By Zainab Susi
Happy 2022!
In the blink of an eye 2021 has come and gone. 2021 was another hard year for many people. There are no words to describe the hard times many people went through. When 2021 began none of us expected the year to unfold as it did. But what kept me going was my gratitude and just being grateful to be alive and healthy every single morning.
I had to let go of many people who were toxic to me and I had to learn to put myself first. 2021 forced me to create ME time, where I would take a moment to breathe and feel the present itself. I chose not to waste my energy on people who don’t care about me. That was the best thing I did for myself.
I try my best to look at each day positively and to be grateful for the blessings in life. This perspective has kept me going and keeps me in a healthy mindset. That doesn’t mean there aren’t hard days too. When those difficult times or occasions would happen I would do my best to acknowledge it, then change my attitude to keep moving forward. It’s very easy to focus on the negative but it’s also easy to change your attitude, to focus on what is working, and to be grateful.
At the end of each year, I like to do my own life’s inventory. 2021 brought my family closer to each other and allowed us to appreciate each other more. We feel blessed and lucky in every area of our lives..
There are many ways to focus on the positive. One of my methods is to use the gratitude jar. This is my 6th year using a jar. When something positive happens I write it down on a piece of paper with a date and put it in the empty jar. Believe it or not, my jar gets full pretty quickly. On December 31st of each year, I open it and read the entire year’s notes. After many years it’s become my own special tradition. I believe gratitude is the key to happiness and brings more joy to our lives.
I wish my friends and families, wherever they are, a Happy New Year! I am grateful to each of you for being a part of my life and I hope everyone has a great and healthy 2022! And don’t forget, Life is beautiful!
