week 1: 30 days of gratitude challenge

 Week one is upon us, and we are so ready to begin this journey!

Gratitude is a tricky thing to pin down, but with these three easy ways to practice we'll be pros in no time. Let's look at this week's practice.

This one is best done in a notebook or journal where you can continue adding to your list every day. You may be thinking, "Three things a day? That's going to end up being 21 for the week! I'm not sure if I can find that many."

Don't panic. We're here to help.

Each item can be something small, like "I'm grateful for the roof over my head," or "I'm grateful I can work from home."  Maybe you're grateful for the way the sun shines in your window in the morning, or that you ate a muffin for breakfast.  It could be something as simple as, "I'm grateful for my mom/husband/friend," or even "I'm grateful for Netflix." I might use that one, actually. If you're old enough to recall a time before streaming media I'm pretty sure you're grateful for Netflix too.  😉

Remember, gratitude takes practice, just like anything else you want to get better at.  So, tomorrow find three things. Then as you move through the day, be on the lookout for three more you can write down the next day. You may begin to notice more than just three a day!

You may not be able to make time for a walk every day, but try to get out at least twice during this week. In a pinch you could even stand on your front steps or balcony for a few minutes. If you're with a friend you should walk quietly for a few minutes, focusing your attention on noticing the things around you. 

Try to look at the world through the eyes of a child. Everything is amazing to a little kid.  The shape of the leaves on a tree, the seed pods of a flower by the road (yes, even the weeds), and the noises of the cars, birds, and insects. Look beyond what you normally notice and allow yourself to notice without any judgement attached (don't worry that your neighbor hasn't raked their leaves yet, just notice that their lawn is covered in brown, gold, orange, and yellow leaves).

We are all guilty of saying "thank you" as a thing-we-are-supposed-to-say. We often teach children that they must say thank you after certain actions whether they feel it or not. As adults saying "thank you" has little meaning most of the time, it's just routine. This week pay attention to these words. When you say "thank you" look the person you're speaking with in the eyes and feel the thanks you're sending their way. If you're like me and you like to smile then send a thankful smile their way too, regardless of whether they can see it behind your mask or not!

Check out this video about the power of saying "Thank you."

Practice starts with the first step.  Enjoy this week and let us know how things are going by leaving comments on Facebook, Instagram, or right here!

Thank you for taking this journey with us!

Week 2

Review the entire 30 Days of Gratitude here!