Gratitude Attitude

So something that always helps me when I'm feeling sad is my gratitude journal. It sounds a little cliche but seriously, I think being thankful ALWAYS helps. Because no matter how bad stuff is, I've been blessed with so many things that others don't have. (For instance, right now I'm currently being blessed to be listening to that awesome gospel song from August Rush with that freaking amazing 8-year-old black girl.)

SO. I know that part of gratitude is letting people know how thankful you really are that they're in your life....something that I'm really bad at. I feel like I never tell people how much they mean to me or how big of a difference they've made in my life. An example would be my wonderful mother who spent days making my dresses for the dances I went to in high school, attends every single one of my shows no matter how unsignificant my role may be, took care of me when I was sick (literally cleaning throw up off of the floor), and stayed up til 3 in the morning finishing my election posters when I was about to collapse from rehearsal exhaustion. She tells me I'm pretty when I feel ugly; she tells me she loves me when I feel broken. She has, 100%, for all of my life, been there for me. So thank you, mom. I love you.

When I was in 10th grade, my Young Women's leaders gave me a cute little journal with my name on it and told me to write down 5 things I was grateful for every night. There were phases of my life where I'd write every night and sometimes there were huge gaps almost a year long. But like I said, I need to tell the people I love how grateful I am that I have them in my life. So recently I've dissected this gratitude journal and wrote down the number of times I said I was grateful for a certain thing or person. I'm publishing this because I'm sure there will be a lot of people who are surprised that they were mentioned. So just know, if you're on this list, you've made a difference in my life at some point since my sophomore year.

First: these are the things I've been grateful for and the number of times they were mentioned.

9 Ice cream
9 A Disney Movie
9 Seminary
10 Hoodies/sweats
10 Temple
11 BYU/BYU winning a game
11 Scriptures
13 Sleep/naps
13 A musical
14 Theater
28 Scera/SYT
29 No homework/got homework done in time
34 Eating out
48 Acting Up
67 Music

Please don't feel bad if you're not on this list or if you're not on as many times as you deserve. Like I said, there were huge time gaps where I didn't write in this journal and you were probably mentioned then. So here are the people (yes my car counts as a person):


Abby (my dog) 2
Addison Shurtz
AJ Wright
Alayna Grahm 3
Alec Powell 3
Alex Burdge
Alex Harvey
Alexandra Taylor 2
Alicia Sheffield 26
Alisha Rogers 9
Alison Crosland 16
Aly Holden 3
Amanda Engebretsen 2
Amy Kesler 3
Andrew James 14
Angela Anderson Darancou 9
Anna Marie Ellertson
Anna Rust
Annie Dato 2
Ariel (my car) 9
Ashley Jensen 2
Ashley Richards
Ashlyn Hirchak 7
Aubrie Orrock 2
Aubrey McKay 3
Aunt Sue
Barett Penrod 5
Ben Jacob 33
Ben Tichy 2
Bishop Franson 3
Brandi Smith 2
Brandon James 12
Brenda Hall 4
Brian Lingam 6
Briana Taylor 18
Brielle Kern 4
Brittney Pasquale 19
Brodee Ripple 6
Brother Balser
Brother Barrow
Brother Bohannon
Brother Engebretsen
Brother Heaton
Brother Jaussi
Brother Knowlton
Brother Little
Brother Marsh
Brother Martin 3
Brother Sowell 2
Caleb Jenson 4
Cali Hanson
Candace Anderson 12
Candace Fielding
Chase Ramsey
Cheri Preston 4
Christ 15
Chris Smith 3
Christian Wawro
Clarissa Hoddy 4
Coach V
Colleen Shurtz
Collin Draper
Cousins 3
Curtis Anderson 7
Dad 12
Daniel Bean
Daniel Logan
David Archuleta
David Cusick
Debbie Bowman
Doug Talentino 2
Dr. Hinckley
Dr. Seuss 2
Duncan Hartt
Elder Holland 4
Elijah Thomas 5
Elisa Thurber 4
Eliza Handley 2
Emily Curtis 5
Emily Frame
Emily Gillespie 2
Emily Louder 5
Emily Pelo
Enrique Darancou 4
Enrique Darancou Jr. 3
Erica Clark 2
Ethan Evans 2
Evan Bell 3
Gabe Davis 9
George Stewart
Grandparents 3
Greg Benson 9
Hannah Montana
Hayes Frame
Hayley Brady
Heather Mahoney 3
Heidi Nelson 2
Heidi Shurtz 7
Heidi Vogeler
Hillary Kempton 10
Isaac Stevens 2
Jace Anderson 20
Jackie Martin 3
Jacob Curtis
Jacob Hatch
Jacob Partridge 8
Jacob Titensor 5
Jade Pack
Janae Wood 10
Jared Stewart
Jenna Rasmussen 2
Jenne Anderson 14
Jens Jespersen 4
Jeremiah Burr
Joe Stoddard
John Richards
Jonny McKinney
Jordin Sparks
Joseph Smith
Josh Curtis
Josh Gotee
Julie B. Beck
Justin Benson
Kami Rosen
Karli Engebretsen 6
Kathryn Little 4
Katy Dayton 2
Kay Jenson
Kimmy McKinney 2
Kirsten Curtis Krayson 2
Laura Sowell 10
Laurel Barham 7
Lauren Pugmire
Leah Gates 2
Liam Fletcher
Linnea Pugmire 4
Lisa McKinney 4
Lynna Stewart
Maddie Crawley 6
Maddie Greaves
Maddie Hall 36
Maddie Osborn 4
Maddie Perry 3
Maggie Brown
Maren Wilson
Marissa Wiederhold 2
Matthew Burnett
McKenna Burdge 2
McKenzie Keher 2
McKenzie King
Megan Conley
Megan Connely 2
Meredeth Hill
Michelle Passey
Mikey Mullen
Mikhail Thompson 2
Miss Baker 2
Miss Barns
Miss Drummond
Mom 41
Monique Shurtz 16
Mr. Brower
Mr. Cherry
Mr. Davis 5
Mr. Larson 13
Mr. Marker
Mr. Stevenson
Mrs. Johnson
Mrs. Jones
Mrs. Van Orden 2
Nathan Wise
Nicole Curtis
Nicole Cecil
Olivia Lee 3
Paige Crosland Anderson
Philip Brown
President Eyring 2
President Faust
President Hinckley 2
President Obama
President Wilson 2
Rachel Jacob
Rachel Pugina 10
Rachel Scott
Reba McIntire
Robert Barham
Romy Franks 2
Richard James
Russ Frame 3
Sam Wille
Samantha Frisby 9
Sara Taylor
Sarah Jane Curtis 17
Scott Henderson
Shae Hunsaker 7
Shannon Whitely
Shawn Mortenson
Shelley Heaton
Shelly Faber 5
Sierra Ainge
Sister Anthony
Sister Applonie
Sister Archibald
Sister Crook
Sister Osmond
Sister Partridge
Sister Sowell 3
Sister Shumway
Spencer Duncan 3
Spencer Shumway 6
Sydnie Stilwell 2
Tanika Little
Taylor Larson 2
Teachers
Thad Nelson 5
Uncle John 3
Uncle Mark 2
Victoria Duckworth
Wesley Valdez
Whitney Overman 7
Zach Brady 2
Zach Brown
Zane Curtis 2