For about a month now, I have been practising gratitude. Previously the idea of having a gratitude journal seemed rather, well, soppy. However, after learning that the benefits have been proven and trying it out for myself, I am a convert.
The gratitude ritual gradually trains your mind to focus on the positive things that happen each day, rather than the negative. If, like me, you’re not naturally a glass half full kind of person, it’s easy to let these occurrences – be they large or small – slip by unacknowledged. Over time you should become more optimistic as well as more content.
Waking up and running through what you’re thankful for or noting down each evening what you’re grateful for happening during the day, can easily become part of your daily routine.
I now actually look forward to writing in my journal at the end of the day. I note down three things I was grateful for that day, in addition to two things I did well (which can be tiny) and my priorities for the next day. This combines gratitude with a sense of accomplishment and progress, which also bolster our sense of well-being.
“Of all the attitudes we can acquire, surely the
attitude of gratitude is the most important,
and by far the most life-changing” – Zig Ziglar
What has been featuring prominently in my gratitude list lately is the number of fellow bloggers who have helped me get A Bottled Rose off the ground.
Birgit of Olfactoria’s Tr avels suggested I try writing about perfume in the first place and gave me the opportunity to experience the sense of connectedness you get from blogging.
Vanesssa of Bonkers About Perfume and Val who contributes to Australian Perfume Junkies both encouraged me to start a blog of my own and supported me when I doubted myself.
Portia – writer and owner of Australian Perfume Junkies – cleverly reworked the original blog name and came up with the far superior A Bottled Rose during our Skype chat.
The supremely talented Asali of The Sounds of Scents created the stunning header image which is more perfect than I could have ever hoped for. With the vaguest of briefs, she quickly came up with several options which were so striking in different ways, I had a hard time choosing between them.
Undina of Undina’s Looking Glass has been utterly invaluable in the technical administration of the site. I’ve been so clueless she even had to re-instate my Home page when I managed to lose it.
I’ve always been much more comfortable in the role of giving help rather than receiving it, so I am grateful to my friends for teaching me that it’s okay to let others lend you a hand when you need it.
Finally, thank you to the wider fragrance community and beyond for the warm, encouraging reception. It means more than you know.
A Bottled Rose 
This companionship and love shared with you over the last year has been and is invaluable. Bussi. ❤️
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I can’t imagine my life without you any more, Val xxx
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The fact that you have had a bit of support and encouragement in getting A Bottled Rose off the ground says far more about *you* than the perfume community doing its bit to help. Really pleased you went for it, and how great it reads and looks! x
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That’s a kind way of viewing it,V.
I do feel very lucky to have found my perfume family.
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It looks fantastic, Tara. May the Gratitude be with you 🙂
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Great to get your professional opinion, Sabine!
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What a great and inspiring post, Tara! Love your idea to write 3 things you are grateful for. I have read before about having a gratitude diary and noticed it really lifts my energy level but THE done Well part and priority planning for tomorrow are new to me. Funnily I have just started to focus more about what I have in my life as Well and be grateful for it. It makes a huge difference. Saw a video of Someone on youtube who made photographs everyday during a year what she was grateful for and it was quite inspiring. Wonderful to read about all help you have gotten and to Thank them publicly. Have a great weekend, Esperanza
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I really enjoyed reading your experience, Esperanza. It’s great to hear you found the practice helpful and that it made a difference. I think noting 2 things you did well and your priorities for the next day makes for a nice addition and boosts the positive effects. I learnt that from the speaker at a retreat I went to in December. The year of gratitude photographs is a lovely idea.
Wishing you a relaxing yet fun weekend too.
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What a lovely post, Tara. Everyone loves you. ❤
I have no idea when but sometime way back I started focusing on things I felt grateful rather than things I hated. Truly my life has been much better since. May all the love and joy be with you all the time.
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I am totally feeling the love, Yukiko and it’s given me the warm fuzzies 🙂
How cool that you started to do this spontaneously. I know my mind is too focused on the negative to do that but maybe this practice will help.
Good to hear it’s improved things for you – that inspires me to keep it up.
Thank you for your kind wishes and the same to you!
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Congratulations on your blog, Tara!
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Thank you so much,hajusuuri! I really appreciate you stopping by.
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You deserved every bit of it 🙂
I tend to forget it when I’m on the receiving end, but actually when you give from your heart, it can be a greater pleasure than receiving. I try to think of that if/ when I feel overwhelmed and even a little scared I can’t ‘repay’ the kindness someone gives.
