Today, my team member Carrie is celebrating two years of her thankfulness list.
I’ve kept lists of my own — not online — and I agree that regular focus on gratitude is a powerful practice.
I first made a list like this at a seminar with Rich Mullins during my college years. He asked the group to write down as many gratitude thoughts as we could in about 5 minutes. I still have that list somewhere. I remember that it included fresh baked blueberry muffins and sunshine. Top on Rich’s list: diet Coke.
Today, I want to start my own list, here. I’m not committing to any regular posting schedule, but I am going to begin counting, from one to one thousand, inspired by Ann Voskamp, Carrie, and others.
Perhaps you’ll join me?
Image by rustiqueart
For today, I am thankful for:
1. A new friend, a true answer to prayer.
2. @linda462009 , who reached out on Twitter and followed up via email to share her perspectives on balancing motherhood and life.
3. Choices about school for my children. Though I am a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of changing plans for my daughters’ school with only about two weeks before the first day, I am thankful that we can choose how and where to educate our children.
4. My Thursday morning Bible Study crew. Though we’ve lived here for nearly 3 years, I’ve been slow to make friends. I am thankful for a small group of women who meet in my home each week and for how each week we are being knit together more closely as we share our hearts and lives.
5. Our finished basement. We finished our basement as our first improvement project when we moved into our home. It provides a nice escape place for our Thursday morning Bible study, and houses our exercise equipment.
Tell me something! What are you thankful for? Are you keeping a list?
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.
Becky, this is great…I have wanted to start blogging again, and this alone may be the extra push to get me back…This has made me stop today, and think.
For that, thank you! Hope to post my five soon!
I’m thankful for conversations with new friends! 🙂
I’m thankful that little things bring me BIG joy… the sound of my son tinkering on the piano; the light reflecting off the water pooled on the deck table; the gravel driveway that is greener with weeds than our lawn is with grass 🙂
What a great exercise! I was surprised how much I had to write down in 5 minutes. Everything from rain, which we needed, to a fridge full of food and a room full of books. Also, a totally vain one for an RT today that drove modest, yet record, traffic to my web-site. Just really grateful for the support of family, friends, classmates and neat people on Twitter like you who helped me take 5 minutes for this uplifting exercise.
Have a great week-end Becky.
Dominique
There are so many things I’m thankful for! But what comes to mind is my family! I have been blessed with the most amazing husband and wonderful kids! I love reading your blog…thank you for sharing your heart! 🙂 I am in the middle of mapping out my blog right now. I love the idea of gratitude posts!
I’ve maintained a gratitude list for years; probably since reading Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book back in the day… My blog is also about variations on the subject. I stopped by via The Strategic Learner today to say Congrats on being one of his inspired bloggers. I’m grateful and glad I did too. 🙂
Elizabeth