wookieshark88

Today was a day of ups and downs, but overall it was good. Work was amazing today. Actually, it was one of my best days there ever. I was really busy all day, and my boss gave me a bonus check. She said that she was impressed with how well I'm doing. It felt amazing to just be acknowledged. I got her a thank you card that I'm going to give her tomorrow. It's nice to know that I have a boss that is okay with me trying to be as good as I can. I left work early to go to the library and finish preparing for my final. After all of that, I feel like I'm reasonably ready for the exam. Either way, it'll all be over tomorrow, and I can rest! When I got home, my baby cried and screamed the whole time until I put her to bed. I know it wasn't anything personal, but in the moments it's so hard to not take it personally. Hopefully tomorrow we have a better evening together. I'm thankful for: Being appreciated at work. It was awesome.Having one more day until this semester is over!Learning more about my job today. I feel so motivated to do great at it!Having a great wife that I get to spend the evening with.Getting my baby bathed and to sleep despite all the screaming.Being able to balance all of the different components of my life. I look forward to improving even more in this regard.Picking up some new books at the library.Being mindful of all my different emotions throughout the day.Feeling like I can accomplish anything that I apply consistent effort and passion to.Knowing that happiness is the key to success. It makes a huge difference.

I'm glad to hear that you both think my printing days have a brighter future! I may have to go full Office Space on my old one. In what way can they be a pain in the ass? Today was really nice. We all woke up feeling sluggish, but made sure to get out the door to go swimming. I'm really glad we did because we all had a lot of fun, and my baby is starting to get used to the idea of dunking her head under the water. She splashed, kicked, and laughed throughout most of the time we were there. It's so much fun to just be in the moment and not have my mind anywhere else. After swimming, we went out for breakfast, went to Staples so I could print out some things I need, and went grocery shopping. It's really dorky, but I love grocery shopping with my family. We have fun figuring out what kinds of foods we want to make for the week, and I always get a kick out of showing off my baby to all the people who stop to talk to her. Back at home we did our chores, and I spent time preparing for my final exam. I'm definitely not ready to write the essay yet so I'm just going to leave work early tomorrow and finish my preparation at the library. It's going to be wonderful for the whole family once this semester is over because they all sacrifice to help me have time to be a good student. To celebrate, we're going to go take our baby to a baby friendly activity center. It'll be fun to see how she does there. I'll probably cook a really nice dinner for my wife too. I'm thankful for: Not getting stressed out even though it's time for finals. I'm so much more in control of myself these days.The cookies that my wife made that are cooling down!Being able to work as a team with my wife. We get so much done and have a good time doing it.Getting my to do list a little bit smaller. It's going to feel great to be caught up!Being able to enjoy every part of the day.Getting so much better at sketching. I'm better than I ever thought I could get, and I know I can keep improving.Getting my wife's Christmas present wrapped. It's a small thing, but I won't have think think about doing it anymore.Watching my baby crawl around the living room. It's a lot of fun!Not having to work long days after this week!All the feedback given to me on my journal.

Today was another good day. I was able to get to the library and work on my essay for my final. I still have a long way to go, but it's okay. If I find myself really unprepared on Monday, I'm just going to leave work early to go to the library. Also, my printer died when I tried to print out some research articles for reference which is annoying. I'll just get them printed at the store tomorrow, and I ordered a new printer for next semester. To me, printers are the most maddening pieces of technology in the world. At least I'm getting away from ink jet and graduating to laser. I hung out with a friend for a little while today too which is always nice. It's something that I have difficulty finding the time to do, but I made it work today. Of course there was much fun had with the family too. I'm thankful for: Working hard to finish the semester strong.Playing with my baby a lot today.Going out to eat with the family.Getting to sleep in a bit.Relaxing at the end of the day.Getting all of the laundry done.Talking to my parents today.Having a calm mind.Laughing a lot today.Being content.

