On a weekend, I can easily sink into a quagmire of negative feelings and focus on all that is not right with my life. I wallow like a hippo in mud in these feelings and by Sunday when it’s time to go to work, I look back in regret at a wasted weekend.

Last Friday, I was determined not to submit to the depression, so I got up early, had a shower and armed with a mug of mocha, I immersed myself in Joyce Meyer messages.  The blues kept at bay, I whizzed round the house in a flurry of activity as I had to drive Kwame over to a friend’s house.

On the way there I turned on the radio. The main English radio station plays country music on a Friday morning. It may not be a la mode but I do like me a bit of country. The stories seem so authentic and the metaphors are so clever that I’m awed by the songwriters’ creativity. It reminds me of my mom talking about Granny Audrey stopping her sewing, getting up from behind her sewing machine, grabbing a broom and dancing. I also remember being at Granny’s and playing some of those records.

The station also plays country on Saturday mornings, so I switched on again as I was whipping up some pancakes – I was a bit on fire this weekend – I heard a song that left me reeling like I’d gone half a round with Mike Tyson at his best.

This morning I had a bit of a set back in a personal goal. All my thoughts and feelings started to head south when I remembered that song. I Googled it and listened again. ‘Be Grateful’ is by The Farm and the chorus states that no matter how bad you’re feeling, there’s always someone who has it worse and the things you take for granted were once welcomed as blessings.

Go on have a listen http://www.thefarmmusic.com/

It made me go back and look at my gratitude list. And it got me thinking that I need to prioritise anew making daily additions to my gratitude list.

Is it time you started or revisited your gratitude list?