We made it! This is the last day of forming our three week gratitude habit and most of all I am grateful for YOU coming along and giving this a try. So, where do we go from here?
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 20
Gratitude: Pass it on!
So far we've done gratitude quietly, turning inward and shaping our minds as we make this a habit. But this virtue we have been practicing is a gift to be shared. Here's a great way to put it out in a world that desperately needs it.....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 19
Cousins long ago. I'm the fisher-girl on the far right.
We're nearing the three week finish line and gratitude is changing me just like the researchers said it would. It's even changing my doubting husband. I wonder if it's changing you, too.....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 18
Dinner is the perfect time to practice gratitude with the whole family.
Dinner is the perfect time to encourage your whole family to board the gratitude train. Here's one way to get out of the station.....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 17
Given a choice, every time I'd spend time with this dear friend who is definitely a Pete.
Be the kind of person you'd want to spend time with. Gratitude will help you do that.....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 16
Sometimes it's hard to make contact with gratitude, let along knock it out of the park.
Not every day is a gratitude home run. When disappointment pounds the door down and barges in, when the promising job offer falls through or the marriage ends or disease ravages, it’s hard to make contact with gratitude, let alone knock it out of the park. But it's still there.....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 15
I'm grateful for one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time and for its message to drop parenting perfection at the doorstep.
Get this: the average person has about seventy-thousand thoughts every day and, surprisingly, most of them are negative! It turns out that gratitude helps turn those negative thought patterns to positive ones and that's important for everyone, especially parents. Here's how it works.....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 14
Giving makes gratitude come to life. This is an easy way to do it.
One of the best ways to find gratitude in our lives is to help someone who has less than we do and I recently discovered one of the easiest and most gratifying ways to do that by giving little things that bring big joy. You have to know about this wonderful way to give back.....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 13
Maybe you're wondering why I'm spending so much time on gratitude. You get the point already. I know. But it takes three weeks of daily practice to make this a habit that will reap benefits for a lifetime. Only a week to go and we'll be there. And if you keep it up, you'll find it can be a Spiritual practice that will help you to reach deep places. So stick with me for a few more days. It'll be worth it.....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 12
Curing my sluggish computer makes the list today.
Living in gratitude helps to counter tough times, but take it a few steps farther and it will help even more when you face difficult people or circumstances. Here's how.....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 11
No, no... thank YOU!
Early on I mentioned some of the ways daily gratitude improves our lives. As if that wasn't compelling enough, there are even more benefits that come with it. Why isn't everyone doing this???
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 10
When the world feels dark, these two light up my day.
Tragedy abounds in our world and it's hard not to be dragged down by it all. Humanity desperately needs the buoyancy of goodness. This little thing we're doing here is a drop in the proverbial pool, but it's something we can all do and it's a move in the right direction.....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 9
Happy times with the ones I love.
Practicing gratitude doesn't have to be another thing on your monster to-do list. Make it be what works for you....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 8
This morning I woke and things were different....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 7
Make gratitude a habit, like flossing.
Taking time out every day to acknowledge your blessings is kind of like flossing your teeth.....
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The Big Joy of Little Things - Day 6
A gesture of friendship, in whatever form, is one of life's great blessings.
My Hubby rolls his eyes at all this gratitude stuff. It’s just building things up in your mind to make yourself feel better, he says. I want to correct him, but then I realize, in a way, he's right.....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 5
The view I will never stop noticing. No need for a filter or editing here.
It's easy to overlook the everyday, ever present blessings we have, but this view reminds me to carefully count them all....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 4
Looking for lasting happiness? Look no further than right here.....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 3
For days I walked right past these gorgeous blooms without even seeing them. But not today. Gratitude makes you stop and notice.
You and I are here on this quest for more joy, but we also know that life can throw us some crap and there’s nothing like a heavy layer of life sludge to drag you down. These are the times we need gratitude more than ever.....
Read moreThe Big Joy of Little Things - Day 2
Where does your gratitude start? Find a concrete reminder of it. This wall in my office reminds me every day where mine begins and ends.
So maybe you’re not so sure about this whole gratitude practice I’m proposing. Is taking time out for focussed, intense thanksgiving really a key to living more joyfully? The experts say absolutely....
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