In my opinion practicing gratitude CAN and WILL change your life. One of the ways I practice gratitude is by recording my blessings in a journal.
Every day I write at least 4 things that I’m thankful for. Although sometimes this may not happen. Find out why.
I hope that through reading my entries, you will be inspired and encouraged to find things in your own life to be thankful for. “Gratitude…Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.”
March 22, 2010
I am thankful…
- for a beautiful back yard
- for Angels
- a good night’s sleep
- for early mornings and the privilege to watch the sunrise
March 19, 2010
I am thankful…
- for coffee
- for my Grandma(s)
- that I have shoes and even more than a couple pairs
- for the internet, which is allowing me to share my gratitude with you, right here and now
March 18, 2010
I am thankful…
- for dinner last night
- for a bath tub (we went 4 years without one) we appreciate it so much more now
- for no medical news yesterday, I think it might be true that no news is good news
- for electricity, the very thing we take for granted every day millions of people have to live without
March 17, 2010
I am thankful…
- for the endless opportunities to practice patience in my everyday life, God Bless children!
- for early mornings that are so quiet you could hear a pin drop
- for this day. Not everyone will get this day. Not everyone will wake up this morning. This day is a gift!
- that I am healed by the grace of God
March 16, 2010
I am thankful…
- for plenty of good food to feed my family this week
- for a gas fireplace, instant heat at any time (what a blessing)
- for the people in my life that are not like me at all
- that I was not born into a poor country, nor were my children
March 15, 2010
I am thankful…
- for every second, moment, hour and day that I am not in Children’s hospital with a sick child
- that my van did not break down on the highway yesterday in the pouring rain with 3 hungry kids awaiting me to feed them
- for portable dvd players, oh the small luxuries of life
- that though they may be old and quirky, my kitchen appliances have never failed me
March 14, 2010
I am thankful…
- for learning how and why I should not be offended by trouble
- for mercy, grace and forgiveness, both the power to give it as well as receive it
- for opportunities to release my faith
- for knowing what I know today that I was ignorant about yesterday, isn’t this but progress?
October 24, 2009
I am thankful…
- for answers to all my prayers not in my time but in perfect time
- that none of my children have any disabilities or permanent ailments
- for C. I just love you.
- that I am not ill, can still see, hear, touch & taste. What a blessing!
October 23, 2009
I am thankful…
- for the roof over my head on this very stormy windy day and that I did not sleep under a porch last night
- a fireplace to help keep me warm
- for help when I need it, no matter what it is
- for the opportunities that have been presented before me, without opportunity one can lose hope rather quickly
August 6th, 2009
I am thankful…
- for the opportunity to learn from Cecile yesterday
- that dinner sometimes makes itself
- for my children – they keep me super busy but I’d rather that than be bored all the time
- that I am less afraid today than I was yesterday
August 2, 2009
I am thankful…
- that I don’t get everything I want, oh how spoiled rotten I would be if that happened.
- to the inventors of air conditioning. Thank you!
- for drive-through Tim Hortons. With 3 car-seated children, I so appreciate NOT taking them out of the car for that delicious cup of coffee.
- for my health. This for sure is something I will never take for granted.
May 7, 2009
I am thankful…
- that I am not rich – it keeps me out from the trap of materialism and forces me to focus on what’s really important
- that I totally snapped this morning – though I’m not proud of it, sometimes I think I just gotta let go
- for friends
- for my many weaknesses – for ‘when I am weak then He is strong’
May 6, 2009
I am thankful…
- for an extra vehicle
- for enough money to buy healthy food & produce
- that I only got woken up once last night but otherwise had a pretty good sleep
- that my hands and wrists are not aching right now from carpel tunnel syndrome
May 5, 2009
I am thankful…
- for my iPod and Joyce Meyer podcasts
- that I don’t need glasses to see – not yet anyway
- for teachers – God bless teachers!!
