I would have to say all of them. They all contribute in their own unique ways. Add them all up & I realize how much I have to be grateful for & how blessed I am.
Sure, I have stuff to be upset about, grumble about but don’t we all? I try not to stay too focused on that stuff & try to focus instead on all my blessings, which are many.
Watering the plants almost every morning and evening, all of their beauty life offers so freely in our garden leaves me grateful and humble whenever passing the hydrangeas, the fruiting fig tree or the apple tree, the tiny wild strawberries around them as well as the scent of the evening primrose when opening its flower like in slow motion at dawn, deeply grateful for being gifted in the morning with a beautiful walk to my office alongside the river and back again after work, only for to arrive in this beautiful garden and be grateful for the cornucopia of live´s wonder, as well as to be here with you, sharing, a gift of sorts. Being with friends and loved ones also leaves me deeply grateful whenever we may share our time and hearts. Thank you all.
Many practices help me to remain grateful, including starting almost every day by visiting this site. The one that helps the most is: when a worry or a negative thought pops up, I repeat to myself “This is the day the Lord has made; let me rejoice in it.” Every day is a gift, every breath a miracle.
Saying “this site” seems both obvious and necessary. Thank you to all of you for the community created here.
Reading poetry every morning, which I started during the pandemic, makes me pause and contemplate and leaves me grateful for the power of the written word.
Thinking when I eat about the many hands and natural processes that brought food to my table makes me aware of gratitude.
This practice, of visiting this site,
contemplating the daily question,
writing a response, and reading
all of the other responses, is really
such a valuable practice for staying
on the positive side of the spectrum.
Of course, my other practices of:
meditation, connection, exercise,
therapy, meds, and yoga, all contribute
and are necessary for maintaining my
forward progression.
I am so grateful for all of you that
contribute and those that make this
site a reality. Thank you 🙏
Connecting on this site. Saying “goodbye ” to the day and “hello” to the night. Stopping to remember the gift in front of me, be it a person, food, or an aspect of nature. Thanking my bodily functions for their part in my quality of life.
Coming to this site first thing in the morning as I have my tea…puts me in order. I am so very grateful for this site, the daily question and all of you that contribute. It is part of my morning ritual that I look forward to.
I think a grateful perspective has become hard-wired in me. Every day, every situation reminds me of all I have for which to be grateful. The quote below from Rahul Kaushik says it well:
“I am at peace now. I’m not always happy. God no, I still get my mood swings. I still get sad. I almost shed tears in my weakest moments. But still, I am at peace in my life. I have learned to embrace the pain. I no more wait for everything to be fine. I smile for the little things. I expect less from others. And even when they hurt me, I take less time now to smile and move on. It’s okay. I have wasted too much time of my life to make others treat me rightly. I am done demanding more. I am done complaining. I am done running this stupid race to have more than others. It’s all so shallow. I know what I need to be happy. And I have that. I almost have all of it. I miss someone at times but it’s okay. I am with self. I will take care of myself. I am my own soulmate. I am not always sunshine but the darkness does not scare me anymore. I am both the day and the night. I am life. My soul is at peace. My smile is back. My heart is light. What else can I need?”
Giving to self and receiving from self is such a beautiful thing. So too is giving to life and receiving from life. That cycle shows up everywhere, hey?
Entry into the day … morning coffee & meds, checking this site, heating pads to help alleviate chronic/continuous pain, catching up on my planner, a good book, yoga.
Three. My reflections here. A daily meditation. A 20-minute mindful standing yoga led by Dr, Lynn Rossy. Life has been better for a couple of days short of 16 months. I think I will continue. Thank you all.
My daily gratitude journal. I began ithe practice at the recommendation of an online mindfulness coach. I haven’t missed a day since I started. I’m on my third or fourth notebook/journal. It has absolutely changed my perspective on life. Spending time each evening reflecting on the wonderful parts of my day puts me in a delightful mindset for sleeping. Just three little entries … every single day. I won’t deny that some days I have to really dig deep (the day my mother died) but there are other days I have difficulty choosing only three. I’ve also started noting my pedometer numbers daily beside the date entry.
Grateful for your entry, WLS. While I strive to do a daily modification of the Ignatian Examen,
I am not as faithful as I would like. Resuming a written Gratitude journal might help. Will try again. Thanks for the inspiration.
I feel they all do, however the early morning walks down by the water just before dawn are quite humbling when taking in everything nature has to offer at that special time of the morning.
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I would have to say all of them. They all contribute in their own unique ways. Add them all up & I realize how much I have to be grateful for & how blessed I am.
Sure, I have stuff to be upset about, grumble about but don’t we all? I try not to stay too focused on that stuff & try to focus instead on all my blessings, which are many.
