In which I write out things I am grateful for, or personal wins in my life.

1. Working through Ink and Grace’s Build Your Writing Life Course during last Friday’s low-key Game Night.

2. Monday night, staying out until 9:15ish socializing and laughing with our people. (That’s late for introverts.)

3. Visiting family Tuesday night after work.

4. Listening to some Jesus music to help me focus on someone bigger than myself. (Ellie Holcomb’s Red Sea Road album.)

5. Accepting free hugs from friends to help me feel better after a rough day.

This is a win because after I apologize to someone for something I might have been rude about, I don’t usually want to face them in person. It’s scary and vulnerable and I’m awkward, but they’re the coolest people and I don’t deserve their grace or their love, yet  they give it so freely, so I sucked it up and went for it. (Obviously not alone, Ant went with me because I’m lousy without him and not quite my best self .) (Read: I’m super needy.)

6. Going into detail about how my writing is going.

I think I’ve talked to four different sets of people about my writing in detail. Way more than the usual “It’s slow” or “It’s non-existent” answer. Like, I’ve actually told them about the course I’m going through right now. That’s HUGE.

7. After New Employee Orientation today, I detoured to Origin Coffee and Tea to write. I only journaled about my week so far, but still.

8. With hard-earned cash money, I bought Folgers Black Silk Dark Roast grounds. 37 oz of coffee for $12.

TWELVE dollars people. This is not cost-effective. At all. It stresses me out to splurge on grocery items. Because, literally, five years ago we were living off Dollar Store spaghetti sauce (which is so yucky! and I don’t recommend it) and Dollar Store noodles, food boxes from our good friends, and $60 in the Grocery Envelope. Unfortunately, this mindset has followed me around for the last five years and I have issues about buying things like Folgers Dark Roast coffee grounds. But, today, I did it.

9. We cooked dinner tonight.

(Well, actually Anthony did. Insert all the heart-eye emojis because I’m so spoiled.)

10. I skipped washing the dinner dishes to catch up on the Build Your Writing Life Course and to write this blog post! 🙂

11. Future win: After work tomorrow, I will go to a coffee shop and write, so that I can be social at Game Night.

Here’s to another late night, this one full of words and a full heart, for my husband, my people, and myself. Here’s to grace for myself tomorrow morning when I might possibly hit snooze again.

Celebrate your wins, friends. It will help fight the mental fogs that roll in and help ground you when life feels rocky.

Love, Tracy