Thursday, November 22, 2018

[Get Grateful - Day 7 of 7]: Gratitude Writing Challenge - Putting it Into Practice

Thanksgiving dinner is over, the dishwasher is running.  I published the day four post that I apparently saved as a draft instead of posting.  So now onto day 7 (the final day of this 7 day challenge)

Writing Prompt #7: Flood Yourself

Set a timer for 2-3 minutes, and flood yourself with gratitude. Write down what comes to mind and keep going until the timer is up, or for as long as you'd like…

Here’s one of my favorite passages to get some inspiration... :)

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times, during those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things. But a life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.

~ Author Unknown ~


Let yourself flow…


I am thankful for taking this seven day challenge.  It has made me realize that even though I feel down at times, my life is pretty good overall

I am thankful that I was asked to work a side gig as the local Catholic grade school cafeteria cashier  [Catholic guilt is an amazing thing ;) ].  The daily smiles of the kids is a great pick me up.  And it has helped me get into a daily habit and getting up and being organized.

I am thankful that my "real" job is flexible and allows me to work at my side gig.

I am thankful that my dad made me learn how to solve problems.  He made my crazy when I was a kid and wouldn't just tell me how to do things - he made me understand why  something worked the way it did.  He's been gone for over a year but I still use his lessons almost daily.

I am thankful that my mom is still here for advice.

I am thankful that my children still have three grandparents nearby.

I am thankful for the daily trips to/from school with my sons.  It's a few minutes of undivided attention and I get to hear the daily funny stories and bad jokes.

I am thankful my daughter has adjusted to commuter college life and her first job.

I am thankful that a warm house with reliable electric and internet service.

I am thankful for a refrigerator and pantry with food.

I am thankful for a sweet and qualified periodontist who did an excellent job putting in my implant post yesterday.  My recovery is going well and I was able to enjoy dinner today.

I am thankful for a loving husband who will watch movies with me.

I am thankful for healthy children. 

I am thankful for every morning that I wake up.



[Get Grateful - Day 4 of 7]: Gratitude Writing Challenge - What Might you be Missing?

Writing Prompt #4: Celebrate the small things that happen without you having to ask them to... 
  • What happens in your life without you having to think about it? The sun rises and sets, your eyes blink, you heart beats, you can hear the sound of your alarm, you can go for a walk.
  • What did your husband, brother, child, etc. do today without you having to ask? They made lunch or dinner, they picked up the kids, they paid the bills, they called.
  • What were you thanked for today or recently? Someone appreciated you, it’s time to appreciate yourself!
  • What did not exist 10, 20, 50 years ago that is a regular part of your daily life now? Healthy easily accessible food, the TV, the iPhone, being able to fly almost anywhere in the world, apps that help us learn and grow.
  • What is comfortable about this moment? Your clothes, you chair, your bed.

Bonus Best Practice: A little appreciation goes a long way so take a moment to thank someone or something that you listed above. Tell your partner that you appreciate them taking the trash out. Send a note or text to your house cleaner and tell them how happy it makes you that he/she does such a thorough job. Send an email to a company whose services you appreciate. The sharing of appreciation only breeds more appreciation so put your gratitude out there!


💁 Life happens without me thinking about it.  The sun rises and sets, the world spins, I breathe, my heart beats, I wake up in a warm house with food to eat, water for showering, clothes to wear.  I have a reliable car to drive my children to school.  I have the health to drive them and get around.

💁 My children got themselves ready for school (after the mom alarm clock ;) ).  

💁 I was thanked for returning the lunch money envelopes to classrooms.  I was thanked for a ride home from school.

💁 The biggest change in my lifetime is cell phones and internet.  I can contact anyone and search for answers anywhere I go.

💁  The most comfortable thing about this moment is I am sitting in my warm house with well fitting, comfortable clothes sitting in my recliner typing on my laptop while watching a tv show.


Wednesday, November 21, 2018

[Get Grateful - Day 6 of 7]: Gratitude Writing Challenge - Leveraging Language

Writing Prompt #6: Leveraging Language
  1. Notice how often you say “I have to x, y, or z; or I should x, y or z.” “I have to go pick up the kids from school.” “I should go to this work function.” I have to go to the gym.”
  2. Any time you catch yourself saying that write it down and replace “I have to” or “I should” with “I choose to.”Because really you don’t have to do anything! If you are doing it, you are choosing to, so own up to it. Make sure you make this correction not only as you speak aloud to others but also in your head.
  3. Once “I choose to” feels like it has become your truth, take it a step further and replace “I choose to” with “I get to.” I can guarantee you someone would die to be in your shoes. You have to go pick up the kids from school? There’s someone out there who would do anything to have children of their own. You should go to a work function? There’s someone out there who thinks your job is their dream job and would love to be in your shoes. You have to go to the gym? There’s someone out there whose body does not allow them to go to the gym, so be grateful and honor the body you have. You “get to” do so many amazing things. Appreciate them!
  4. Once “I get to” feels like it has become your truth, take it a step further and replace “I get to” with “I want to.” Because if and when you can say this and actually mean it, you will want to!


