It's October in a couple of days. The month we celebrate our Canadian Thanksgiving. This month I've decided along with my family to take a couple minutes each day talking about what we are grateful for. It's so important to us that we raise our boys with a grateful heart. We want them to see the positive in the world. We want them to be satisfied with what they have and not have the constant desire for more. We want them to feel at peace. We want them to be generous and giving towards others. This likely won't come naturally when we are living in an instant gratification, fast paced, self centered world. I feel we need to make a conscious effort and have created the 30 Day Gratitude Challenge to help. As good as it is for my boys to practice gratitude, I know it will be good for my husband and I as well. We are trying to slow down and simply our lives, which is hard to do when it feels like everything around us tells us to do the opposite. It's so easy to get pulled back into a busy lifestyle. What I've learned so far, is that when we stop and focus on how much we have to be thankful for, our current wants aren’t the center of attention anymore. We can feel at peace about our lives. We realize that we pretty much really have everything we need already. We don't really need that much for a satisfying life after all. I've also noticed, that often when I stop and think of everything I'm truly thankful for, it's the things I take for granted, and surprisingly the things that don't cost anything to begin with. Things like: family, friends, a rainbow in the sky, wild flowers, the gentle breeze, the warmth of a fire, etc. When we can stop and focus on these things even for just a few minutes in the day, our whole attitude will change and we will start to form a healthy habit and mindset.
I've prepared a list of questions for each day of the month to help us along and give us some kind of category as a jumping off point. I'm sure as the discussion takes place we may end up off topic and that's okay. The goal is to get us thinking and starting to recognize all that we have and all that we are blessed with. We will likely discuss our thoughts at supper time when we are all together.
You can do this any time of year, it's a great exercise, but with the coming season I thought this would be a good time to practice gratitude. This year October 1st falls onto the first Sunday of the month. I just copy pasted these questions in my calendar to come up as a reminder around the time we are eating supper. It's takes a while to create a habit and I'm sure I'll need the reminder some of those earlier days. Set yourself up for success and make it as easy as you can to complete your goals. Wouldn't it be a great habit if every day at meal time your family could focus together on all of the positive things going on in each of your lives?
I would love for you to join me in this challenge. I'll be posting the question of the day on the blog. Feel free to share the image & question and post to social media with your answers and thoughts. Just please keep the web link so others can join in. I will also be posting on Instagram so come follow along over there and #tsplgratitude. Let's share and encourage each other to live a positive life of gratitude.
30 Day Gratitude/Thankfulness Challenge
Day 1 - What is one thing you are happy to have learned?
Day 2 - What work are you grateful for and why?
Day 3 - Which friends are you thankful for?
Day 4 - What are you grateful for in the fall?
Day 5 - What movie or TV show are you grateful for?
Day 6 - What traditions are you grateful for?
Day 7 - What sport are you grateful for?
Day 8 - What poem, Bible verse or saying are you grateful for?
Day 9 - What family members are you thankful for?
Day 10 - What in nature are you grateful for?
Day 11 - What are you most grateful for in the winter?
Day 12 - What book are you grateful for?
Day 13 - What activity are you grateful for?
Day 14 - What mistakes are you grateful for? - hindsight
Day 15 - What freedoms are you grateful for?
Day 16 - What is a special skill or talent you have and are grateful for?
Day 17 - What are you grateful for in the summer time?
Day 18 - What song or type of music are you grateful for?
Day 19 - What was your favourite part of today so far?
Day 20 - What hobbies are you grateful for?
Day 21 - What time are you grateful for?
Day 22 - What dreams are you grateful for?
Day 23 - What holiday are you thankful for?
Day 24 - What small thing that happened today are you grateful for?
Day 25 - Where is your favourite spot in your home?
Day 26 - What toy are you grateful for?
Day 27 - What are you grateful for in the spring?
Day 28 - What is your favourite article of clothing that you are grateful to have and wear?
Day 29 - Who are you grateful for today?
Day 30 - What memory are you grateful for?
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