- that He will never put more on me, than I can bear
May 4, 2009
I am thankful…
- that none of my loved ones suffered an aneurism – oh how quickly we can lose someone without warning
- for access to medications like gravol for little ones – to help the relieve their discomfort even just for a little while
- for the opportunity that maybe, just maybe this gratitude journal might encourage one person, that might go on to encourage others
- that I am not sick
May 3, 2009
I am thankful…
- for a place to rest my head when I’m not well
- that I am loved and cared for
- for breakfast this morning
- that none of my loved ones were in a tragic car accident yesterday
May 2, 2009
I am thankful…
- for hope – when all else fails there is always hope, no matter what
- that I do not have to give myself a needle every time I eat something
- that I do not have to carry all my laundry to the laundromat, in sun, rain and snow (as I once used to do). To have a washer and dryer in my home is a luxury I don’t take for granted.
- to have at least one person in my family still employed – what a blessing!
May 1, 2009
I am thankful…
- for the health and vitality of my family – not everyone is this fortunate
- for clean water – there are so many people living in countries all over the world that are actually dying every day from dehydration and germ-invested water
- that the transmission in my van didn’t go today – I know I’d complain if it did happen so I thought I should appreciate and recognize these kinds of things when they don’t happen…its only fair.
- for opportunities to enhance someone else’s life, especially when it doesn’t make sense to the rest of the world (perhaps I’ll elaborate on this in a future blog)
April 30, 2009
I am thankful…
- that no matter what we (as humans) go through, we are never alone – there is always someone to share our sorrows with that will understand
- for opportunities to make new friends
- that my children do not have any ‘disabilities’, raising healthy children is difficult enough
- for financial hardships – it teaches me conservation and forces me to be creative where there is lack
April 29, 2009
I am thankful…
- for the days when the hot water tank doesn’t burst, when the roof isn’t leaking and when there isn’t a sewer back-up problem
- that I didn’t lose my keys or my wallet yesterday – oh, what a major pain it is when that happens!
- that I do not have cancer!
- for the roof over my head and the fact that I don’t really know what it’s like to starve – I am so blessed.
April 28, 2009
I am thankful…
- that we did not have an earthquake last night
- that when I checked on my the children I got to watch their chests rise and fall while they enjoyed their peaceful slumber
- for the summer of 2008, one of the hardest most heart-wrenching times of my life – it has changed me forever, made me a stronger person and brought me back to faith (even though I’m sure glad its over)
- that there is ALWAYS a blessing in the storm.
April 27, 2009
I am thankful…
- for all my small “i” products. They are my tools for creativity.
- for the choice to surrender or self-rely.
- that my loved ones are here with me.
- that life has a time limit therefore making every waking moment a precious one.
February 21, 2009
I am thankful…
- for this quiet, peaceful morning
- for amazing, wonderful, supportive people in my life like CR
- for the luxury and blessing of the events that have been planned for me today
- to be alive
February 20, 2009
I am thankful…
- that I caught my kids’ cold – it allows me to have more compassion for how they might be feeling right now, and compassion is never a bad thing to develop
- for friends and family that challenge my thoughts and belief systems – it allows me to either solidify my original thoughts and belief’s and/or open my mind to new ones
- for friends like Kerbecca
- for the time and quiet in my house right now that allows me to reflect on the things that I am grateful for
February 18, 2009
I am thankful…
- that things aren’t always what they seem.
- for children, who if given the opportunity can teach you how to laugh again.
- for this moment! It is this moment that some have already lost, or are losing right now as I type these words
- that I have a voice to speak, to sing and to be heard. I am so blessed!
November 9, 2008
I am thankful…
- for a full ‘to-do’ list as well as a clear ‘to-do’ list. Rest is good and staying idle for too long can make one slack in his work.
- for inspiring people in my life like CL: If music be the food of life, play on!
- for discovering the practice of gratitude
- for knowing that small things can make a difference, and if you don’t believe that try sleeping with a mosquito in the room
October 31st, 2008
I am thankful…
- that halloween is coming to an end
- for days that pour with rain, how else would we appreciate being warm and dry?
