attitude of gratitude ’09

My friend Jennifer does this every year and I have taken to doing it for the last 2 or 3, but I don’t send out emails, I just blog about it.

It’s that time of year again (can you believe that it is November TOMORROW?). Time for pumpkins and gloves and long-sleeves and the November Attitude of Gratitude Challenge. Participation is completely voluntary. For those of you who have not played before, the challenge is outlined below.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:

  • Each day during the month of November you will send an email to me, at least, but feel free to invite others to participate and you can send your gratitude emails to them, as well. (For those of you blogging it, please leave a comment so I can follow you if I’m not already.)
  • Each daily email will contain three “things” for which you are grateful.
  • Definition of “things”- the term “things” is used here to encompass a lot of stuff including, but not limited to: a certain set of circumstances, an event, an inanimate object distinguished from a living being, possessions or effects, a deed or act, a product of work or activity, an idea or notion, a piece of news or information, a person, a memory, anything that makes you smile.
  • The challenge is to come up with three ORIGINAL “things” each day. Try not to repeat entries.
  • Your email should be sent by midnight each night (or blog post posted by that same time). If you miss a day or two, no biggie, but you have to make it up, no skipping!

NOTE: I will only be blogging these…except for to my family, who I may or may not email (I haven’t decided yet).

WARNING OF POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS!!
Please note that challenge participation may result in any or all of the following:
– you will be surprised at all the Lord has done for you
– angels will attend
– you will feel help and comfort
– you may find yourself singing as the days go by
– your doubts will fly

In the past years I’ve included a gratitude quote each day. I think I’ve used them all up. This year (and in future years) you can expect to see some duplication of these quotes. Sorry, kids.

“Gracias, danke, merci—whatever language is spoken, “thank you” frequently expressed will cheer your spirit, broaden your friendships, and lift your lives to a higher pathway as you journey toward perfection. There is a simplicity—even a sincerity—when “thank you” is spoken.”

-Thomas S. Monson, “The Profound Power of Gratitude,” Ensign, Sep 2005

“Our society is afflicted by a spirit of thoughtless arrogance unbecoming those who have been so magnificently blessed. How grateful we should be for the bounties we enjoy. Absence of gratitude is the mark of the narrow, uneducated mind. It bespeaks a lack of knowledge and the ignorance of self-sufficiency. It expresses itself in ugly egotism and frequently in wanton mischief.

Where there is appreciation, there is courtesy, there is concern for the rights and property of others. Without appreciation, there is arrogance and evil. Where there is gratitude, there is humility, as opposed to pride. How magnificently we are blessed! How thankful we ought to be!”

-Gordon B. Hinckley, “‘With All Thy Getting Get Understanding’,” Ensign, Aug 1988

2 thoughts on “attitude of gratitude ’09

  1. i'm going to try it on my blog. but i think i'm just focusing on one thing each day. thanks!p.s. i talked to erika today and she said you said hi. so hi right back at ya! she says she regrets telling you to take the job in ny because she wants you here. 🙂

bueller?... bueller?... bueller?

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s