Today was awesome. Before I get into today, I just want to talk about the guacamole thing. We talked about it, and it's all good. She said she was sorry and was just feeling exhausted and a little bit crazy. I totally get that because she puts as much effort into life as I do. I told her it's okay, and that we all have those moments. I know that I've done the same to her before. It just happens once in a while. If she was doing that on a regular basis, we would have a problem, but that's not the case at all. Before we talked, I knew that I just wanted to work it out because I love the way we our relationship works 99% of the time, and I wanted to get back to that. I'm happy to say that we're there! Work was good today. I was able to get a good amount of work done, but not as much training as I wanted to. IT took down the training environment in the middle of the workday, lol. It was right after I finished doing my production work too so I just browsed the internet. I felt annoyed that I was just wasting my time browsing the internet, but I had finished my real work, and the training platform was down. Oh well, I still did good today. I was able to get to the library after work and start working on my essay for my final. I found a few books that are good sources and started fleshing out my outline. Even though my mind wasn't feeling nearly as sharp as I would like it to be, I still made a good amount of progress. It helps that I am really fascinated by architectural history. At home, I had a ton of fun with my baby. She wanted to bounce and bounce and bounce... My arms were beat, but tons of smiles were had by both of us. We both Skyped my mom and more smiles were had. Now my wife is reading a book and I'm journaling. We're also having nice conversation intermittently. It's so nice. I'm thankful for: Finishing the work week strong.The eggnog and amaretto I've been drinking.Being able to skype with my mom.Having nice downtime with my wife.Having a cat hanging out with me.Doing a good job at preparing for my final exam even though my mind wasn't near 100%.Putting the guacamole thing to rest.Books and meditation.Having a great place to journal publicly.Having fun!

I'm feeling like a new person these days. It's been over five months since I last played any games and they're mostly out of my mind. Once in a while I get the urge to play one particular game, but that feeling passes within a minute or two. Part of that is because that game has things in it that are relevant to my studies so I am reminded of it. A big thing for me is that I sold some of my old video games including my very first video game I got as a seven year old. It wasn't as hard as I expected it to be, and I was actually happy that somebody would use it that doesn't have any problem with video game addiction. I plan on selling all of the games that I can. My plan is to catalog all the games I have once this semester is done and post it on my company's classified forum. All the proceeds will go straight into my daughter's college fund so I feel really good about it from that standpoint too. I feel at peace with my video game past. I've been able to talk to people in person about it which is huge for me because I always tried to be secretive about my gaming problem. I put a game quitters sticker on my computer too and always share what it means when people ask. My mind is more focused, I enjoy all of the little things I would have ignored in the past, and I experience things without the distraction of my mind wanting to game I feel free now that I don't have that secret to guard. Sharing my journey to freedom is a great feeling, and trying to help others with their struggles is so fulfilling. I have a feeling of gratefulness that comes to the forefront of my mind every single day. I still have struggles in my life, but they are so much more manageable. Video games no longer fuel my senses of shame, anxiety, depression, or isolation. I am so much more effective with dealing with these problems these days. I feel like I want to give back to this cause that has freed me from my addiction. I was considering donating to NPR, but after all that I have receive here I decided that I wanted to back this cause instead. I journal every day because it has helped fuel positive changes in my life, because I want anybody who looks at it to see what a journey to freedom can look like, and because I want to help this site grow. When I started here it wasn't the most active forum I have ever seen, but I could see that Cam was onto something big, and I needed to become a part of it.

