Welcome Back to the 365!
People might think I'm nuts for putting myself through the discipline of having to do something every single day for a year that doesn't seem to contribute to my existence (i.e. eating/drinking, sleeping, you know - breathing. Those are all pretty important to do every day in order to exist). But I have found, that while what I've done to date (a song a day and a quote a day) hasn't contributed to my physical existence, it has complimented my mental/emotional/spiritual existence. And people, that's pretty darn important. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is important to physical existence. But that's just my humble opinion. So here *we* go! Another year of a glimpse into my mind and what I think about and my heart and what I dwell on.
Is Gratitude my Attitude? That's the focus for this next 365. Hey! Don't bail on me now. I know the last two years were brilliant and that's all due to two of my besties, Stephanie and Jodi, but this IS a good one to focus on for 365. Stick with me, I "promise" it won't be so dry and perhaps we'll both come out of it for the better.
A year or so ago a couple friends and I took intentional time each workday and prayed for Joy. That's it. We didn't bemoan our circumstances (okay we might have but not when we were together praying for Joy) and spend the time we allotted to hashing out anything. We literally stepped into a room together and spent about 10 minutes praying for Joy in our lives and then went back to work. Guess what happened? We found Joy in all, yes all, things. Well, at least I did. Around the same time I also read Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts which complimented this intentional month of praying for Joy. Beth, what the heck? You said Gratitude was the focus so why are you talking about Joy all of a sudden? Man, I am so glad you asked. My friends, Joy and Gratitude are linked - perhaps they are even the same, certainly they are at their core. When I can be grateful for life and all of its details then I have found that Joy in me increases. My perspective changes. My thought patterns change. My eyes see things they didn't before. My ears hear what they hadn't before. I am drawn to details I have missed prior. It makes me less self-focused and more others-focused. Focusing on Gratitude and praying for Joy leads me to approach my relationships and my circumstances differently. Better differently btw. Better for sure. Since that time I have tried to remain more purposeful about Gratitude in my life. I did briefly consider trying Voscamp's list of 1,000 but the Type A in me is too terrified to fail. (Not a word, I already know that's a "baggage issue" thankyouverymuch.) But a 365, just ONE a day? Yeah I can do that, I know I can because I've done it before. And frankly, I need to return to being purposeful about Gratitude and Joy in my life these days. I need a good kick in the pants, a re-calibration, a reboot - pick your word picture and that's what I need. So here I go and if *you* choose here you go with me!
Before we kick off officially (that actually happens tomorrow folks, today's post is just your intro) here's one reason why I finally decided to bite the bullet, pull on my big girl panties, and figure out what my next 365 should be all on my own. In July I read A.J. Jacobs book about his experiment on living biblically for one year. (Btw, I LOVED this book! Read about it here and then you can read about my extended thoughts on it here - you'll have to scroll through the post until you find the book review.) Jacobs, during his experiment (you think the 365 is dedication? read his book, I'm a peon!), found the practice of giving thanks, i.e GRATITUDE, a transformative experience - in better ways. It's always for better you guys, there's not a negative in the Gratitude Attitude. In fact, I loved how he put it so much I've decided to include it here for *you* as well. (Isn't that nice of me?)
(Day 64)
People might think I'm nuts for putting myself through the discipline of having to do something every single day for a year that doesn't seem to contribute to my existence (i.e. eating/drinking, sleeping, you know - breathing. Those are all pretty important to do every day in order to exist). But I have found, that while what I've done to date (a song a day and a quote a day) hasn't contributed to my physical existence, it has complimented my mental/emotional/spiritual existence. And people, that's pretty darn important. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is important to physical existence. But that's just my humble opinion. So here *we* go! Another year of a glimpse into my mind and what I think about and my heart and what I dwell on.
Is Gratitude my Attitude? That's the focus for this next 365. Hey! Don't bail on me now. I know the last two years were brilliant and that's all due to two of my besties, Stephanie and Jodi, but this IS a good one to focus on for 365. Stick with me, I "promise" it won't be so dry and perhaps we'll both come out of it for the better.
