Three years ago my husband and I were both employed full-time. While we certainly weren’t getting rich we were living very comfortably with the income I was making as a social worker and he was making as a Sheriff’s Deputy. Two children, and minus one full-time income later we are broke – and happy.
I’ll admit. I am not always joyful about being broke. In fact, my husband and I went out on a rare “date-night” last night and ate at one of our favorite restaurants. I remember looking at the dessert menu and drooling over the $5.00 tiramisu and $6.00 mud pie. Knowing our budget, I had to settle for the emergency Hershey bar I have stored in the cupboard. I wanted shrimp, but ate a plate of nachos. He probably wanted a T-bone, but settled for a burger and fries.
When we got home that night, I took a look at my fridge door where I’ve posted a “gratitude list”. I saw items such as “my children’s health”, “a warm place to sleep”, and so on. Once again, I found myself smiling inside. It’s funny how meaningless a bottle of fine wine, a great cut of steak or designer jeans become when you take the time to jot down the truly important things in life.
Are you broke? Do you ever get frustrated over the things you don’t have? It’s natural. Might I suggest you create a gratitude journal or a simple list of “thank yous”? It will make all the difference in the world. Here are a few suggestions to help get you started.
Use your word processing program and generate a simple thank-you list on your computer. (Save it in a predominant place and add to it often). Simply jot down the things you are grateful for, print them out and post them on your bathroom mirror, refrigerator door or anywhere else you will be able to view it often. On the top of mine I wrote, “I am so thankful for…” and proceeded to make my list.
If you are a visual person like me, you may want to make a gratitude collage. (This is a wonderful activity for kids too). Simply cut out pictures of things you are grateful for using old magazines, photos and newspaper articles. Again, post your collage in a predominant place and use it as an mood-booster when you are feeling less-than fortunate.
Purchase a journal and keep it on your desk. Whenever you think about something you are thankful for, jot it down. As you review the pages of your gratitude journal you will certainly feel blessed.
Do you have any suggestions for feeling grateful even when you are broke? Jot them down in the comments section. Once you’ve finished making your own list, journal or collage stop in and tell us about it.