Blessings not sheep

When I’m worried and I can’t sleep

I count my blessings instead of sheep

And I fall asleep counting my blessings

[Irving Berlin]

(1954)

Counting your blessings, besides aiding restful sleep according to Bing Crosby in the 1954 movie of Irving Berlin’s musical ‘White Christmas’, is also helpful for keeping perspective. Every morning I write two things for which I feel grateful. (It’s not an uncommon practice these days I believe, in some form or other.) It’s easy to become negative with the onslaught of noise, cynicism and politicking that assaults us daily now more than ever. Counting your blessings in a specific, focused way (e.g. writing them down) helps offset some of these negative vibes, whether it be last thing at night (which is what I used to do and Bing [the singer not the search engine] recommends) or first thing in the morning (which is what I now do).