Hey, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Mariëlle S. Smith and her new book, “365 Days of Gratitude Journal,” here on FAB!! For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.
Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Mariëlle and to increase your chances of winning!!
Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!
365 Days of Gratitude Journal
by Mariëlle S. Smith
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GENRE: Non-Fiction / Self-Help
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BLURB:
*** Now available in black-and-white AND full colour! ***
‘The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.’ Mary Davis
Gratitude is not just about ATTITUDE.
Gratitude is about PRACTICE.
But how do you create a gratitude practice that sticks?
After the success of her first 365 Days of Gratitude Journal, writing coach Mariëlle S. Smith brings you Volume 2. Same journal but with an entirely different look!
After years of barely surviving her own emotional minefield, Mariëlle discovered the transformative power of practising gratitude. But, like no one else, she knows that cultivating an attitude of gratitude is easier said than done.
365 Days of Gratitude, Vol. 2 is an undated, guided journal. Complete with inspiring quotes, daily prompts, and recurring check-ins, it was designed to help you create a sustainable gratitude practice too.
Commit to the life-changing power of gratitude today and order your copy now!
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EXCERPT TWO:
Gratitude journaling brings me so much. It slows me down. It reminds me to take deep breaths in and out. It stops me from pushing myself too hard, too often. It brings me joy. Happiness. Appreciation. It reminds me of all I have going for me, no matter the kind of day it’s been.
It really has been the key I was looking and ready for when it showed up in my life.
But, even now, after years of practice, I have to consciously decide to do the work. That it came at the right time and with the structure I needed doesn’t mean I don’t get off track, especially when the going gets tough.
I used to become angry and utterly frustrated with myself when this happened, but now I simply sit myself down (read: force myself to take a break) and return to my practice. And because it’s such a simple, structured practice, it’s easier to pick up again than I often think.
Of course, some days or even weeks will be easier than others, but that’s another thing gratitude journaling has brought me. No matter how far I stray, I am grateful for having something to return to. For all the days I ignore my practice, I’m grateful for all the days I do pick up my journal and let the miracle that is life unfold in front of me.
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GUEST POST:
What is Your Favourite Motivational Phrase and How Do You Apply it to Your Writing, Life, Etc.?
My all-time favourite motivational phrase comes from Brené Brown’s The Gifts of Imperfection:
‘No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough.’
As a workaholic—which I don’t want to be and I’m consistently trying to break that pattern—this is something I need to remind myself of daily, which is why I put it on the wall of my office. I’m looking at it right now.
No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough…
I’m both driven and easily inspired, so there are a million things I want to be doing at the same time. While it’s definitely a blessing—I’m never bored and I have zero fears about running out of things to create or learn—it can be a bit of a curse. While I’ve learned to say ‘No’ to things that really aren’t my cup of tea, there are so many things out there that do get me excited, so I still say ‘Yes’ too often, stretching myself thin in the process.
I’m not just talking about the writing here. I volunteer for a charity that focuses on neutering the stray cat population in our area. There are many more cats than people in Cyprus and they are often regarded as pests instead of pets, a mindset that’s only slowly shifting. It doesn’t help that the Church preaches that animals have no souls and therefore don’t feel pain.
As a result, lots of people dump sick, hurt or unwanted cats and kittens where they know we’ll find them. Just recently, I spent a week getting up in the middle of the night to bottle-feed two tiny babies that were found in a carton box on top of one of our feeding stations. The situation being the way it is, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and stuck in this feeling that we’re not doing enough, that we’re failing.
Brené Brown’s quote reminds me that we are enough. That I am. It’s not us who aren’t enough or doing enough, the situation is simply too much for our small group of volunteers to handle. While that’s very frustrating and doesn’t keep animals alive, this realisation helps me breathe through that frustration and the pain of not being able to help them all and focus on all the things we are doing, all the cats we are saving on a daily basis.
I also practise Reiki, read cards and people’s Akashic Records, and I’m learning to communicate with animals. When one of my friends struggles with something and I have some time to spare, I gladly offer my help. Lucky for me, not all my friends are into these kinds of things right now, but I’m sensing a growing curiosity amongst them. This means I need to start repeating that phrase around this aspect of my life as well, before I get caught up in spending each second of my spare time on it.
It’s not just about what you can and can’t get done on any given day, for me it’s also about where you can and can’t help. I can’t do it all, I can’t save them all, and I can’t help them all. And that’s OK. This quote reminds me that that’s OK. That I’m not less worthy because of it.
Now these are my weaknesses, and other people will have different ones. If you’re used to doing lots for your family or community, always being the first to be called up when something’s needed, this quote might help you learn to say ‘No’. If you’re part of a work environment where your value is measured in terms of output, this quote could help you turn that feeling of unworthiness back to those who have created such an unhealthy, toxic environment in the first place.
You are enough. I am enough. We’re all enough.
Or, in the words of Sierra Boggess—another one of my favourite motivational phrases: ‘You are enough, you are so enough. It’s unbelievable how enough you are.’
For those who are struggling with this too, here’s a link to a digital download of both quotes. Print them out and stick them somewhere you see it every day, multiple times a day.
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AUTHOR BIO:
Mariëlle S. Smith is a writer, writing coach, and editor. She lives in Cyprus, where she organises private writer's retreats, is inspired 24/7, and feeds more stray cats than she can count.
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CONNECT WITH MARIЁLLE:
Website:
Blog:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/mswordsmith
Pinterest:
https://nl.pinterest.com/mswordsmith
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mariellessmith
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtnYOpjmj83mvMM2L348F1w
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18455235.Mari_lle_S_Smith
Goodreads Book Page – Volume One – Black and White Edition:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54973058-365-days-of-gratitude-journal
Goodreads Book Page – Volume Two – Deluxe Full Colour Edition:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61688314-365-days-of-gratitude-journal-vol-2
Amazon Author Page:
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BOOK BUY LINKS – VOLUME ONE – BLACK AND WHITE EDITION:
Amazon US Paperback:
Amazon CA Paperback:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08FV15CJN
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/365-days-of-gratitude-vol-1-marielle-s-smith/1141682757
Etsy Paperback:
https://www.etsy.com/nl/listing/953730342/365-days-of-gratitude-journal-undated
Universal – Author’s Website:
https://mswordsmith.nl/en_GB/365daysofgratitude
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BOOK BUY LINKS – VOLUME TWO – DELUXE FULL COLOUR EDITION:
Amazon US Paperback:
Amazon CA Paperback:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09DDX9NNZ
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/365-days-of-gratitude-vol-2-marielle-s-smith/1141685091
Etsy Paperback:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1071261677/365-days-of-gratitude-journal-ii-undated
Universal – Author’s Website:
https://mswordsmith.nl/en_GB/365daysofgratitude
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Mariëlle will be awarding a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog. This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**
This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions. Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
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