writing – Appreciation Magic

Communicating Online

In what ways do you communicate online?

Although I would rather communicate with people in person, online communication fills a big space in my life. Today’s writing prompt asks about the ways we communicate online. I have used various methods of communication online.

The oldest way was email. I don’t use it as much now as in the past, but it’s still a part of my communication methods. The most frequent way I communicate online is through social media outlets. I belong to some Facebook groups and I’m very active on Twitter. I also use Instagram and very minimally Snapchat. The Facebook groups have been particularly useful, and I created one for our last high school reunion. They’ve also been a wonderful way to connect with others with similar interests. I also have a YouTube channel, but I haven’t done any videos for a long while. I do, however, watch others and will join broadcasts and comment and interact with them at times.

During the pandemic, video chat became a huge part of my life. Zoom made a household name for itself and I took advantage of that time at home to gather up several girlfriends from my hometown to communicate with each other weekly. It was so beautiful to catch up with them as some I hadn’t heard from in years. Most of them I’ve known since kindergarten and I appreciate those times a lot.

Writing online has also been a method of communication for me. I’ve always loved to write and so blogging became a way to express my thoughts years ago. I also had a couple of websites.

I appreciate all of these modes of communication for connecting people, spreading my voice and to learning from others.

I Appreciate Journaling – Day 40

I have always loved to write. Journaling is something that I’ve done over the years, through tween days, college, and mid-life. I appreciate the power of writing something down, of scripting scenarios as if they were already true, of jotting down a poem that rises from my heart, of daily appreciation journaling, or a burst of inspired ideas that creatively flow onto the paper or onto my blogs. While there are online journals and other electronic ways of writing, I really appreciate the simple pen and paper the best. I love collecting lots of different journals and choose the one that feels just right for my next writing endeavor.

Recently a friend of mine gave me a bunch of journals she was going to donate and I really am appreciating them. Not only are they beautiful, but the fact that they came as an unexpected gift from my friend makes them extra special! Thank you, my friend!

Appreciating Blogs -Day 11

I really appreciate blogs. It is such a cool thing to find interesting blogs and people who are writing about every topic imaginable. I like a lot of things, so it is pretty fair to say that I like a lot of blogs. But there are blogs that I really, really like: ones that are inspiring, entertaining or have great photos. I have a very small list of some of my favorite blogs to the right under BLOG LOVE. I invite you to check them out and see if there is something there you can appreciate, too. In the meantime, I invite to take my poll about what attracts you to reading/viewing blogs.

An Apple A Day

You’ve probably heard that saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” While the saying is a reminder for us to eat healthy foods and incorporate daily habits which promote our overall well-being, that’s not exactly what this post is about. I recently was watching Oprah Winfrey on her Life Class and she talked the importance of keeping an appreciation or gratitude journal. She says it’s the most important thing she has ever done. She’s been writing 5 things she’s grateful for everyday for 16 years! The show reminded me that I haven’t been as diligent at keeping my own journal, although I have done so off and on over time. (Here’s the link where Oprah talks about the importance of an appreciation/gratitude journal.)

Gratitude Journal from Oprah’s Life Class

Today I’m so grateful for the reminder of the importance of giving this gift to myself and to others when I take the time to write down what I appreciate. I say it’s a gift to others, because I know that the energy I give out is what I also attract. When we focus on appreciating, amazing things show up. Suddenly, there is “evidence” everywhere of the beauty in our lives. There IS something magical when you write your appreciations down. As I write this now, I can hear my inner voice saying that I have the perfect opportunity to do that on this blog. I am committing to renewing my habit of writing down my appreciations in a journal everyday. My intention is that this habit will stick with me – like eating an apple a day. And while I’m not intending to write on this blog daily, I do expect to be inspired to write a bit more frequently here.

Interestingly, 4 days ago I started my daily listing of 5 things I’m grateful for and since then, I’ve received a beautiful note from a Facebook friend, expressing her appreciation for connecting with me and where this led her; I made two big sales from an affiliate product I very passively list on another blog; an international student stopped by to give me a hug as she said “goodbye” to the United States and thanked me for everything; my boss approved my vacation request for the summer; and the weather report for today says that the sun will shine again in New York City! (It’s been raining all week.) Wow. That’s 5 things right there.

See how easy it is? There is “evidence” everywhere to appreciate. I’m taking Oprah’s advice and challenging myself to develop this habit of writing down 5 things I appreciate each day. I can’t wait to see what else shows up! Won’t you join me?