Today was a good day. I went to class today and only have to go one more time this semester. I need to prepare an essay for the final on Tuesday, and my mind wasn't really working well when I tried to study today, but it's almost over! I should be able to get some library time tomorrow and Saturday which should be enough time to get it all done. This semester was really a test to see if I could handle a class while being a father, husband, and employee at the same time. I did mostly good. Academically, it was excellent, but I did lose my car in the process which really sucked. I was able to learn from that, and was fortunate to emerge from that incident uninjured. I'll definitely be more mindful and prepared for the next semester. Work was decent, but nothing too special. I listened to my audio books which is always a good way to spend time. At home I was able to hide my wife's Christmas presents, play with my baby, and try to study. Unfortunately, my wife is mad at me at this moment. I promised her that I would make guacamole for her Christmas party at work tomorrow. Everybody loves my guacamole, and I like doing good things for my wife so I was happy to do it with her. I was in the process of making it with her, but she kept telling me I was doing it wrong step by step. I tried to tell her that I was making it the way I always did. After being told that at least five times, I asked her to taste it. She said it was really bland and that it needed something. At this point I was thinking that it needed all of the things that she told me not to put in it, lol. I told her what I thought it needed, and she told me I was wrong without offering a suggestion on what it needed. With all the basic components in the guacamole already, I told her that I was done with it, and that she could adjust it as she saw fit. She got super upset about that, and spent the next hour upset before retreating to the bedroom by herself which she never does. I figured I should do my journal, take a shower, and talk to her. I don't want to leave her upset no matter what I think of the situation. Wish me luck. I'm thankful for: Having a book that I'm really into at the moment.Getting stuck in bad traffic on the way to work and not being bothered by it. I'm getting good at this particular skill!Driving safely today.Having a calmer day at work.My friend agreeing to hang out at the library with me on Saturday. It makes it easier for me to see him and study without losing valuable time.Enjoying this semester. I really did not enjoy my last one.Having another good meditation session this morning. It wasn't quite as focused as it has been, but it was still pretty good.168 days of no gaming. The last time I went this long I was probably four years old.Having a better working situation than I did this time last year.My wife because I know that we'll be able to talk this whole thing out and be good before we go to sleep.

Sound very interesting! On my to-read list. Thanks! I think you'll like it! I listened to it as an audio book from the library which is always awesome because it's free! Soon I will be reading books from the many books mentioned on this site because I will be done with my long work days and driving to class. I really can't wait. Today was another good day. I was able to continue my training at work undaunted by any judgement around me. I actually feel bad for the lady who has been giving me a hard time. If I thought that I could pull it off without getting yelled at, I would love to really share with her some of the many things I have learned about personal development since I quit games. On this site, I try to share freely from the things I've learned because this place is all about learning how to live a better life. Unfortunately, my workplace doesn't really have that kind of atmosphere. Oh well, if the opportunity every presents itself, I might give it a shot. I might get the "Who the hell are you to tell me how to live my life" speech, but I'll do my best to be kind and show that I can relate by sharing my own struggles. It's sad to see a generally good person live so insecurely and with such a negative internal dialogue. I ordered a book today that I'm really excited to get! It's a book about learning how to draw that is geared towards people who consider themselves to be more academic and less artistically inclined. I've really thrown myself into my sketches this semester, and I have seen real improvement. Perhaps this book will help me to continue my progress. The need to sketch has always been my mental stumbling block when it comes to architecture, but I know that I can get good if I stick with it. I've have made lots of progress and am nowhere near a plateau in developing this skill. Also, I have found that drawing has a meditative quality to it! I'm thankful for: Finishing my audio book by Carol Dweck. She's really given me food for thought and growth!Getting better at my job. I just need to keep it up every day that I'm there, and I'll end up amazing at it!Getting close to the end of the semester. I can't wait to do the things I was doing before it started!Having a great wife.My baby's development. I can barely believe my eyes every day!Continuing to practice my meditation. It's such a treat for my mind.The Power of Habit. I haven't read it in months, but it's still having a huge impact on me today.Learning that I can choose a mindset of growth over a fixed mindset. It's something I've been starting to understand, but reading about it directly has been powerful.Shrinking my to do list by one more item today. Soon enough I will be current and not have nagging tasks to keep my mind on the past.Not feeling any depression or anxiety today. I'm using all of my knowledge and abilities to get past those feelings, and I'm having success!