A year or so ago a couple friends and I took intentional time each workday and prayed for Joy. That's it. We didn't bemoan our circumstances (okay we might have but not when we were together praying for Joy) and spend the time we allotted to hashing out anything. We literally stepped into a room together and spent about 10 minutes praying for Joy in our lives and then went back to work. Guess what happened? We found Joy in all, yes all, things. Well, at least I did. Around the same time I also read Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts which complimented this intentional month of praying for Joy. Beth, what the heck? You said Gratitude was the focus so why are you talking about Joy all of a sudden? Man, I am so glad you asked. My friends, Joy and Gratitude are linked - perhaps they are even the same, certainly they are at their core. When I can be grateful for life and all of its details then I have found that Joy in me increases. My perspective changes. My thought patterns change. My eyes see things they didn't before. My ears hear what they hadn't before. I am drawn to details I have missed prior. It makes me less self-focused and more others-focused. Focusing on Gratitude and praying for Joy leads me to approach my relationships and my circumstances differently. Better differently btw. Better for sure. Since that time I have tried to remain more purposeful about Gratitude in my life. I did briefly consider trying Voscamp's list of 1,000 but the Type A in me is too terrified to fail. (Not a word, I already know that's a "baggage issue" thankyouverymuch.) But a 365, just ONE a day? Yeah I can do that, I know I can because I've done it before. And frankly, I need to return to being purposeful about Gratitude and Joy in my life these days. I need a good kick in the pants, a re-calibration, a reboot - pick your word picture and that's what I need. So here I go and if *you* choose here you go with me!
Before we kick off officially (that actually happens tomorrow folks, today's post is just your intro) here's one reason why I finally decided to bite the bullet, pull on my big girl panties, and figure out what my next 365 should be all on my own. In July I read A.J. Jacobs book about his experiment on living biblically for one year. (Btw, I LOVED this book! Read about it here and then you can read about my extended thoughts on it here - you'll have to scroll through the post until you find the book review.) Jacobs, during his experiment (you think the 365 is dedication? read his book, I'm a peon!), found the practice of giving thanks, i.e GRATITUDE, a transformative experience - in better ways. It's always for better you guys, there's not a negative in the Gratitude Attitude. In fact, I loved how he put it so much I've decided to include it here for *you* as well. (Isn't that nice of me?)
(Day 64)
But thanksgiving, that I'm getting into. In Deuteronomy, the Bible says that we should thank the Lord when we've eaten our fill - grace after meals, it's called. Christians moved grace to the beginning of the meal, preappetizer. To be safe, I'm praying before and after.
Today, before tasting my lunch of hummus and pita bread, I stand up from my seat at the kitchen table, close my eyes, and say in a hushed tone:
"I'd like to thank God for the land that he provided so that this food might be grown."
Technically, that's enough. That fulfills the Bible's commandment. But while in thanksgiving mode, I decide to spread the gratitude around:
"I'd like to thank the farmer who grew the chickpeas for this hummus. And the workers who picked the chickpeas. And the truckers who drove them to the store. And the old Italian lady who sold the hummus to me at Zingone's deli and told me "lots of love." Thank you."
Now that I type it, it sounds like an overly earnest Oscar speech for best supporting Middle Eastern spread. But saying it feels good.
Here's the thing: I'm still having trouble conceptualizing an infinite being, so I'm working on the questionable theory that a large quantity is at least closer to infinity. Hence the overabundance of thank-yous. Sometimes I'll get on a roll, thanking people for a couple of minutes straight - the people who designed the packaging, and the guys who loaded the cartons onto the conveyor belt. Julie has usually started in on her food by this point.
The prayers are helpful. They remind me that the food didn't spontaneously generate in my fridge. They make me feel more connected, more grateful, more grounded, more aware of my place in this complicated hummus cycle. They remind me to taste the hummus instead of shoveling it into my maw like it's a nutrition pill. And they remind me that I'm lucky to have food at all. Basically, they help me get outside of my self-obsessed cranium.
I'm not sure this is what the Bible intended, but it feels like a step forward.
