Silver Linings Search: January

So, as promised, here is my first "Silver Linings Search" post for January. A silver linings search is an exercise in positive thinking: the aim is to write down a list of good things that happen to you. Then you can look back on all the good things rather than focusing on the bad.

In creating these posts I hope to remind myself that good things happen throughout the month and we must remember the little things as well as the big things. I hope to inspire you to focus on the good in your day to day life because little good things do happen be it a random act of kindness or a lucky coincidence. In focusing on them we can really push ourselves to feel happy.

So here are some good things that happened to me throughout the month of January:

• I really began to settle into my new job. I got to know my co-workers and began to slowly become a part of the team. This is kinda nice for me as I'm not usually the best in social situations. In my last two jobs I found it hard to bond with some of my fellow colleagues but here it's much easier. I have also received a lot of positive praise at work which is always nice. My bosses (there are several within the hierarchy) are all so sweet, understanding and supportive unlike those I encountered in previous jobs. My bosses and managers are super supportive. I get loads of perks with my job.
• I celebrated my sister's birthday with her. We had a day of girly shopping and even I managed to find some clothes. I rarely buy myself new clothing but I found myself two really cute skirts and they were on sale. They each costed the grand total of £3 - awesome! My sister got some really nice pieces too and then we all went out for a lovely dinner.
• I met two really lovely ladies at work. One had severe arthritis and the other had severe cancer. They were so lovely I almost cried and I don't cry often. I hardly ever cry actually. They were just so nice and so grateful for my help that it warmed my heart. I almost adopted them as grandparents.
• I got a promotion of sorts at work which will involve a clear interest in arts and culture which I'm pretty excited about. I like taking on new responsibilities and roles in my work.
•  I also got paid from my new job. Lord, I missed the joys of pay day! My first pay day purchase? Books!
• I got back into vlogging after a short hiatus. #Oopsy. Earned a few new subscribers too. #Awesome
• I started singing again. The past few years I've been living in apartment blocks, always too afraid to sing. I felt like a caged bird. I couldn't sing because walls were thin. People would hear and I didn't want to bother them, even in my own shower of my own damn apartment. Now I can sing. I'm warming up my voice and I feel so free.
• I hit 25,000 page views which is a lovely little milestone to cross.
• Not long after I hit 26,000.
• I started my 2014 Reading challenge. I'm going to try and read 30 books this year. To some that may not seem like a lot but university slowly crushed my will to read for fun. I'm now getting back into the swing of reading as a hobby.
• I bought a ukelele and I'm gonna learn to play it. 
• I saw loads of great movies. All of them were free to see.
• I got to spend a lot of time with my lovely partner. We went and saw a lot of movies, we went to the gym together, we had days where we snuggled up and watched movies. It was all rather lovely. Only a few short months and the "long distance" part of our current long distance relationship will be over.
• I started going to the gym again. I did a lot of swimming and even managed to attend a low impact water aerobics class which was tough but fun. Afterwards my body felt great. I decided to wind down in the sauna which opened my pores and left my face smooth and soft for days after. I'm writing this entry on the 16th and I can say I've lost around half a stone. 
• I worked on (and submitted) the master edit for my collection of short stories that is set for publication later this year. It was really hard. In fact the night before submission I was awake all night just pouring my energy into working on it and reading it all through one final time. 
• I was surrounded by family, friends and pets which is always good.
• I applied for a job as a columnist for an arts magazine publication. It'd be great because I'd finally be paid to write articles. I'd honestly never even considered journalism at all until least year around April/May so I may as well try. I think that broadening your horizons and trying new things will always make life a little more interesting. 
• My partner surprised me with a few wonderful gifts from a pretty little espresso set since I am, on occasion, drinking coffee again. Some other wonderful gifts were a beautiful old collection of Romantic poetry (but it was the personal inscription inside that I cherish most) and a beautiful bird cage shaped photo frame with a goofy caricature of the two of us inside. I utterly adore it. I never expect gifts. In fact I often feel undeserving. I have a wonderful partner who utterly spoils me sometimes. 
• Today, on the 17th of January, the bus driver dropped us off at our stop for half the price just to be nice. I have a bad leg so walking is pretty hard after a long work shift. It was a nice gesture, a random act of kindness that made my day.
• I had days where I just stayed wrapped up in bed, watched movies and took care of myself. I like to have days where I rest and pamper myself. I think it's important to have days of indulgence to ensure we're giving ourselves the best care possible.
• This month is the first time in a long time where I really realised that I actually enjoy being me. I know now that I'm exactly the kind of person that I want to be. I have spent this month working hard. I've filled my life with ambition and purpose. I am so comfortable and confident in myself and I really think that this is going to be such a great year for me. It's off to a really great start already.

Ok, let's see what February has to offer....