Gratitude and Thankfulness - A chapter from a new book by Jenipher Lyn Gallardo

© Jenipher Lyn Gallardo

One of the very gifted people I've met virtually is Jenipher Lyn who has worked tirelessly on a fabulous new book for tweens and teenagers about coping with depression and difficult aspects of growing up in a positive encouraging way.

It's best you read all about it here from the horse's mouth :)

Jenipher has been having a blog hop and we're now into the last week of that but there's still time to join in if you feel moved to do illustrate or write about the topic Gratitude and Thankfulness.

I am now in my forties but I can still remember how it felt to feel alone and different from other people.. if I am honest I still have the odd day like that - almost certainly hormone induced!! but that's balanced by far more days when I feel full of life and so excited about all the potential I have still - that we all have, inside us.

© Gabriella Buckingham - a print available from moobaacluck.com

I recently took a women's self development course in which we were encouraged to keep a diary - just a little notebook. It was to be written in daily - one side marked Sucesses and the other Things to be grateful for. Every day I've been writing  a little something for each side of the notebook. Some days I can write for ages and as it's a small notebook it's a little tricky to read it! Other days it's harder but I still do it - just one thing is enough.

Being thankful for waking up each day is a start, every second of life is precious. Even if all you do with it is doze :). I genuinely think doing this one thing has made me feel more content and at times truly joyful that I have the life I have. There's plenty of room for improvement in some areas but it is MY life and ultimately we have the power to change things for ourselves. No one else can - they can support you and help you feel less alone but the action has to come from ourselves.

© Gabriella Buckingham

When you're depressed little things seem insurmountable but they aren't... we think, therefore we feel they are. I've never been diagnosed as depressed, I am not any sort of expert (but I came close to being diagnosed after my children were born - it all seemed overwhelming and I was exhausted). Depression is in my family and I've seen how devastating it can be. The mind is so powerful. I guess that I am just of the artistic temperament veering from joy to gloom and back again. The point is with some effort - necessarily perhaps small to start with - we can change the way we think by being thankful for everything we do have rather than focussing on what we haven't.

This wasn't meant to be a lecture and it's a bit simplistic! I think what Jenipher has done - writing and illustrating a book to help young people is just wonderful; please check it out and if there are young people in your life who might be struggling  perhaps you can buy them a copy.

Take a good look at your life...what can you be thankful for today?