And as for the banner, I’m just happy it was what you were after, and it might have been a short brief, but it was very clear to me, not vague at all.
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Asali, it’s such a beautiful banner! I like it almost as much as I like mine 😉 (thank you once again!)
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I know exactly how you feel. But on the retreat and from the book 59 Seconds I’ve learnt that studies show people actually feel more warmly towards you if you allow them to do you a favour. We like being able to help people even more than we like to be helped. So letting someone assist you could be seen as an act of generosity in itself.
Thanks for saying the brief was clear to you – you certainly worked marvels with it and I’m so pleased everyone else appreciates its beauty too.
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Tara, thank you – for being my friend, for accepting my modest help and for one more great place in the Perfumeland to talk to friends.
I’ve been practicing that gratitude exercise for a while (I’m not sure how it started – either I read something about it or came up with it on its own) and it worked great. I should restart it – thank you for the reminder!
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I appreciate that so much, Undina. I felt guilty accepting your help most of all because you’ve been so busy and struggling with your persistent cough. I forgot to say thank goodness it was “only” an allergy (and presumably not towards perfume, Rusty or your v.SO!)
So interesting to hear you were doing the gratitude exercise and it worked well. I’m pleased this has been a reminder to get back into the habit.
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Hey Tara,
You are so amazing.What a great 2 years you’ve had. When I look at how much you’re accomplishing and how far out of your comfort zone you are willing to go to reach your goals i am inspired.
You seem to have grasped so easily that it’s a bit of a battle but one worth fighting. Congratulations.
So glad we are friends and that you are living your dreams.
WOO HOO! VENICE!
Portia xx
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Hey Portia!
I really wish I grasped this 20 years ago but better late than never. I’m sure making up for lost time now, with the help of you and others. It is amazing how far I’ve come in a relatively short period of time.
A couple of the big things I learnt on the retreat were that if to achieve a greater level of comfort you have to take a greater level of risk and that progress is what makes you happy in life, whether you reach your goals or not. It’s been an amazing time and I’m planning on keeping it up.
Your support means the world. Venice here we come!
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Hi Tara, there I was hoping for some time that one day you would start writing a perfumeblog, always enjoying reading your comments and posts on other blogs. Your post about the perfect iris at OT resulted in a lemming and Hiris became my gateway iris, and is now one of my well loved ones. On this dreary Sundayafternoon I was recovering from a migraine, and reading Undina’s statistics post, and for some reason I clicked on your icon, only to end up here! And you write about something very important, vitally so I believe, and I feel thankful and very happy you (with help!) have embarked on this adventure, and I look forward to visit a bottled rose often, and wish for the muse to be with you and have lots of fun. Maybe it will help me find a rose I can love, I adore roses in my garden, but have not yet found a bottled one to enjoy.
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Hi Hamamelis,
I’m so glad you found me! I remember you well from OT and it makes me so happy to think I played a part in helping you find your gateway iris.
Thank you very much for your kind wishes, they are much appreciated as i embark on this journey.
I hope you find your own bottled rose along the way.
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I don’t know where my comment disappeared so here I go again.:)
It was so lovely to read about the role each person played in getting your lovely blog off the ground. So glad you went for it.
And what a coincidence – I recently started a gratitude journal too.. It is a nice exercise but my journal and pen are never by my bedside when I need them (thanks to the kids who are basically like little tornadoes). So there have been large lapses in my entries. But the journal did allow me to stop panicking bout forgetting all of the cute things my kids say and do (and allowed me to shift my focus from the fact that they are practically trying to kill each other most of the time. ok. I exaggerate – but they do need to be watched..lol). Now all I need to do is to find the d**n journal!! 😀
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Sorry Lavanya, your earlier comment was a difference email address to your first comment last week so WordPress thought you needed approval.
I’m glad I went for it too! A real team effort 🙂
I love how your gratitude journal also keeps a record of the sweet things your children say and do. That’s a lovely added bonus. It’s all about changing our mindset!
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Hi Tara, it’s lovely to see you have your own blog! I enjoyed your musings on OT, and I love the title ‘A Bottled Rose’. Looking forward to reading your posts, Gratitude is a very interesting topic, something that is overlooked these days of wanting more and more…very positive. Best of luck and keep writingx
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Thank-you, Annette! It’s really lovely to see you here.
I do believe practising gratitude can help reduce a negative focus. I’m giving it a try.
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