Gratitude Challenge Day #19

This week has been a bit more of a challenge and I'm so proud of you for persevering through it!

Today is another tough one as it's about 30 things you are grateful for, no topic, just you expressing your gratitude.

Here is the caveat, do it without repeating anything you've already written down. This is when you start to dig deep and really reflect on the tiny things we tend to overlook because it's not the obvious spouse, children, friends, health, job, etc. This is when we really start to look at the details of those things in our lives that we overlook every single day and even take for granted most of the time.

Why? Why are we diving so deep?

Life is a gift and somewhere out there is someone praying for exactly what you have. Despite what the world tells you, you are unique, you have gifts and talents, and your life is a treasure most wish for. We all have our battles to fight and our hills to walk up but it doesn't change the fact that there are an abundant number of blessings around you every day. Today is about recognizing those blessings and shifting your perspective from what is wrong, challenging, painful or hard, to what is beautiful, joyful, peaceful and right.

The richest people in the world don't necessarily have the largest bank accounts, they understand the power of gratitude and the daily gifts all around them.

Here are a couple notes from me:

*If you are a person of faith, I would recommend praying before you start this part of the

reflection (and if you're not, that's ok, move to the next tip). I will pray something like this

"Lord, show me the details in my life that I often overlook, help me see things from

Your perspective, Amen"

Here are a couple of ways you can go deeper; I'm using health as an example here:

*It's great to be grateful for your health in general but have you thought about the things you

are able to do that can easily be taken for granted?

Things like the ability to:

*Lift your arms above your head to brush your hair or wash your face -something

someone with shoulder issues or even one arm would desire

*Sit or stand unassisted - something someone with a disability would pray for

*Be able to balance on your own two feet - something someone battling vertigo would

face and wish for

*Sit on a toilet and go to the bathroom - something someone with a colostomy bag

would love the opportunity to do again

*Eat the foods you love without repercussion - something someone with food allergies

would love to be able to do

*Put your feet on the ground and feel the grass under your toes - something someone

who is paralyzed would give anything to feel again

*The ability to feel, see, taste, touch and hear - this list goes on and on

It's easy to look at the difficulties in our lives and magnify what is wrong but it's a gift to look at what is right and express gratitude, despite the difficulties we are facing. It's a simple mindset shift and it starts with recognizing what is going right in our lives and how much we have to say thank you for.

**Please know, I'm not minimizing what some of you are facing as I recognize that some of you are facing some horrendous things. I'll be the first to say that I'm so sorry you are having to walk through that challenge. This isn't about taking away from your pain. It's real pain and anyone in your shoes would likely feel the same way. My goal in the reading today is to help share another perspective. To give you a hand up and an opportunity to turn a small piece of that pain into something beautiful.

I believe in you and I'm proud of you for pushing through! We have a weekend of reflection and rest ahead of us in this challenge so keep pushing tonight to finish this week strong!

Blessings,

J