Bet Ya Can’t Guess …

Here we are mid-November!

I don’t know about you, but October and November have been a blur, moving quicker than my little pattering feet can keep up. It feels like an image where wheels turn but don’t move forward. Lots of things have caught my attention and kept it for longer than I’d like.

Calendar dates passed with my brain and efforts struggling to keep up.

Being the month and holiday of thankfulness, I gave myself a personal challenge.

I know many of us keep thankfulness journals or at the least make a list for the month of November. I truly believe the practice is useful in our hearts. It attunes us in to reality and helps us focus beyond ourselves. But I needed a different slant this year.

Here was my challenge, to myself … make a list of 30 things you are thankful for WITHOUT mentioning the obvious answers we always give! Even though family, friends, God, life, etc. are a huge given.

What if I search for the “little” things?

This is a little stretching routine meant to flex some “thank muscles” I overlook because the obvious is easier. I hope it will not only strengthen my heart of thankfulness but also help me broaden my focus and find some jewels my life would do well to remember.

Bet Ya Can’t Guess Half of my List!

Here ya go …

1. Joyful giggles

2. Hugs and kisses

3. Technology to connect: phones, email, FaceTime, etc.

4. Fresh air

5. Season changes

6. Beautiful, colorful foliage

7. Stores with food to buy

8. Retail Employees

9. Food industry, which puts food into stores

10. Farmers

11. Food in my kitchen

12. Privilege of buying food

13. Roof over my head

13. Transportation

14. Joy in my heart

15. Music to feed my soul

16. Physical Therapists

17. Medical Professionals

18. Memories of love and laughter

19. Generations of love

20. Opportunities to give to others

21. Words/actions of love and care given to me

22. Inspiring moments

23. A soft pillow & Bed

24. Neighbors past and present

25. Coffee

26. Hope

27. Possibilities

28. Freedom of thoughts

29. Ability to use talents

30. Favorite recipes

31. Modern plumbing (I got on a roll and didn’t stop 😉

I’d like to challenge you to do likewise. If one on my list is something you always say you’re thankful for, then don’t allow it on your list. The idea is to notice the things you don’t mention when someone asks what you are thankful for.

Growth never comes without challenging ourselves in even small ways. It might surprise you how making this list will get you thinking about places where you are thankless or passive in expressing gratitude.

And just maybe, if you want to stretch those you will gather with this Thanksgiving, you can use the concept around your Thanksgiving feast. Many families go around the table and express one thing they are thankful for. This year, you could add the caveat of not mentioning the obvious. Give them examples, like “We can’t say: everything, family, friends, God, this food, or whatever rolls easily off your tongue.” Think of something new.

I’d love to see your list or even hear one thing this blog had sparked on your list.

Put it in the comments below, so we can spread the thanksgiving.

Challenging myself,