Last night while reading, “The Gifts of Imperfection” by Brene Brown, I learned the interesting fact that gratitude is interconnected to joy. Brown is a researcher who has researched shame for years and in order to write this book researched people who were living what she calls a “wholehearted life”, free of shame. In her findings she discovered that the most joyful people were those who regularly gave thanks! Gratitude, I learned, is not an “attitude” as the old saying goes, but something you must practice. Listen to this sentence from the book “It seems that gratitude without practice may be a little like faith without works- it’s not alive”! And if those who have gratitude have joy, as research proves undeniable, then being a joyful person may be as easy as practicing gratitude! With something as easy as stopping to say “I’m thankful for…” to produce joy, why not make this a regular routine? From now on, I’m going to join the movement of practicing gratitude. Almost every Thursday, stop by the blog and read my 5 items from the week that I am thankful for and formulate your own. May this not only fuel your gratitude list for the week, may it help you to remember the simple influential act of stopping to give thanks everyday.
I’m thankful for…
Astonishingly beautiful colors in nature – There is this magnificent dogwood in my front yard that causes me quietly say “wow” every time I walk home.- The feel of sunlight on my skin! – Winter was rough. This week has been heavenly.
- Super delicious strawberries – It’s crazy to think the strawberries I’m enjoying came from a plant somewhere that started all by seed! And to realize God just thinks this stuff up! Pretty amazing.
- Enough people to help me move Saturday – I’m in the process of moving! Granted it’s a move down the street about .5 miles. But a move is never a simple task. Thank goodness for buff arms and many hands that will show up two days from now to help me make the move!
- The birth of my best friend’s baby! – Just about the most precious sight I’ve seen in a long while and there is so much joy in my friend and her new son’s health! I’m so happy for this family!
Astonishingly beautiful colors in nature – There is this magnificent dogwood in my front yard that causes me quietly say “wow” every time I walk home.
