I took a moment today to review my list of 90 things I spoke about during my Gratefulness Challenge. Wow, 90 things. It seems like a lot but the list of items I never got a chance to talk about is much longer. This challenge has lead me to a few realization about myself and I feel like now is a great opportunity to share them.

First, I forgot how much I enjoy writing. I was worried when I started this blog that I wouldn’t have anything to say or what I did write about wouldn’t be insightful or interesting. Being forced to write every single day has helped me come to terms with these fears and begin to move past them. As someone who generally expresses themselves through movement, it can be hard to keep the creative energy flowing on a daily basis. I don’t have the space to physically practice every day. Having another creative outlet has helped me maintain my creative energy. I may not be a prize winning author, but daily writing has kept me in a creative mindset so that I am more ready to explore my thoughts when I actually have the opportunity to move.

Secondly, my gratefulness challenge has encouraged me to see the positive in life. When you start looking for something it becomes easier to find. Many of the items I spoke about this month were fairly large, but my personal gratefulness list is full of much smaller, yet still very important, things. Good thoughts breed good energy. I have been reminded of just how much great there is in the world. The silver lining has become easier to find.

Most importantly though when I read over my list I see a caricature of myself and what is truly important to me. I think that regardless of if we are aware of it, we all have some core values that help guide us through life. Until now I have never really taken the time to specifically identify what mine are. In reading over my list I see a few beliefs that pop up quite frequently. I may not be completely solidified as to what my values are just yet, but this challenge has helped me look inside myself and start to discover those answers.

Some values which I have realized are important to me include: an acceptance and preparedness for constant change, a deep appreciation for community, a determination to always do what makes me happy, a belief in the importance of both self-respect and respect for the world around us (physically, spiritually, mentally etc.), a belief in the importance of individuality and self expression,  and an optimistic outlook about the future. These values are very broad and each encompasses a lot of other ideas. I am sure that as I continue to grow, my beliefs will shift, yet I feel like my thoughts will still probably fit within these six main headings.

I look forward to sharing further ideas surrounding these concepts with you in the time to come. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I am enjoying living it.