Today was a good day with a good amount of accomplishment, but I'm feeling a bit antisocial. The annoying lady who was judging my efforts to learn was throwing a pity part for some reason that I didn't bother to find out. Also, I've been following up with people who aren't responding to phone calls or emails. The good side of this is that I just put my headphones on for the last four hours of work. The book I'm listening to is awesome! It's "Mindset" by Carol Dweck. The book is about whether people believe that their core attributes are fixed or flexible and the massive implications of each. I would highly recommend it to anybody who is interested developing a mindset that is conducive to maximizing their potential. It has given me a tool for self reflection and a specific way I can use mindfulness to achieve my goals. Like many of the books discussed on this site, it's message is surprisingly coherent with the others. I have only read one self improvement book that I thought was useless, and it wasn't one I have seen mentioned anywhere on this site. I'm thankful for: Finding another great book.Finishing my quiz and my sketches. I just have to take the final on Tuesday and I'm done for a few weeks!Learning throughout the day. I learned at work, school, and home today.Artichoke ravioli with a feta pesto sauce. So tasty!Christmas decorations in my living room.Getting to relax with my wife after the end of a busy day.Being able to really enjoy learning about the history of architecture this semester. It's fascinating to me.Knocking a few more things off of my to do list.Driving safely to and from school today.My baby having a lot of fun today.

Today was another really good day. Work went well as I continued training for my task that's coming up next year. Unfortunately, my training is making somebody in my group very uncomfortable. I wish it wasn't so, but somehow my work hard to learn attitude is upsetting to this person. I was just working with my mentor to learn all the processes I'll need to know in order to be successful in my upcoming task, but it was met with criticism. Oh well, I'm going to learn all my stuff and do a great job when the time comes. It's just strange how people are sometimes. I got all my studying done for my quiz tomorrow which is great because I'm ready to move on. I'm confident that I prepared as well as I could have given my situation and I'm excited to see how it turns out. It's more interesting to see how well I can do under more difficult circumstances. My baby has been blowing me away with all of her new tricks! She stands, waves to people, shakes her head, and crawls really fast now! Being involved in her life without the urge to ignore her and play games is one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. We had so much fun playing together and laughing this evening. I feel like the luckiest person ever to have her and my wife in my life. I'm thankful for: Learning a ton at work.An opportunity to learn how to deal with difficult coworkers. I have failed at this in the past so I'm open to advice.Watching funny 80's music videos with my wife.Finishing my studying.Having a ton of fun with my baby.My super supportive wife.Getting another lingering thing off of my to do list.My morning routine.My daylight simulating light bulbs.Feeling energetic throughout the day.

Today was another great day. My family and I went swimming in the morning and had brunch afterwards. My wife and I enjoyed really good conversation together while eating. Afterwards I fixed her car's loose alternator belt and we put up a bunch of Christmas decorations. I also had time to clean out my file cabinet and study space too. Of course there was plenty of play time with the baby throughout the day! My to do list is smaller now than when the day began! I still have some stuff to catch up on, but I've been steadily chipping away at it. At the beginning of the week, the list was ridiculously large, but now it's about a third of that size. I feel better and better as I get caught up. I can't wait for Tuesday so I don't have to study for my quiz anymore and can return my focus to wrapping up my sketches. I'm looking forward to the week because I have plenty to learn at work, and I want to get past that quiz. I missed a bunch of material for it because I was flying across the country for the funeral, crashing my car, and getting a new one. It's always harder for me to study on my own when I miss lectures. I'll just have to study my best tomorrow after work and celebrate that I will never study for that quiz again after that! I'm thankful for: Slowly getting my life caught up.The feeling of relaxation that is growing as my to do list shrinks.Practicing my good habits.Swimming with my family.Seeing my baby continue to practice standing!Having a wife who is so supportive of me and my schedule.Being able to fix my wife's car. It feels so good to do something good for her.All the Christmas decorations around me.Having a great family.Getting a chance to tidy up my study. It really helps me to be more effective when I'm in that space.

