Mindfulness is a virtue. It is one of the reasons I love writing on Odyssey. It forces me to take a step back and look for inspiration in everything throughout my week. I like having the accountability to force my self to really think about what is going on in my life and how I feel about it. Being mindful helps me work on not having such a full mind.

I have always been a note taker. I own more colored pens than you could count and in every shade of every color. It's a passion. I also am an agenda gal. My planner might just be my best friend. I spend time each weekend laying out my week and reflecting on the previous one- all color coded of course.

While working at Camp Glisson over the summer, I spent a lot of time with kids having the best week of their lives. A popular way to get kids to talk about their week was to use the 4 J's. Outpost counselors thrived off of this method and it forced the kids to truly reflect on their time at camp. When starting college, I wanted to do the same thing, so at the bottom of each week I wrote out my 4 Js. Every Monday morning, I think back and write down anything that comes to mind. It has helped encourage me to think, to reflect, to focus, and to spend time focusing on how I'm doing.

That it. Those are the 4 J's of my weeks. The 4 J's that encourage me to make sense of what's going on and to embrace it. Here's to the colored pens that keep track of everything I would normally forget in a few days. Here's to the memories that flood mindfulness. Here's to being aware of what is affecting your life and why it's important. Here's to the 4 J's.