Take the grateful awareness challenge
In this moment, I am full of gratitude…
Gratitude for this computer I am typing on…what a marvel. It’s amazing to my unscientific mind that someone figured this out…created a computer when never there was one before.
I am grateful for my fingers, the dexterity to move from key to key with relative ease.
Grateful for my brain and its ability to come up with words…create thoughts…and instruct my fingers in how to move to put those thoughts on paper. Truly amazing.
I am immensely grateful for you, my friends, who so generously give of your time to not only read my ramblings, but comment on them and share them on your social media accounts.
On these hot summer days, I am deeply grateful for central air conditioning. Before you know it, my gratitude will shift to the heater, the snow plows and snow-plow drivers…oh, and this year, to a home where I can escape the snow altogether!
I am grateful to have two homes…one is so much more than many people have.
I am grateful for my education and my job…a job that offers a living wage, health benefits, paid vacation and sick leave…even a pension…almost unheard of in these days.
Of course, I am grateful for all the big things…family, health, freedom.
Today I commit to recognizing all of the small things…that really aren’t so small after all.
Things like the cup of coffee I’m drinking right now. I send my thanks to the farmer who planted and harvested the beans. The truck driver that delivered the final product to my favorite grocery store. The cashier who rang up my purchase…and everyone in between, including those that created and ran the machinery involved.
Of course, I have to say thank you to Mother Nature for the sun and rain and everything else she provided to create a coffee bean. And thanks to the first person that figured out that little bean could make a pretty wonderful drink.
So anyway…today I commit to grateful awareness. I invite you to join me.
Your turn
- Will you join me in the challenge to be gratefully aware today?
- In this exact moment, what is one thing for which you are grateful?
- What else is on your mind? Anything at all…I love to hear from you.
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Image by Foundry Co from PixabayÂ
I’ve been struggling with my morning gratitude list. (Finding new things, or sometimes anything specific!) The gratitude awareness here is very helpful to boost my own awareness. Thanks.
I’m happy I could help in some small way, Pat. Sometimes I catch myself looking for something extraordinary, when there are so many ordinary everyday things surrounding me that make my life easier or richer or more joyful.
Im grateful for my sleeping dog next to me, unaware of thunder outside in the early morning here. Grateful that my Vaporiser with its calming blue light and the soft smell of the easy air is helping me breath – asthma a bit touchy. Grateful that I have a fridge and freezer full of food. Gratefull that even in times in this weird year Im now able to keep in touch with my youngest via Zoom each week. Also grateful that my eldest daughter who I hadn’t talked to in 2 years has opened up communication again all due to the pandemic xx…#MLSTL
So much to be grateful for, Bree. How wonderful that you and your daughter are back in touch. I’m glad that some good has come from the pandemic. I hope you are feeling better soon.
I’m taking the day off and catching the Biennale with a friend. Grateful I can do that! #MLSTL
Sounds lovely, Lydia. Enjoy!
I can see how your gratitude practice enriches you. I also choose to be grateful, especially in these pandemic times. Everyday I am grateful for the roof over my head, that I am safe and have food and that my family is well. I am grateful that I have work I love and that I am free to choose what i want to do with my life. I know that these are no small things.
No small things indeed, Michele. I am happy for you, as I read this, and glad that you are able to appreciate the goodness in your life.
A lovely invitation Christie to join you in gratitude awareness. Evening during down times when life is hard there is always gratitude to be found even in the smallest thing. Thank you for sharing at #MLSTL and being part of this lovely community over the last few years. xx
I couldn’t agree more, Sue. We are surrounded by small, ordinary things that enrich our lives. Sometimes we just get so used to them, we don’t appreciate them until we don’t have them for some reason–like hot running water. We just expect it to come out of the shower, but if the water heater goes out we sure miss it. I am trying to stop and appreciate those kinds of things in the course of my day.
Hello Christie! At this precise moment I am grateful that I can sit in my shady backyard, enjoying a gentle breeze with my dog curled up at my feet. My husband should be home soon and I am grateful that we can spend so much time together these days and still enjoy each company! And I am grateful that you have invited us to think about gratitude. Helen
Thank you for sharing that image, Helen. I’m smiling just thinking of it. Lovely. Enjoy!
Yes! i love this. It may be a slightly different perspective, but this is how I try to pray. Grateful for every specific thing I can think of. I am grateful for a few days away with my husband, our first getaway since returning from vacation in January, a nd since COVID. Every day I am thankful for the family and friends who nurture and enrich my life. I will happily join this gratitude challenge, because prayer, or not, attitude is so important and the more we break gratitude down to its lowest common denominator, the more gratitude we will live. imo. Thanks for this, Michele p.s. I accept the challenge!
I think that’s a beautiful way to pray, Michele. I hadn’t thought about it in those terms, but it feels like a prayer when I send my thank yous into the Universe. I’m glad you and your husband were able to get away and that your life is full with family and friends. Thanks for joining the challenge.
Hi, Christie – What a wonderful reminder of everything big and small that we have in our lives. To answer your final question, at this very moment I am grateful for all who endlessly volunteer their time and effort to contribute positively to others. That’s exactly what Sue and Leanne have done all of this time at #MLSTL. For this, I am extremely grateful!
I couldn’t agree more, Donna. I have loved participating in #MLSTL. I am grateful for the connections–the strengthened ones that existed before and the new people I met through this link-up. I am grateful for Sue and Leanne and the work they put into #MLSTL.