- for books like ‘The Purpose Driven Life‘
- for friends like IR
October 27, 2008
I am thankful…
- that nor I or any of my loved ones are confined to a wheel chair
- for down-filled comforters, not everyone will be this warm come winter time
- for the luxury of music at my fingertips – I so heart iTunes
- that I can make a difference
October 19, 2008
I am thankful…
- for the power of a single positive thought
- that I do not have a cold or the flu right now
- that none of my loved ones were in a car accident today, some people today will not have been so lucky
- for the beautiful weather today
October 14, 2008
I am thankful…
- for a certain amount of stress in my life – without a healthy dose of it we as humans would find it very difficult to get motivated
- for today – it isn’t owed to me but yet here it is before me
- for surprises – how boring life would be if we knew what to expect every minute of the day
- for the creators of Dora, Little Bear, & Blue’s clues – sometimes they are the only way to catch my breath from chasing the kiddies around
October 13, 2008
I am thankful…
- for music that can evoke a million emotions within me
- for days that go so smoothly – this is a blessing that should never be expected but always be recognized and appreciated
- that I have faith and hope - what else is there?
- for the relief and joy that keeping this gratitude journal brings me – try it, you’ll see
October 8, 2008
I am thankful…
- for bees that keep our world beautiful with flowers (inspired by ‘The Bee Movie‘)
- that I have freedoms that most countries do not have
- that none of my loved ones were a casualty on the news or in the newspaper yesterday
- that prayers are always answered, even when the answer is ‘no’
September 29, 2008
I am thankful…
- for Neo Citron – when the virus has got me down
- that I always have a choice – to rise to the occasion or to not bother at all
- for cold but sunny days – the sun is uplifting and the cool air gives me a reason to wear a cozy sweater
- for aromatherapy – not a necessity to life but definitely a luxury and can do wonders for the soul
September 28, 2008
I am thankful…
- for rainy days – drought can have such devastating effects
- for access to medications that can ease pain and prevent certain illnesses
- that I am not a burn victim
- for the invention of washer and dryers – I cannot imagine having to wash each item of clothing by hand as they had to do generations ago
September 27th, 2008
I am thankful…
- for family and friends and a hot cup of tea or coffee
- for running water – some people actually have to live without it
- that I got woken up before the crack of dawn this morning – it means that I’m alive
- for people in my life that can make me laugh until I cry
September 26, 2008
I am thankful…
- that we do not live in a place where tsunamis, hurricanes and tornadoes are common place
- that I can’t even remember the last time the toilet overflowed
- that I don’t have an eyelash stuck in my eye right now
- that I have a warm blanket to sleep under unlike many of the homeless people struggling to find warmth in our city right now
September 25, 2008
I am (trying to be) thankful…
- that I don’t have a car during the day – it forces me to exercise and gives me a much needed dose of endorphins
- that my kids are sometimes, too loud, too hyper, and talk too much – at least they are not comatose in a hospital bed unable to speak or move
- for the really bad hair day I’m having – at least I have hair and I am not balding from chemo treatments
- for the extra insulation around my hips and thighs that I can’t seem to get rid of- it means I have plenty to eat and never have to go hungry
September 24, 2008
I am thankful…
- for the forgiveness of my children when I falter time and time again
- that I do not have one ache or pain in my body right now
- that I have legs that move me, strength to lift, and ears to hear
- for people and situations that really tick me off – it helps me to appreciate that much more the people and situations that don’t tick me off
September 23, 2008
I am thankful…
- that I am not in a hospital right now
- for challenges and hardships in my life – they have made me a stronger more resilient person.
- for my eye sight – what would life be like in the dark?
- that we did not have an earthquake today
I am thankful for every one of those things, especially for forgiveness from any and all whom I love who forgive me time and time again. I must remember to be thankful for the hardships as they give me strength and resilience. I am thankful to you for inspiring me to be more thankful.