After working on being grateful for these last 28 days, this is a fun one. What small thing happened today that you are grateful for? It is a million little things. That is the idea behind taking a month and being grateful for something different each day. Just last post we looked at the things we use daily that we are grateful for. Without which we would be terribly inconvenienced. In that post we thought of several you could be grateful for before you even leave the house. A toothbrush, clean water, deodorant. After I wrote that post, my mother mentioned a toilet. It sure is a lot more convenient than having to walk out to an outhouse. This is true especially when the temperature falls below freezing.
The question remains. What small thing happened to me that I was grateful for? It was a moment that occurred just before I began writing this blog. As I was waiting for my computer to boot up, my screen saver popped up. It is a picture of my lovely lady and I in Jamaica. I thought of how we will be there again soon. I also thought of all the fun we are going to have. How grateful I am to have her in my life. “It really is a good day.” I thought to myself. I have just returned from a workout with my mother. She joined my gym and will be continuing her fitness journey. That was really a great time we had. The sun is shinning and the weather is unseasonably warm today. That makes me very happy and grateful.
Looking at any of these things, one may not think they are that important, but together they make for a great day. Having that moment where you feel so happy, content and blessed before you even start writing is an awesome situation to be in. It is that moment, and all of the moments that went into creating it, that I am most grateful for today. All that and the day is not even halfway over! What about you? Is there a little thing that happened to you that you are grateful for today?
Today is a day that could fill a book. What do I mean by that? Test this out. For just about 10 minutes, sit down and think of all the little things you use every day that you are grateful for. If you find this difficult at all, switch it up. Think about all of the little things that you could not, or would not, want to do without. It would be surprising if you ran out of things to think of in those ten minutes. There are, in fact, certain things that give you several things to be grateful for. This is an exercise you could repeat daily that would turn the mundane into a swelling of grateful emotions and feelings. This all sounds like a bunch of hype, so let us dive in and take a look at what we are discussing here.
One of the first things that pop into my head is my toothbrush. First, it was a wonderful gift from my lovely lady. Second, it helps keep my oral health up to date. This saves me money in the long run. I imagine the people I talk to throughout the day also appreciate it. In that same thought, how about deodorant? If you run out it can be a little of a touchy situation. If not for you, certainly for those around you. Clean water? Without it the toothbrush would be a lot less effective. It also helps me make coffee which I am extremely grateful for. When was the last time you turned on the tap and thought to yourself how lucky you were to be able to access clean water without much of a thought? Would you believe 26% of people do not have that same access? With war raging through the world, this number is sure to climb higher. Can you imagine being without clean water?
We really didn’t even leave the house, which is also something to be grateful for, and we have several things to be grateful for. Let us look at something that is often reviled – the cell phone. Yes, it is true that it has hampered personal communication. Yes, it makes for many distracted drivers, but think of all the positive things your phone allows you to do. It allows you to capture moments with friends without having to carry around a separate camera. It allows you to listen to your favorite song, or happy playlist, anytime you desire. You can get the answer to most any question within a few seconds. I even have an app that will tell you what song is playing in the background. This has saved me much frustration. Not to mention you can stay in touch with loved ones making sure they are safe. Even if your baker fiancée fails to tell you how many bags of sugar you need to get from the store…hypothetically. The cell phone has also help cut down on the amount of graffiti in public restrooms!
See how one thing can provide us with endless things to be grateful for? How about credit and debit cards? You do not have to carry large amounts of cash on you or risk running out and not having enough. Going back to our hygiene example, how about soap? Very good to have. Not many people stop and feel gratitude for soap before washing their hands, but might do so should they ever find themselves out of it. The ability to wash your hands helps cut down on the chances you will fall ill or make others so. It also helps remove the sauce from those chicken wings you just ate. Soap, very grateful to have you aboard! Locks on our doors to keep us safe? Clothes to keep us warm, dry or over-exposed.
As you can see, there are so many little things that we use daily that we should be thankful for. Any one of them could cause a great deal of discomfort and inconvenience should they not be there. Next time you turn on the tap, wet your toothbrush or put on that deodorant, stop and feel a little gratitude for those items. Without them our live, and social circle would certainly suffer. How many items do you use daily that you could be grateful for? There are endless things that we take for granted that make a very positive impact in our life. Expressing gratitude for them would only help improve our life.