Hm....  we'll have to see how this goes.  I'm pretty skeptical on this one.  I can see myself getting from "should"/"have" to "choose".  Not sure about making the step from "choose" to "get" (I understand the premise - just not sure I will see it that way) and the leap to "want" might be too much in some circumstances.

Let's take Day 5's fact as an example.    

I have to pick up the boys from school.  
There is no bus service and we live 3+ miles from school with no sidewalks so someone at some point needs to pick up  the boys from school.


I choose to pick up the boys from school.
There is a place inside for students to wait after school.  The boys could wait until my work day is over or until dad is passing by on his way home from work.  However, I choose to pick up the boys shortly after school gets out so they do not have to wait in the commons (aka cafeteria) area of the high school.  

I get to pick up the boys from school.
Not sure I can make this leap.  Yes, I am thankful that I have a reliable vehicle to pick up the kids.  Yes, I am thankful that my work day is flexible enough to allow this interruption in my work day to provide them a timely ride home.  On the other hand, without that interruption, my work day would end sooner and I would have another hour or more without them making noise in the house.

? I want to pick up the boys from school?
Nope, not going to happen.  I want them to have bus transportation or be old enough to drive themselves.


[Get Grateful - Day 5 of 7]: Gratitude Writing Challenge - Re-shifting Your Focus

Writing Prompt #5: Fill out the following chart with your responses

FactList a problem in your lifeFactList a problem in your life
Focus (what you don't like)What are your thoughts when you focus on what you don’t like?Focus (what you do like)What are your thoughts when you focus on what you do like?
FeelingWhat feeling does this make you feel?FeelingWhat feeling does this make you feel?

  *Note: I am not saying you have to like the problem, but we can find appreciation within our challenges. For example, when I lost my husband, I was always able to remain grateful that he chose me to share his life with. I didn’t anticipate his loss but wouldn’t have changed being with him, even though losing him ended up being a part of being with him. Or, while I had planned many more years with him, I am grateful I got as much time as I did with him. It's a shift of focus to what you do have within what you don't.

What did this make you realize about how your feelings relate to the facts in your life?

Bonus Best Practice: Do this with a number of facts in your life. What scares one person is exciting for another. What is a blessing to one person is a curse for another, and the only difference is the meaning each person puts behind things. So re-shift your focus and see how you can begin to respond to life’s challenges in an empowering way.



FactThere is no bus service to/from high school for my childrenFactThere is no bus service to/from high school for my children
Focus (what you don't like)I don't like having to get up and be functional early in the morning to drive them to school.  And then I have to interrupt my afternoon to pick them up - sometimes at different times if one has an after school activityFocus (what you do like)Twice a day I get their undivided attention for 7 minutes while we are driving to or from school.  And I get to see my niece every afternoon since I am her ride home.
Feelingrushed; chaotic; interrupted.Feelinglove for my children; laughter (they usually have a joke or a funny story to tell)


I realize that most "problems" in my life are first world problems.  While they may be an inconvenience to me, I have the ability to take care of them. And for most problems, there is a benefit that I can choose to see.

Sunday, November 18, 2018

[Get Grateful - Day 3 of 7]: Gratitude Writing Challenge - Looking Within

Writing Prompt #3: Tap into your senses.

What do you love to eat? What do you love to see? What do you love to smell? What do you love to hear? What do you love to touch? Food, drinks, movies, flowers, coffee, music, that one cute word your son or daughter says wrong, your cozy blanket, your comfy sweatshirt. List out feelings you love to feel for each of your 5 senses and the things that elicit those feelings.

Bonus Best Practice: Look at your day and how often you do the things that create these feel-good feelings. Is there a way to add more of these feel-good experiences into your day today? Perhaps, you can listen to your favorite song instead of turn on the TV, or call a friend instead of scroll instagram… Once you identify the feelings you love to have and ways to achieve them, you can start to design your days to feel better more often! #winning

Now do you see why we wanted you to write these things down?




