Adventures in Imperfection · Inspirational People

In-Your-Face Gratitude

MamaMickTerry

An attitude of gratitude – a catchy phrase singing in my brain this morning. A song set on repeat that won’t go away unless I address it.

Not that I would ever want that song to go away.

I had been working on story #2 – the sequel to the tomato mayhem posted last week, when a little bird (possibly an owl or a turkey) twittered at me to tell a different story.

 

I have had a life-changing several weeks, and I can’t keep the secret contained much longer. The change is so simple it’s almost silly. At the prompting of a friend, I read (twice!) a book by Pam Grout called **Thank and Grow Rich: A 30 day Experiment in Shameless Gratitude and Unabashed Joy (**indicates quotes from the book).

Her premise is that you wake each morning with the expectation that something “amazingly awesome” will happen. With that expectation, you draw in and think about (at least) three things for which you are thankful. She spends much of the book helping the reader to find gratitude in the big obvious, the mundane, and even the awful.

**The gratitude I’m talking about in this book is anything but flimsy or 101. Let’s call it ferocious gratitude. In-your-face gratitude. None of the namby-pamby, sunshine-and-lollipops crap. 

Her hypothesis is that by changing our frequency to one of gratitude (she calls it D-Buzz, or God) we can change our lives, our outlook, our future.

She is more correct than I could have ever imagined.

I’m not here to review or pontificate on the book or to make it look like I’m a rosy sunglasses Pollyanna. I am here to share my gratitude and thankfulness and then ask you to do the same. I know! I know! With all of the turmoil in this world and our busy schedules – who has time for Woo Woo Gratitude? I’m telling you…make the time!

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**When we don’t stop daily to inventory all the gazillion things going right in our lives, the crazy voices in our heads try to make us their bitch. 

Today I am thankful for:

~~The snow storm in Omaha, NE–I am home a day earlier than planned

~~For co-workers and customers who didn’t judge me for doing so

~~For an extra hour of free time at the end of the day to go exploring on Monday. I have driven by Lauritzen Gardens and the huge trains that flank I-29 North over a thousand times in the last ten years, and finally stopped in.

~~For the walkway that took me up to the trains–I’m at the top of the world!

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~~For a husband with a sense of humor

~~For a daughter with a glorious laugh and great SnapChat photos

~~For a son who told me to “be safe” when I left on Monday–and meant it!

~~For the laugh lines on my face

~~For the internet – it connects me to you

~~For the auto save feature in WordPress when my iPad freaked out

~~For my mother in law who made dinner last night – the leftovers were perfect for Dane’s breakfast this morning

~~That the school’s call to me yesterday saying that Dane was absent in third hour was only a clerical error

~~That he and his friends didn’t ridicule me after reading the multitude of nervous mama text messages.

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~~For thunder thighs that carry me on slow runs on beautiful trails

~~For a heart that remains open and accepting

I’m still new at this game, so thanks for hanging with me. I have friends who discovered this amazing radio frequency and have made thankfulness a way of life (waves to Lizzi and Joanne).

**When we don’t militantly count our blessings, the voices start jabbering, telling us that life sucks, that we suck. They’re like the ticker crawl at the bottom of a news broadcast, running continuously in a nonstop loop.

Now, it’s your turn. What are you thankful for? Name three (or more) in the comments below. Be cheesy, be silly, be in-your-face-full-of-thankfulness. Shout it to the rooftops, proclaim it on Instagram or in the shower. Share your spirit – let your soul sing!

You don’t have to be a regular blogger with a website to participate. Sign in with a first name and an e-mail. Tell me what you’re thankful for – and then turn the radio dial all the way up.

I know that something amazingly awesome is coming your way.