It's true! I don't worry about games anymore. It's been about six months now and things just keep on getting better. I'm better at my job, closer to graduation, a better father, and a better husband! I have my my goals, dreams, and habits. The best thing is that I have my happiness. Tough times come and go. I will feel pain, discouragement, sadness, depression, and anxiety at times and that's okay. They're just feelings and will come and go. I don't need to identify with them or fight against them. I just need to make sure to be mindful with my acknowledgement of their existence and impermanence. I know how to form habits for success, and I know how it's all the small, easy decisions that will propel me towards my goals. Before I quit games, I knew absolutely none of this. Today was very positive and productive. I was able to do a lot of studying for my quiz on Tuesday. I still need to study a little bit more, but I was able to get a ton done today. I still need to finish my sketches, but they need to take a back seat temporarily until I'm adequately prepared for the quiz. It's just a couple of weeks now until the end of this semester! I can't wait for my work day to go back to normal and to not have to drive to school! I have my online class starting up after Christmas, but that's so much easier with normal working hours with no commute. I'm thankful for: Having the chance to spend the morning with my family.Getting to the library and studying a whole lot.Having a delicious dinner with my wife.My new car. It's so much fancier than my old car.My new computer. It's good that I got it because my other one died.Laughing with my baby. She thinks everything is hilarious!Keeping my list of things to do updated. It helps me be so effective with my time.Learning so much about how to live the way I want to.Taking the time to be kind to others. It's such an uplifting thing to do.Seeing the future in a positive light.

Today was completely ordinary and awesome. This week was completely ordinary and awesome. I'm so happy that I'm back on track with all of my good habits, routines, and thoughts. Work was excellent, and I get to really learn a lot. I got out of work a little early and was able to get a bunch of stuff off of my to do list! Play time and bath time with my baby was such a blast. My wife and I decorated the living room for Christmas while drinking eggnog and amaretto with is a blast! I'm so proud of myself for not going back to video games when things got tough. I was able to draw on the strengths that I have building over the last few month to get me through and back to normal. Video game Joe would have just languished for much longer than necessary while necessary tasks just piled up and overwhelmed me. What a wonderful thing that those days are in the past. I was able to talk to different people and learn about the various ways to get though difficult times. Once I found what resonated with me, I was able to deal with everything in the way that was best for me. Mindfulness was a huge contributor to my success. I'm thankful for: Learning a lot at work today.Having fun with my wife decorating.Being able to smile throughout the day.Feeling at peace.Knocking out tons of items off my to do list.Learning how to keep my mind working properly.My baby for surprising me by standing up!Having a cat sit on my lap while I write in my journal.Relaxing at the end of the day.Feeling confident.

I've done some of the visualization exercises and like some but not others. Focus and creativity work really good for me, but I felt that happiness was pointless. I've done one pack of pro and liked it. When things got tough for me, I went back to level three because the visualizations were too much for me. Today was a good day. I've been learning new things at work to prepare for a task I have coming up early next year. It's really nice because I really want to know as much as possible about my job. I hate feeling unproductive or unskilled too. School was good today too. We had a quiz prep for next Tuesday's quiz which was really helpful. Since I really didn't study any of that material, it's helped me to narrow down what I will focus on this weekend. I also need to make some serious progress on my sketches so I can be done with them. After work, I got to play with my baby while we talked to my parents on the phone. I got her laughing really hard which makes my parents really happy. They're doing better than usual which is nice. After my baby went to sleep, I knocked out as many things as possible from my to do list until my wife came home. Now were watching a show before bedtime. I'm looking forward to Saturday when I can hopefully put a serious dent in my list. It's going to be nice to free myself from a bunch of tasks. I'm thankful for: Having another excellent meditation session. I'm in a groove again after a long funk!Listening to a bunch of Tim Ferris today. It's so inspiring.Making time to relax at the end of the day no matter how busy I am.Remembering to be mindful throughout the day.Cleaning my desk at work. Getting a lot done means I can clear off a lot papers!Having an appointment with a specialist today. Hopefully I can get to the root of my stomach problems.Getting better at communicating with my wife. It's so important.Making money off of my video games. I sold my very first video game I got at seven years old, and I didn't have a hard time letting it go!Having a good time with my coworkers today.Driving safely today.