It is interesting to think that you could be grateful for a form of expression. Again, this is one of those things that we seldom think about, yet doing so could add an amount of joy to our life. Let us get into it shall we? Have you ever thought about the different ways to express yourself? Unless you are a right-brain, creative person the answer is usually ‘no’. In which ways do you express yourself regularly? Myself, verbally would be my answer. Throughout my life, I have work hard to improve my verbal communication and have achieved a level of some proficiency. This has served me well until recently. At two of my jobs I deal with people who are extremely hearing-impaired. As a person who enjoys a great conversation, it is frustrating that there exists a great amount of difficulty with communication.
This made me explore other avenues. The lady at my day job often texts fellow employees to communicate with them. At my weekend job, the fellow there uses a mixture of writing notes and gestures. Often, there is alcohol mixed in which can make it a little confusing. I thought how nice the written word is, but then also thought of people who’s vision is impaired to one degree or another. As an author, this is still a group I would love to reach. It is wonderful there are audiobooks.
We have just covered 2 forms of expression – spoken word, written word and recorded word. This is just touching on verbal communication. In my life, I am blessed to have many artists that convey their emotions through painting, sculpting, sewing and of course the amazing cakes my lovely lady makes. There are so many forms of expression. Thinking of this reminds me of the book, The Five Love Languages. In which you can explore the different ways both you and your partner both express and receive love. Thinking of all that we just mentioned, there are more than five ways to express love. Some people express their love with a hug, some with a gift and some with an act of service. Some draw you a picture or bake you a cake.
Which of these is the form of expression I am most grateful for? Like many of these items in our thirty-day journey, this is the first time that I have pondered it. In reflection, I would say what I am most grateful for is the fact that there are so many ways to express yourself. Each one reached someone in ways that others cannot. This is yet another reason why we are all important and beautiful. Someone can be saying the same message, just in a different way than you. You delivery may reach someone that others cannot. High polish and a large audience does not necessarily make a message more powerful. Express love and compassion in whatever way suits you. Doing so will reach the people you are meant to reach.
Here is an oddly specific question. What moment this week are you most grateful for? My own life is a personal collection of moments I am most grateful for. It would be difficult to pick out just one. As I write this, reflecting on the week that has just passed, there are many moments to be grateful for. The first that came to mind was the day I just had with my mother. We visited the local museum for an in-depth look at some of the displays they had. Guides offered a little behind-the-scenes information. We learned a lot and it was a lot of fun. After which we stopped for lunch. Even though the server was a little sunshine challenged, it brought humor to us and we had a great time. Then we did a little grocery shopping. I came home and Margie and I cooked and enjoyed a delicious and filling meal together. After which we watched a movie and fell blissfully asleep next to each other.
That is just one day of my week. Which of those moments should I be most grateful for? It is really hard to say. As we develop an ‘attitude of gratitude’ together these 30 days, you will start to see that almost every moment offers something to be grateful for. Having a difficult time deciding what moment in that past week to be most grateful for is something to be grateful for itself. That means I have a life filled with moments to be grateful for. That is true of all of our lives. Being able to see that this is so, yes that is also something to be grateful for.
You can see how pondering what moment in the past week you are most grateful for can help you feel more grateful all the way around. It also helps us realize that in what may seem like a stressful week, there are still plenty of things that went right and that we can be grateful for. How about you? What are you grateful for this past week? Was it a victory or, like we discussed last post, was it a challenged that helped you learn something valuable about yourself or someone else? I would love to hear about it in the comments below.
What story are you grateful for? As an author, I am really excited to hear what everyone has to say about this post. There are so many great stories. There are fiction, non-fiction, biographies, fairy tales, and many other stories that we could mention. Personally, I have some in each category. There are stories that I could read over and over again and still be entertained. Bill Bryson’s (despite his not writing back to me) book, A Walk in the Woods, brings laughter to me every time. The book, Man’s Search for Meaning, is a powerful reminder of the value of life and what humanity is capable of. Both the good and the bad.
Another group of stories that I am so grateful for is ones that are shared among friends and family. My Aunt Lucia can tell some of the craziest stories. Some people just have that gift. My grandfather was a great story teller. When people pass on, I think their stories are something we miss. Even if we heard them a million times. Before the printed word, stories were how history was passed down from one generation to the next. A great story teller is a truly talented person.
