Gratitude challenge week is here! One of my favorite weeks of the whole year!
Here’s how the challenge works-
- It takes place during the week of Thanksgiving.
- Get a notebook or journal and a pen full of ink!
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday you write 25 things each day that you are grateful for.
- Thursday, Thanksgiving Day you write 100 things you are grateful for throughout the day.
- NO repeats! This is a challenge, remember.
- As you write down what or who you are thankful for, take time to think about why. Extra credit is writing why.
- Have fun and immerse yourself in the feelings of having so much to be grateful for.
You will experience times of flow where you just keep writing and times where you will just get stuck. When stuck, put your book aside and turn your attention back to it later. Because you have this intention, you will have new things to be grateful for occurring to you at seemingly odd times- driving in the car, walking, doing the dishes, etc.
Consider different categories to prompt you- things in your work life, personal life and things that you are grateful for yourself about- you should be good at that if you did last week’s blog “homework”!
This year I am grateful that both kids and my grand dog will be here to celebrate the holiday as a family.
I am grateful to have the ability to do such meaningful work, to talk about the things I love and to help others to live their best lives and to become their optimal selves. I am grateful that I am able to work back in my pre pandemic office again, looking at Lake Champlain all day long.
I am grateful that I have developed habits that keep me healthy, and that I also enjoy treats and taking a break. I appreciate my relentless pursuit to feel my best by trying new modalities of healing.
See what I did there? Three categories covered. You don’t have to write long descriptions like these, some will be just one word.
And just an extra word of gratitude- the photo with this blog is of a place (another area of gratitude, places) I am so thankful for. Shelburne Farms, Vermont- I spend my fair share of time walking, hiking and running the trails and roads and even had a personal retreat there this summer. Why am I grateful? Nature fills me, the lake, the landscape, the energy. I get some of my best ideas at the farm. I also enjoy my laughter at the funny things the animals-especially the goats- do.
I have been doing this challenge for years. I use one journal that is just for this challenge year after year. One cool thing about this is that at the end of the week, I enjoy looking back at previous years. When I am no longer alive, someone will have a complete unabridged accounting of all of the things that I loved and appreciated in my life.
I hope you enjoy this challenge. There is no downside to immersing yourself in gratitude! When I share with you next week all of the ways you benefit from a gratitude practice and cultivating an attitude of gratitude, you will be happy you began or amplified this journey.