Today was a really good day! I got a ton of things done at work and at home. I also felt really good the whole time. It was a normal day which is awesome! I'm completely back in the swing of things and feeling really happy again. One of the biggest things I've been doing is writing down anything that I want to release from my mind. I made about five different lists today. Among these are things I want to get done at work, at home, things I'm expecting to receive in the near future, gift ideas for those who I value most, and things that things to accomplish further down the road. It really helps to quiet my mind because I know that I don't need to try to remember these things. They're all written down and I can review them any time I want. When I'm not trying to hold on to any ideas in my mind, I feel freer and happier. I cross things off the lists and rewrite them cleanly the next day with any additions that are necessary. I'm thankful for: Lists. They help me let go of unneeded mental strain.Stuffed peppers. They're one of my favorite foods.Sketching. It's a calming activity that I should make a habit of.Sesame street. I watched it today for the first time in decades and it was actually pretty funny!My new backpack. I had to replace my eight year old one because it was falling apart.Selling some video games. $50 is going into my daughter's college fund!My baby for being quite fun this evening.My wife for making my lunch for tomorrow!Getting a lot done today.An excellent meditation session this morning. It was the best one in over a month!

Today was a good day. I got a lot done and felt good about all of it. One really big step for me was deciding to sell all of my stashed video games. I went online and priced a box of games that had SNES, N64, Gameboy, Game Cube, and PS2 games. The value of that box is around $1300. I figure I'll just throw it all up on ebay for above market price and just be patient. It can sit in the box for as long as it needs to. I have two other boxes to go through and inventory. This is nice because I can earn some money and rid myself of games! I talked to my professor today about the couple of classes I missed and the things that have happened to me lately. She was really cool about it and told me to just do my best for the rest of the semester and it'll be fine. I got back my third quiz and got a 108%. It pays off to start the semester on fire and get to know the professors! I'm thankful for: Making more progress on the loose ends I need to wrap up.Getting the motivation/courage to start working on putting my old video games for sale.Having a good meditation session this morning.Making progress on my third of four sketches due at the end of the semester.Having a wife who is supportive.My baby for being cooperative even though this evening deviated from her normal bedtime routine.Driving to class and work in my pretty new car. I'm a big fan.Having tasty coffee today without stomach pains.Being mostly back on track.Not feeling much anxiety or depression today.

Today was a productive day. I've been working on tying up a bunch of loose ends with regards to my accident and other personal matters. I just want to be caught up with things so I can focus more attention to the present. What I have been doing is writing down lots of notes to myself. When I get thoughts about what I need to do, I just jot them down so I can release my mind from thinking about them. It definitely helps quiet the mind. I'm thankful for: Getting though my first work day in a while.Getting things done so that I don't get stuck in the past.Having a delicious dinner.

That's great advice! I'm just trying to give as much good advice as I get!

I can't agree more with what Tom said. My wife is still gradually understanding with I went through with gaming. I was able to hide so well that she has trouble comprehending it at all. The advice that I received about talking to my wife was to not just let it all out at once. That's what I felt that I needed to do, but I was told to just bring it up and let the conversation evolve over days, weeks, or even months. I'm very glad that I took that approach because I didn't shock my wife into being defensive or scared. She understands that I'm trying to better myself because I love her and our daughter and it's been good.

I know all about the neglecting other people thing when dating somebody. It's such an easy thing to do, probably more so for us ex gamers. One thing that with my now wife that helped show me that it was a healthy relationship was talking to her about it. I told her that I tend to forget about my friends when I'm dating somebody, and that I didn't like to be that way. She responded by telling me that she understands that I need to have a social life outside of her and she needs the same. As long as we make plans to hang out with friends ahead of time and communicate them clearly, we're okay with the other person going out for night. We probably only do this like once every week or so because we really like our time together, and we're both so busy. My advice would be to talk to her about it in a friendly and honest way. These kinds of conversations are essential to have any kind of quality relationship. You'll really learn a lot about her by having that kind of talk, and there's nothing wrong with that!

Two months is absolutely incredible! It was around that much time that I knew that I could keep myself game free forever! Like you, I had dreams, then nightmares, and now it's been a while since I had any dreams of games at all! You're well on your way to being free!

This is absolutely the truth! Between meditation, jounaling, and books my mind has really become sharper and more perceiving. I can't even imagine what it will be like after years of consistent reading!