Hi Christie, this is a beautiful post. Gratitude is so positive and can boost morale. I’m grateful for the last 11 years with my beautiful cat. She’s nearly 19 and the last 7 years have been on borrowed time because she survived cancer. I’m about to take her to the vet and I’m worried it may be the last time. She’s given me so many years of love. Thank you for the lovely post, regards Christina
I am happy that you have had so many years with your cat. We had a similar experience with our dog. After about 10 years with him, he was diagnosed with a heart problem. The vet said he would probably live for six months to a year with medication. He did so well on the medication, he lived another five. Last spring, we said goodbye. We miss him deeply, of course, but I am grateful for the time we had and the memories we still enjoy. I am sending healing energy and love your direction. My heart goes out to you and your beloved cat.
Thankyou Christie I was expecting the worse but my cat hasn’t had a recurrence of her cancer like I thought. She has a urinary tract infection. She’s such a trooper! I’m even more grateful now that I get to love my beautiful cat for a while longer 🙂
Oh, that is good news indeed. Thanks for letting me know Cheryl.
Hi Christie – I always love how thankful and appreciative you are in your blog posts – they’re always a reminder to me of how blessed we all are. I’m particularly grateful for how little impact this pandemic has had on me – so few cases where I am and so little change in my day to day life now it’s under control – and hopefully stays that way!
That is something to be grateful for, Leanne. While our area has seen a large impact, it was nothing like New York City or other places I’ve seen and read about in the news. I am grateful that the numbers are going down now. I hope it continues. I am also grateful that so far my immediate family has been well and everyone still has their jobs. I am deeply grateful to those who are working so hard to keep us all safe and to come up with a vaccine and/or treatment. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your efforts in hosting #MLSTL over these past couple of years. I’ve truly enjoyed it. Thank you!
I am glad I read this, Christie! I am grateful for my wife, kids, my two dogs … the coffee I just drank, my newly-repainted home office, the garden I look out on, the fact Covid hasn’t hit us … yet, my friends, wine at night, Netflix … lots of things, Thank you for reminding me to take stock. #MLSTL
I’m glad you read it too, Enda, and I appreciate you taking the time to share your gratitude list. I love it! I don’t have a garden, but I am grateful for my neighbors who so generously share their bounty. There is nothing quite like vegetables fresh from the earth.
Hi Christie, I loved reading this – thank you! I also often think about what I’m grateful for, especially in the mornings as they are always a struggle for me – I’ve never been a morning person. haha. It’s usually the really simple things for me though. I will never take for granted the beautiful blue sky of the tropics that I have over my head everyday. And of course my 2 wonderful dogs. They also definitely help me in the mornings 😉
Hello Anne. I’ve never been a morning person either. I hate the sound of the alarm. Still, once I’m up and have my coffee, a little gratitude practice goes a long way. Enjoy the blue sky and your wonderful dogs! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your gratitude.
What a lovely positive post Christie, I love your reminders to be grateful for the things around us, both big and little. Today I am more than grateful for the medical staff (and medical science) who looked after my granddaughter who was born a year ago, at 25 weeks gestation and weighing only 845 grams. She is growing well and is such a bright little spark, I don’t know how to thanks all those who helped her in her journey. I’m forever grateful to modern medicine for their help. #mlstl
Oh yes, those are big ones, Deb. I am so happy to hear that your granddaughter is growing and doing well. I may have mentioned this before, but my sister is a NICU nurse. She tends to the tiniest, precious humans. I am deeply grateful to her and others like her. I too am grateful for modern medicine, scientists, medical personnel, and grandchildren, of course!
Lovely post. Right now, I am so grateful for my husband. It’s early morning, he’s getting ready to brave the grocery stores in Florida while I stay home and prepare for another day of work. I’m also grateful that while reading someone else’s post, it brought me back to my childhood and I was able to enjoy some memories of growing up with my family.
Thank you Jennifer. What a sweet husband you have. My husband also did the grocery shopping this week while I worked, so I can appreciate what a help that is. I am also grateful for happy childhood memories…and anything that triggers them. Enjoy your day!
Right with you! I began my personal gratitude posts in the 30 days leading to my 70th Birthday in Nov 2019. Then I took “gratitude” as my word of the year. Easy peasy, right? No. Not always in this year of all the unexpected and COVID stuff….
But I am a finisher and a determined person so my promise to do a gratitude post for 366 days of 2020 stands. Much harder on some days than others, but we can always find it can’t we when we LOOK…and FEEL.
My blog post next week for Life This Week on Monday is self-care via Gratitude!
Denyse #mlstl
The Universe sure has tested your determination with the word gratitude this year, hasn’t it? In all seriousness, though, gratitude is the perfect word to see you through this year. I’m impressed with the work you’ve done so far and look forward to your self-care via gratitude post. Take care! Keep smiling!
I’m grateful for many things too. We just got back from a quick boating trip with good friends. I’m grateful for friends and nature. We saw some goats swimming across the lake-so cool!
Friends and nature are high on my gratitude list too, Cindy. I’m glad you had fun. Heidi is going to be jealous about the goats!
We all have so much to be grateful for Christie. I did enjoy reading your post. I’ve realised during the pandemic when times are tough that we still have so much to be grateful for. Sometimes we don’t realise it so it’s great to make gratitude a focus occasionally
I’m glad you enjoyed this post Jennifer. It is true that even in this challenging time, there is much to be grateful for. Sometimes we just have to nudge our focus in that direction. I hope all is well with you.
Awesome post, Christie. You have lots to be grateful for.
Thank you Dee. I really do. We all do. Some days they are easier to find than others. ?