(Pages 95-96: bolded emphasis mine)
Some of my Gratitude's are going to be silly, some will be sacred, some may make you scratch your head and think I have finally checked out. But they are all mine, they are what I find myself grateful for. You have your own silly and sacred things you are grateful for - good! Let's applaud the Gratitude Attitude instead of question its potential validity.*
And here's a note to all of *you* out there who are expecting it...I won't be making a blanket "I am Grateful for God." GASP. I know. Oh my *you* are hyperventilating, oh gosh. So sorry, I didn't think you'd react so intensely. Okay, here just take deep, slow breaths. Are you okay? Can I explain? Just breathe, it's okay I promise. If you know me, hopefully a little or a lot, you know that God is so weaved into my life - my very breath, my thoughts, my heart, my mind, my ALL - that I cannot just separate him out in such a flippant way. Rest assured that no matter the silly or sacredness of the Gratitude - God is in it, he is weaved in. He drew my eye, my ear, my heart, my mind toward whatever it may be for the day and so it is implied that I am beyond grateful for God, the author of my life. Okay. We good now? Whew.
So Gratitude it is. One a day from me for 365 days. Except this time I'm mixing it up a little. (Type A's rarely do this but I'm feeling bold.) You know how in my previous two years I posted pretty much faithfully every single morning? Not this time. This time my posts will be any time of the day! Whoa. Contain your excitement. And while I am only going to post one a day please know that I am so grateful for more than just one thing a day. And I hope you are too. Some of *us* aren't feeling the Gratitude Attitude right now. Maybe life is a drag or maybe you just don't know how to have Gratitude. Join me then will you? I dare you to find one thing every day to have Gratitude for. Just one thing each day, I know *you* and I can do it! And in the spirit of "mixing it up" I'd love to hear from *you*! Yes *you*! Tell me, tell the rest of *us*, one thing you are grateful for too!* I haven't totally disabled the comments section so comment away!
Ready? Set? Go Gratitude 365!
*In fact I wrote a blog about that very thing recently. You can check that post out here.
*Us would imply more than my Mom, Dad, and the rogue Google searcher who happened to stumble upon this blog. But alas, that's probably who *us* is. Don't say I didn't warn you.
(Pages 95-96: bolded emphasis mine)
Some of my Gratitude's are going to be silly, some will be sacred, some may make you scratch your head and think I have finally checked out. But they are all mine, they are what I find myself grateful for. You have your own silly and sacred things you are grateful for - good! Let's applaud the Gratitude Attitude instead of question its potential validity.*
And here's a note to all of *you* out there who are expecting it...I won't be making a blanket "I am Grateful for God." GASP. I know. Oh my *you* are hyperventilating, oh gosh. So sorry, I didn't think you'd react so intensely. Okay, here just take deep, slow breaths. Are you okay? Can I explain? Just breathe, it's okay I promise. If you know me, hopefully a little or a lot, you know that God is so weaved into my life - my very breath, my thoughts, my heart, my mind, my ALL - that I cannot just separate him out in such a flippant way. Rest assured that no matter the silly or sacredness of the Gratitude - God is in it, he is weaved in. He drew my eye, my ear, my heart, my mind toward whatever it may be for the day and so it is implied that I am beyond grateful for God, the author of my life. Okay. We good now? Whew.
So Gratitude it is. One a day from me for 365 days. Except this time I'm mixing it up a little. (Type A's rarely do this but I'm feeling bold.) You know how in my previous two years I posted pretty much faithfully every single morning? Not this time. This time my posts will be any time of the day! Whoa. Contain your excitement. And while I am only going to post one a day please know that I am so grateful for more than just one thing a day. And I hope you are too. Some of *us* aren't feeling the Gratitude Attitude right now. Maybe life is a drag or maybe you just don't know how to have Gratitude. Join me then will you? I dare you to find one thing every day to have Gratitude for. Just one thing each day, I know *you* and I can do it! And in the spirit of "mixing it up" I'd love to hear from *you*! Yes *you*! Tell me, tell the rest of *us*, one thing you are grateful for too!* I haven't totally disabled the comments section so comment away!
Ready? Set? Go Gratitude 365!
*In fact I wrote a blog about that very thing recently. You can check that post out here.
*Us would imply more than my Mom, Dad, and the rogue Google searcher who happened to stumble upon this blog. But alas, that's probably who *us* is. Don't say I didn't warn you.
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