I'm glad that it helps! I'm just trying to be as authentic as I can because that's really the only way to grow. Today was a good day. I got to take my family for a ride in my new car for the first time! We went to the in laws house to celebrate my father in law's birthday. It was nice to just hang out and enjoy everybody's company. My baby is so much more social these days and had lots of fun celebrating with us! It's so good to have a 2nd day in a row when things just felt normal. I completed my 2nd of four sketches that I need to have done by the end of the semester. I'm hopelessly behind in my studies because of everything that happened recently, but it's okay. This is why I start the semester as strong as possible. I'm going to do my best to finish as strong as possible, but I won't stress about it because I set myself up properly. Sketching was really relaxing for me which is different than usual. I'm not a natural artist by any means, but I've been getting better by practicing all semester. Usually it takes my full concentration to do a semi decent job on my sketches, but I feel like I did a decent job while being able to relax my focus a bit. I'm really happy that I'm improving because hand sketches are the weakness in my architectural skill set. If I can continue to improve, I should end up well rounded! I'm thankful for: Getting a sketch done. It feels good!Getting back on track with journaling.Not feeling very much depression or anxiety today.Getting closer to the end of the semester.Laughing a lot with my wife and baby.Having a new car that I really like.Having a new computer that I really like.Sharing wonderful memories of my grandma with my wife.Birthday pizza and cake.Getting the chance to have a normal week starting tomorrow.

Thank you for the encouragement!

Today was a good day. I'm definitely getting back to normal, and today it started to become evident. The healing from going to the funeral is starting to sink in, I have my new car now, and I'll be wrapping up my insurance claim stuff this week. I was able to do a lot of normal things today and it felt great! It's funny how things like laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, homework, and the library made me feel so good. I'm also getting my habits back on track. Having invested so much in good habits really paid off when things went crazy. I was able to process things and get myself back on the right track much faster than usual. Last year I had a few really bad things happen all at once and it took me months to be able to get things back in order. Being free from games has also helped to make it easier. I'm thankful for: Getting back on track.Getting lots of things done like I usually do.Doing my homework for the first time in a week. It feels good to have my mind back together enough to be able to focus on it.My car. I got a 2015 Corolla S+ with 10,000 miles on it for much less than the cost of a new one. I'm really happy with it!Reestablishing my habits. They're such a positive influence on my life!Reading a good book that has helped me get through this.Having the skill of mindfullness to help keep my mind in check.My wife for really helping me get through everything.Reconnecting with a bunch of my relatives.My baby laughing a ton today.

Today is a good day. I’m currently on a plane going to San Jose so that I can join my family in the celebration of my grandmother’s life and the mourning of her passing. She was a wonderful woman and like a third parent to me. She gave me much love and care in my younger years that helped me become who I am today. Her impact in this life is still shaping new generations as I am able to impart love to my own wonderful daughter, her great granddaughter. I live a continent away from my family which has its good and bad points. Thankfully, I was able to bring my own family to spend time with my relatives while my grandmother was with us. She was able to hold my daughter and smile with her just a few months before she passed. For this I will be eternally grateful. Spending time with both of them together and seeing them enjoy each other’s presence meant the world to me. Even though I didn’t say it in words to my grandmother, bringing my daughter to spend time with her was my way of showing her that all of her efforts in raising me were not in vain. I left home abruptly at the age of 19 which is something I had to do and have no regrets about. Unfortunately it shocked my family, including my grandmother. That day, she saw me with a wonderful family of my own and felt in her heart that everything turned out okay. I saw it in her eyes. It was the ultimate gift I could have given her and I’m overjoyed that I did. Soon, I will be at the funeral home to say goodbye to her presence in this world. I don’t know how I will react, but it will be straight from the heart. It will be the right thing to do, and I will always remember this moment to come as a good day. I’m thankful for: Having my grandmother in my life. Taking time to unite with my relatives in her memory. Having a chance to spend time with my father who isn’t doing very well. My workplace being supportive of me though this difficult time. My wife and mother in law for stepping up to handle home affairs in my absence. Beginning to recover from a very bad week. My shiny new Surface Pro 4 and the sexy Game Quitters sticker on it. The authentic Mexican food I will surely eat during my time in California. My aunt who gave so much of herself to ensure that my grandmother had a quality life until the end. Not being afraid of myself or the feelings I have and will have shortly.