Second Annual Gratitude Project. Several of my online friends are participating in this year's list of gratitude. The basic idea is this - create a list of 20 things you are grateful for every day for 7 days. Some are doing different types of lists but the feeling is all the same.
Here's something from Jilliene Designs' Blog. It's a good explanation of the Gratitude Project:
"When I am feeling frustrated, short changed, insufficient or victimized, I have a wise friend who reminds me that you can't feel self pity and gratitude at the same time. She has suggested on many, many occasions that the best way to combat feelings of resentment, jealousy, disappointment, inadequacy and sadness is to make a gratitude list.
"Her Rx for a spell of bad feelings (lasting more than a few days) is to make a gratitude list of 20 things everyday for a week. You are not to duplicate things you are grateful for, and in my practice, I try not to make a list of specific people because it prevents me from digging deep.
"My WASSIMA gals and I decided we were going to do a week together. Some of us were feeling low, others just liked the idea of it and I think it is a great way to go into November, which holds Thanksgiving and to officially kick off the Holiday Season." -- Jilliene Designs – An Artful Journey
I'm presenting my list of twenty items here and may well add future lists since I do try to remember what I'm grateful for on a regular basis.
I also want to present links to where you can view other people's lists. They're clever, heartwarming and will probably get you thinking of creating your own lists. Some of these are just great ideas from other people's lists that say what I would like to say, too. :) The list isn't really in any order and may be edited later.
I also want to present links to where you can view other people's lists. They're clever, heartwarming and will probably get you thinking of creating your own lists. Some of these are just great ideas from other people's lists that say what I would like to say, too. :) The list isn't really in any order and may be edited later.
1. I'm alive, breathing on my own, though it's tough at times I can walk
2. There is food enough to eat. I can make healthy, yummy decisions on what to eat -- when I choose to do it. ;-)
3. We have a comfortable place to live
4. My family, an amazing husband & cats
5. My friends.
2. There is food enough to eat. I can make healthy, yummy decisions on what to eat -- when I choose to do it. ;-)
3. We have a comfortable place to live
4. My family, an amazing husband & cats
5. My friends.
6. The ability to help others as best I can. And I'll ask for help if I need it rather than just waiting and expecting an offer.
7. Sense of humor
8. I'm unique, have value, talents and passions; creative in different ways and get to express that creativity. Who said the only person you have to compare yourself to is the person you want to be in the future?
7. Sense of humor
8. I'm unique, have value, talents and passions; creative in different ways and get to express that creativity. Who said the only person you have to compare yourself to is the person you want to be in the future?
9. I am always learning. I like the saying that goes something like, "I did what I knew how to do, and when I knew better, I did better." (I'm betting that's from Oprah!)
10. Sense of reason, the ability to count to ten before hitting Send, before speaking, the ability to walk away and not respond at all (Does that mean being old?!)
11. Resilience after downfalls, ability to make it through adversity and face powers that are larger than myself without backing down, ability to do what's right instead of what's easiest.
12. Can see beauty and value in small things and things others might call ugly. Grateful for beauty & the arts, natural and made by people, that we're lucky to have around us.
13. The Internet; the friends it's brought me and the ability to work that it's allowed me
14. Chill-out phrases such as: "Make good choices," "Acknowledge and move on," "Don't let the turkeys get you down," "This too shall pass," "You picked him/her -- remember why you did."
15. The enthusiasm, delight and sense of wonder possessed by children, small animals and people who don't forget the happiness in acting "like children."
16. That my parents made me eat right and go play outside and they did all the things that they did for me. They made me mad sometimes and now I appreciate -- most of it! I'm glad that I'm mature enough to know that my parents were human beings and they did the very best that they could, which was a pretty good job.
17. Today. Pretty soon, today will be yesterday. That could've been done yesterday.
18. The wise and caring medical professionals who have helped and continue to help me in my journey
19. The idea of recycling, donating, repurposing, bartering and borrowing rather than acquiring more to add to having a mountain of stuff.
20. Random acts of kindness. It's become something of a cliche but I think it's really true. Manners, thoughtfulness, sincerity -- they're not expensive and they can make someone's day a little easier and brighter. Everyone is in a rush and under stress and lots of us are in chronic pain, but I advocate Public Smiling. Maybe the trend will catch on.
These others are participating in the Project. Several of them are members of the SFEtsy team.
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If you're reading this on my Facebook Fan Page, you may also want to check out my blog.
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