Whew, What a Day!
Hi friend,
You know those days when it feels like the universe is derailing you just for the fun of it?
I had one of those recently.
I woke up not feeling great with an impossibly long to-do list. Every single task I touched was a struggle. The label file for mailing journals— the one I’ve used for years — decided it simply no longer cared to cooperate. A “quick” print job became a multi-hour troubleshooting exercise.
As that was happening, I heard a sudden whoosh from downstairs. Curt had forgotten to put the washer hose back into the drain while he was doing remodel work, resulting in a soggy mess on the floor.
Then, as I was printing letters to go with journals, the toner cartridge went haywire — leaking, smudging, spitting— and each batch demanded a full clean-up before I could proceed.
The final straw?
The pretty little mandarins I'd bought for handmade Christmas gifts... The'd quietly turned into a fuzzy botanical science experiment.
Years ago, that kind of day would have left me in a tizzy.
I would have stomped, complained, declared the whole day a failure, and warned everyone to stay out of my way.
But this time felt different.
Despite all the mishaps, I just… stayed okay.
A bit tired, yes. But I didn't lose my temper. I didn't feel discouraged. And I didn't spiral into a mood that left me waiting to sleep it off. In fact, the weird thing was that I stayed happy and nothing especially good had happened to make me feel that way.
As I realized this, I tried to remember the last time a truly frustrating day had ruined my mood. I couldn't remember when this last had happened–definitely more than a year ago. I wondered if this was just a fluke, so I did a little research.
🌿 What changed?
Not the world.
Not the workload.
Not the printer (clearly).
Me.
Turns out, science supports that the last five years of gratitude journaling, reframing, slowing down, and choosing joy on ordinary days may have rewired something deeper inside of me— a steadier baseline. It seems the daily practice of noticing what’s good, even when things go sideways, has strengthened the part of me that can stay grounded when things go sideways.
Gratitude and positive reflection aren’t just sweet ideas — they reshape emotional circuitry over time, strengthening the brain’s ability to regulate stress and bounce back. And I know I've read an article or two recently indicating that these practices seem to correlate with increased longevity as well.
So not only does this work help us stay healthier and live longer, but we also literally get better at being okay through it all. Super cool, huh?
✨ So Here's A gentle reminder for your week...
If you’re practicing gratitude,
If you’re choosing presence over perfection,
If you’re slowly teaching your nervous system that life doesn’t have to be an emergency—
it is adding up.
Even if your growth feels subtle,
Even if no one else sees it,
You are becoming softer, steadier, and more resilient than your past self ever imagined.
And someday, you’ll have a day full of moldy oranges, flooded floors, and glitchy tech — and the remarkable thing won’t be what went wrong…
but how beautifully you felt all right. ❤️
With appreciation for the messy, marvelous human journey,
Julie
P.S.Want a beautiful journal for yourself or someone you love to help encourage these practices? My winter seasonal journal comes with the cutest little bag of gratitude prompts this season. I spent most of my evenings these last several weeks rolling up reflective little prompts and fastening them with a tiny bow to be opened daily for a boost in your gratitude. It's a perfect way to start your year stronger with this life altering practice.
Every challenge is a chance to practice presence.
What We Loved This Week
Follow JMB Living on Pinterest for more Joyful, Mindful, Balanced lifestyle tips & inspiration!