Sight Hearing Touch Taste Smell
The play of sunlight and clouds  Rain My homemade  fuzzy blanket salty chips Cinnamon
Rainbows Rustling of leaves Rose petals Peppermint Peppermint
Smiles laughter Holding the hand of a friend Dark chocolateFresh cut grass
sunsetsbass voiceshugs Dr. Pepper Pot roast
kaleidoscopes music
pot roast with potatoes and carrots lavender

Saturday, November 17, 2018

[Get Grateful - Day 2 of 7]: Gratitude Writing Challenge - Looking Around

Writing Prompt #2: What are you grateful for that is around you?

Your physical surroundings (such as a house, car, country, city or state), external surroundings (such birds chirping, sun shining, rain falling) or emotional surroundings (such as the love you feel for or from someone).

Walk yourself through the past 24 hours in detail and make a note of the things that you appreciate but rarely take time to stop and appreciate.



This should be a relatively easy post to write.  This month I have been doing a daily "I am thankful..." post on Facebook where I have looked for an item/event from the day.  I have skipped all the usual health, family, friends, shelter, love etc.. posts and looked for something specific to that day.  So this post is dropping back and writing all the things I usually take for granted....

☺ My health.  I may be overweight and getting older but I am still on the right side of the grass.  I can get around unaided, only take one daily medication, wear contacts but overall I consider myself lucky.

 My home.  It's not the grandest of homes but it is more than enough for me and my family.  It's keeps us warm and stores all of the stuff we have accumulated over the years.  And the acre plus of land gives us room to just be.

☺ My family.  One faithful husband of 27+ years and three healthy children.  We drive each other crazy and love each other.  The kids have grown faster than I expected.  Some days have seemed to be never-ending but the years have gone by quicker than I realized.

 My job.  Another thing that makes me crazy on a frequent basis.  However, it has allowed me to send my children to Catholic grade school, participate in extra curricular activities (dance, theater, Girl Scouts, Cub/Boy Scouts).  

 My side gig.  I wasn't supposed to become attached to the grade school kids.  I was just supposed to come in for lunch hour every day and collect money.  Their smiles and jokes have drawn me in and kept me moving every day (even on those days when I wish I could just sleep all day)

  My freedom.  Living in a country where we can move about in relative safety and make choices is a good thing.  Sometimes I get aggravated by the politicians who seem to be constantly battling but then I remember that I am free to ignore their rhetoric.

  My friends.  I have plenty of situational acquaintances who fulfill my daily need for interaction.  The few close friends all have special places in my heart.  Some I don't see for months (or years) at a time and yet we can always pick up and continue like we haven't missed a beat. 

☺ My dad's wisdom.  He's been gone for 13 months now but I can still hear his voice anytime I need to figure something out.  You taught me well dad.

☺ My mom.  I might be past the half century mark but there's nothing like the ability to call mom for advice.

☺ My in-laws.  There's nothing like your kids being close to their grandparents.  (and not just for the free babysitting!).

☺ The play of sunlight and clouds

☺ Steady hands for coloring

☺ Eyesight  (it might be nearsighted and require contacts but I still see!)

☺ Hearing  (so I don't miss those "awful" jokes at the dinner table)

☺The ability to type  (helps since I am a programmer and makes writing posts go quicker)

☺The ability to play piano (as long as I have the sheet music)

☺ Words with Friends.  It's my daily check-in with friends and family who I don't see often.  We don't have to say anything.  Just the playing of a word lets us know the other is still on the right side of the grass ;)







[Get Grateful - Day 1 of 7]: Gratitude Writing Challenge - Starting Small


Writing Prompt #1: What did you do today (or yesterday if writing in the morning) that you felt good or you enjoyed?

Listened to a great song, played with your kids, met a friend for lunch, walked the dogs, read a nice email, watched a funny video, etc.

Walk yourself through the past 24 hours in detail and make a note of the activity you were doing (Talked to Mom) and the feeling you were feeling (Love, Connection, Laughter) anytime you were feeling anything good.

Simple enough, right?!

Have fun revisiting your day, recognizing the good times and writing them down.


It's been long week where I haven't really felt like doing much but every day I've gotten up and driven the boys to school  (full disclosure, they did have a 2 hour delay on Thursday due to weather) and gotten myself to my side gig as the cafeteria cashier.  So this post is a day late.  This should have been yesterday's post.

On Friday, what made me feel good was the smiling faces greeting me in the cafeteria line.  And knowing that the week was over (mostly).  My slacker attitude during the week means I need to spend a few hours on Saturday getting work done for my real job.  I also enjoyed a grownup dinner with my husband and daughter after dropping off the boys for their Scout planning weekend trip.