Watering the plants almost every morning and evening, all of their beauty life offers so freely in our garden leaves me grateful and humble whenever passing the hydrangeas, the fruiting fig tree or the apple tree, the tiny wild strawberries around them as well as the scent of the evening primrose when opening its flower like in slow motion at dawn, deeply grateful for being gifted in the morning with a beautiful walk to my office alongside the river and back again after work, only for to arrive in this beautiful garden and be grateful for the cornucopia of live´s wonder, as well as to be here with you, sharing, a gift of sorts. Being with friends and loved ones also leaves me deeply grateful whenever we may share our time and hearts. Thank you all.
Many practices help me to remain grateful, including starting almost every day by visiting this site. The one that helps the most is: when a worry or a negative thought pops up, I repeat to myself “This is the day the Lord has made; let me rejoice in it.” Every day is a gift, every breath a miracle.
Saying “this site” seems both obvious and necessary. Thank you to all of you for the community created here.
Reading poetry every morning, which I started during the pandemic, makes me pause and contemplate and leaves me grateful for the power of the written word.
Thinking when I eat about the many hands and natural processes that brought food to my table makes me aware of gratitude.
This practice, of visiting this site,
contemplating the daily question,
writing a response, and reading
all of the other responses, is really
such a valuable practice for staying
on the positive side of the spectrum.
Of course, my other practices of:
meditation, connection, exercise,
therapy, meds, and yoga, all contribute
and are necessary for maintaining my
forward progression.
I am so grateful for all of you that
contribute and those that make this
site a reality. Thank you 🙏
I agree with Joseph. Thank you Charlie.
And I am Grateful for you and your reflections Charlie T.
Connecting on this site. Saying “goodbye ” to the day and “hello” to the night. Stopping to remember the gift in front of me, be it a person, food, or an aspect of nature. Thanking my bodily functions for their part in my quality of life.
Coming to this site first thing in the morning as I have my tea…puts me in order. I am so very grateful for this site, the daily question and all of you that contribute. It is part of my morning ritual that I look forward to.
I could not agree more. I do feel off if for some reason I have to postpone this treasure.
I think a grateful perspective has become hard-wired in me. Every day, every situation reminds me of all I have for which to be grateful. The quote below from Rahul Kaushik says it well:
“I am at peace now. I’m not always happy. God no, I still get my mood swings. I still get sad. I almost shed tears in my weakest moments. But still, I am at peace in my life. I have learned to embrace the pain. I no more wait for everything to be fine. I smile for the little things. I expect less from others. And even when they hurt me, I take less time now to smile and move on. It’s okay. I have wasted too much time of my life to make others treat me rightly. I am done demanding more. I am done complaining. I am done running this stupid race to have more than others. It’s all so shallow. I know what I need to be happy. And I have that. I almost have all of it. I miss someone at times but it’s okay. I am with self. I will take care of myself. I am my own soulmate. I am not always sunshine but the darkness does not scare me anymore. I am both the day and the night. I am life. My soul is at peace. My smile is back. My heart is light. What else can I need?”
I, too, can relate to much of this quote. Thank you Carol:)
Giving to self and receiving from self is such a beautiful thing. So too is giving to life and receiving from life. That cycle shows up everywhere, hey?
Thank you for this quote, Carol.
This brought tears. Thank you 🙏
Thank you for sharing that quote, Carol. I can relate to it very well ❤️
Entry into the day … morning coffee & meds, checking this site, heating pads to help alleviate chronic/continuous pain, catching up on my planner, a good book, yoga.
Three. My reflections here. A daily meditation. A 20-minute mindful standing yoga led by Dr, Lynn Rossy. Life has been better for a couple of days short of 16 months. I think I will continue. Thank you all.
May you continue to continue, Joseph. Your honesty & hard-won wisdom are refreshing!
Pausing throughout the day, even just for a few seconds, to notice my breath, or who and what is around me.
My daily gratitude journal. I began ithe practice at the recommendation of an online mindfulness coach. I haven’t missed a day since I started. I’m on my third or fourth notebook/journal. It has absolutely changed my perspective on life. Spending time each evening reflecting on the wonderful parts of my day puts me in a delightful mindset for sleeping. Just three little entries … every single day. I won’t deny that some days I have to really dig deep (the day my mother died) but there are other days I have difficulty choosing only three. I’ve also started noting my pedometer numbers daily beside the date entry.
Grateful for your entry, WLS. While I strive to do a daily modification of the Ignatian Examen,
I am not as faithful as I would like. Resuming a written Gratitude journal might help. Will try again. Thanks for the inspiration.
I feel they all do, however the early morning walks down by the water just before dawn are quite humbling when taking in everything nature has to offer at that special time of the morning.
Coming onto this website and reading everyone’s comments has helped me to be grateful and inspired.
This site in general, and responding to the daily question every day since 2014, help me to maintain a grateful perspective.