I am grateful for this Story. That is my lovely bride-to-be, Margie Story. Without her, you might not be reading this blog. She does so much behind the scenes to keep things going that I feel she never gets enough credit. She is definitely one of my favorite stories! Can you believe there may be a story that I am even more grateful for? There is! Can you guess what it might be?
The story that I am most grateful for is the one you are reading. No, not my blog. Not even any of my three books. The story I am talking about is the story of my life. It was almost a far shorter story only a few years ago. Yes, at points it is a sad story. Sometimes it is an angry and disheartening story. It is also a happy story. A story filled with love, joy and laughter. Most importantly, it is a story that I am still writing. I am sure there are more challenges to come, but there are also more wins, more love and more laughter. The story of my life includes my Margie Story, and many other wonderful people. There will be more amazing people I have yet to meet.
What is your favorite story? Is it a book? Is a funny story told to you by your parents or grandparents that you have heard a million times? Is it the love story you share with someone special? Is it the story of your life that we should all be grateful to still be writing? I would love to hear your answer in the comments below.
When I first stopped to think of what piece of art that I was grateful for I drew a blank. Sure, there are paintings and sculptures I enjoy, but nothing really stood out for me. This is what makes this 30 day journey so powerful. We are looking at areas in our life that we may not take the time to think about. For me, art is one of those. I enjoy art, but it is not very often that I sit down and ask myself, “Neil, what piece of art are you grateful for?” Did that today though.
As I sat thinking of the answer, I realized what a broad term ‘art’ is. I was busy thinking of paintings and sculptures. Art is far more than that. I good cup of coffee can be a work of art. If you have ever had a bad cup of coffee you can really appreciate this. As an author, I should have known that books are works of art as well. Poems, they are works of art. Music is one of my favorite art forms. If it were not for that my early morning commute and workouts would be far different. As I mentioned last post, the wonderful baked creations my lady creates are works of art. The creativity and effort that goes into them is truly amazing!
After much thought, this is my favorite work of art. It is a living work of art. The woman I love. When you stop and think about it, each one of us is a living work of art. We are formed from different creative influences. It is a work of art that is every evolving. Just like much art, some may find beautiful what some do not. It does not make the art any less valuable. What is your favorite piece of art? Are you working to improve the work of art that is you?
This is a great time to stop and be grateful for our abilities. Many are quick to lament the ability they wish they had but do not. How many stop to be grateful for the ones they do have? Sometimes we can just assume everyone can do what we do. When we take the time to be grateful for the gifts and abilities we have, I think we are more inclined to share them in such a way it benefits all concerned. Let me share what comes to mind for me.
The ability I am most grateful for would have to be my ability to communicate. It not only allows me to write on this site and publish 3 books, but it is even more important in my personal life. When I was a bartender, one of the reasons I was so in demand was my ability to communicate with a wide cross section of people. The greatest benefit to communicating is in my personal relationships. Being able to convey what I am thinking or feeling in the right way really helps my relationships grow. I am also comfortable speaking in front of a crowd. It took me a while to understand how rare this is. The ability to be empathetic goes hand in hand with the ability to communicate. My friend Kurt writes a lot about empathy in his daily thoughts online. The ability to put yourself ‘in someone else’s shoes’ is such a gift. As the world becomes more divided, it is also a valuable skill as well.
This only scratches the surface. The ability to read, which is something many of us take for granted. That ability alone will allow us to learn any other skill we would like to. How about the ability to truly listen? That is a rare gift these days as well. The ability to develop personal rapport in an online world? That can get you very far. If you have that one, you certainly have a gift to be grateful for. Which one of your abilities are you most grateful for? Let us know in the comments!
On day 11 of this 30 day gratitude journey we are taking a look at holidays. Many people stress over holidays. Some people spend on holidays. You can look forward to a day off on a holiday. In these crazy times, some people even argue over holidays. Sure, we celebrate them, but have you ever stop and thought, “What holiday am I truly grateful for?” ? For me, there are several to mention. Let us get started with today’s conversation.
