am grateful for weight scales. This has been a useful tool for me over the last couple of years during my journey into weight loss.

I am grateful that scales have told me how much I weigh, and given me indications if the food I am eating is making me gain or loose weight, helping me get on track with my diet.

I am grateful for scales that measure the amount of food or ingredients I use while making food. I am grateful that this helps with following recipes. But more so for me, this helps me as I am calorie counting and require measuring how many grams or kilograms of food I eat to measure the calories within each item of food.

July 30th - My achievement board

July 30th
I am grateful for my achievement board. This is something I created at the start of the year. This is a simple creation of a large cork board, post-it notes and pins, which helps me recognise and remind me of the things that I have achieved throughout the year, as well as allowing me to think of things I would like to achieve. It is hung on the door to my spare room (mancave), where I can view it everyday.

I am grateful that it motivates me to be more active and achieve new things, to get back into old but good habits and to step outside my comfort zone if necessary. I am grateful that this helps me get back on my feet after a failure while trying something or to get me out of a bad or lazy mood, reminding me to try again.

I am grateful that it gives me confidence and helps me boost my self esteem at times when I am not really myself. It reminds me that I can do things that I thought was out of reach or near impossible for me. It also tells me who I am and what I do, sort of creating a theme to what is important to me in my life. This board has helped me understand many things, and in some way, helping me catch up on the things which I felt I couldn't (or more so, didn't want to) accomplish or fulfil in the past.