For the record, my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Not only do you not have to worry about buying gifts for anyone, but there is great food and the whole focus should be on what we have to be grateful for. A bonus fact is that this very site was started on Thanksgiving day in 2012. After briefing dying in 2022, I have learned that every day we are here is a holiday. Yes, this may sound cliche coming after a brief flirtation with my expiration date, but it certainly gives you a new perspective. It has birthdays take on a whole new meaning. Each year that we have lived should be something we are grateful for.
Another thing holidays do is allow us to take a peak into other cultures. It is so fun to me to learn about things they celebrate in different parts of the world. Learning how they celebrate and why is an experience I am grateful for. Margie bought me a calendar that shows what is celebrated on each day. That is fun because it gives us reason to celebrate something new everyday. Much like this 30 day journey, it also reminds us of things we may have forgotten or taken advantage of. As I am writing this, it is national snack day. When you read this, it will be national nap day. That is not only my initials, but a nap goes well right after a snack. What holidays are you grateful for? What are your favorite way to celebrate?
Can you believe that we are one-third of the way through our 30 days? Hard to believe. I hope you are beginning to see just how many things you have to be grateful for in your life. We are just warming up. This has been just as enlightening to me. There are so many things that I had not stopped to think about in a long time. Areas of our life that we take for granted. Today is no different. What taste are you grateful for? We did do one on food so I will not dwell too much on that.
When people think of taste, almost always it goes to food. That makes sense, because after the age of about 2 or so, we mostly put food in our mouth. Taking this into account, there are more tastes to be grateful for. This is what makes these month so exciting. We are asked to think about different things. When was the last time you thought about your sense of taste and what you had to be grateful for? I am going to share a few of mine, but I would love to hear yours as well.
The post does ask us what taste we are grateful for today. That will help keep things a little simpler. I will start from my morning. Perhaps one of the things I am most grateful for, not only in taste but in life, is the taste of my lady’s lips on mine as I am leaving for work. Why? It not only is a reminder of the love we share, but what I have to look forward to come home to. On the way to work, there is the taste of my coffee I brewed that morning. So much to be grateful for there. The amazing machine that does all the work for me. The energy that it will help give me at 4am. Even the fun variety of the different coffees I have. One thing that is overlooked by the majority of people is the taste of clean water. A large portion of the planet does not have access to clean water. It is something we take for granted but without it, a lot could go wrong.
There are more abstract tastes as well. The taste of success when you get a little win in the day. As an author, these can often be what keeps you going. The taste of compassion when you seek to understand instead of respond. Yes, I realize they might not fit the specific definition of ‘taste’ but they are certainly something to be grateful for. How about you? What tastes bring gratitude to mind for you? Please let us know in the comments below.
On our 30 day journey of gratitude, this could be one of the days with the largest possibility. What place are you most grateful for? This is one of those answers I do not think should have the word ‘most’ attached to it. In fact, I believe you should create a list of places you are grateful for along with a little notation as to why you are grateful for them. Do this places bring you peace? Perhaps they bring you joy? Are there certain places that help you feel connected to people that have passed on? How about places that are an escape or refuge? Are you beginning to have a few pop into your head? I know I am.
Here is a thought that could really blow this wide open. A ‘place’ does not have to be a geographical location. Your grateful place could be in your peace. It could be in your spouse’s heart and thoughts. It could be getting lost in a meditation. A place can actually be a person. Before you think I am taking this to an off-color gratitude post, allow me to explain. Sometimes the place you are most grateful for is wherever your friends are. Maybe your favorite place is with the person you love. It doesn’t matter if it is the tropical beach or the dentist office, as long as they are there holding your hand. A place can be an activity. Some places I am grateful for are where I write, where I walk in nature and where I can be with friends.
If I had to pick a favorite place, it would be next to this lady. Why? Even when I am have a tremendously great time, it is never perfect if she is not there. Whether I am laying in her arms to end a tough day or she is driving me crazy, I always want her next to me. When she is not there it just feels like something is missing. That is why being next to my lady is the place that I am most grateful for.
How about you? What place are you most grateful for? Is it someplace you can visit often? Why not create and add to a list of places that put you in a grateful mindset? It can help you when life gets tough. Changing your surroundings can help improve your emotional well-being. I cannot wait to read your favorite places in the comments below.
SECRET 2 AN AMAZING LIFE 