Birthday cake! Cake! Just cake! ~~Kid President

 

60 thoughts on “In-Your-Face Gratitude”

  1. Counting our blessings does change perspective quite quickly. Thanks for the awesome reminder post. I can never be reminded too much to be thankful. I’m thankful that God hears my prayers, and when I’m at my lowest, He comforts me. Even if my trials don’t get taken away (which they usually don’t), He strengthens me and I’m suddenly and equivocally ‘healed’ and ‘strengthened’ by His love. I’m also extremely thankful for my family–for the fun and laughter they bring into my life. And I’m grateful for toilets (That will be my silly one–but can you imagine life without indoor plumbing? Shudder). I’m super grateful for working indoor plumbing. I LOVE it! Have a great day, Michelle.

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  2. OMG I love this kid!! 😁😁
    Okay, so things I’m thankful for.. hmm lemme see.
    1. I’m thankful for the amazing opportunity to study in the institute of my choice.
    2. I’m thankful that the place turned out to be even better than how I imagined it to be, with its sprawling campus and the extremely nice folks
    3. I’m thankful for not having enough money at hand to get a new scooty; I purchased a bicycle instead and love it!!
    There are a lot more things in the list.. life is good 🙂

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  3. I really don’t know where to start…there is so much to be thankful for. I am thankful for another day, another chance to get it right. Another day to let His light shine through me so that He gets all the glory. I am thankful for hardships and painful sand paper situations that will eventually make my rough patches smooth. I am thankful for an extraordinary prayer life that keeps me afloat in my chaos and the daily reminders that God is still in control.

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    1. I love this, Dee! “I am thankful for hardships and painful sandpaper situations that will eventually make my rough patches smooth.”
      Thank you for hopping over and here and telling us. I can see your smiling face as I read your words. xo

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  5. Besides being thankful for following your blog, I do try and thank the powers that be for every little thing I can. Although don’t get me wrong — I’m not thanking 24/7. Maybe it’s just my aura doing it. I’m thankful for having survived cancer 5 years ago, I’m thankful for my great kids and super-love-more-than-anything grandkids, and I am thankful for the gift of writing. It truly is a gift, and it truly brings me joy.

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  6. Very thankful for the lovely positive energy being created from you and shared ‘all over’ on here with your stories 😀
    Very thankful for the beautiful suggestions to go ‘green’ on my balcony 😀
    And last, and most certainly not the least…very, very thankful to that lovely heart that shares its gratitude beautifully in your words. It has allowed me to start my day with much gratitude ❤

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      1. Yes Michelle, very true power within gratitude, it can be felt in the tiniest of things. And it took a couple (ok, 40years at least), to understand my gratitude was a state of heart. I had to look for and find it first….and within there was the most beautiful gratitude of them all…my love of self, for it is the answer to them all ❤

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  7. Oooo! Goosebumps on this one. Law of Attraction in action. Even though I am dealing with flu right now, I am thankful for it because as my fever lowers from day to day, it reminds me that my body is amazing and was designed to heal itself. And as I feel better, I appreciate it that much more. Grateful for my life – all of the bumpy, trying, embarrassing, angering, loving, amazing parts of it.

    Love the photos and the KP video. Beautiful post! ❤

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  12. So uplifting, Michelle. Living with gratitude really does make such a difference in a person’s outlook. It can change your life! Definitely need to be cognizant of this during these dreary days of winter. Need all the positive and inspirational help I can get! Hope you have a nice weekend. 🙂

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    1. Thank you, Kelly! Just so you know, I have been thinking long and deep about a phrase you mentioned last week (the week before?) about moving from sick care to well care. If only we could all make that shift – I think gratitude plays a part in wellness, too. Thank you so much for being here. xo

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  13. This post is THE BEST! I am so much a “rosy sunglasses Pollyanna” kind of person, so this post really did talk to me. Your energy and enthusiasm and zest for life resonates with me. In fact, I ‘carried’ you with me throughout the recent airboat ride I had through the Florida Everglades. Hope you enjoyed it as much as much as I did 😉

    So what am I grateful for today?
    1) I made it home safely after 4 wonderful days in the sunshine of Florida.
    2) It’s snowing today and I got to sleep in until 9 am and spend the rest of the day doing ‘whatever’ … and it’s made me happy
    3) I had a spin on my bike in on the trainer in the basement this morning. I might be almost 61 years old, but I still have enough in the gas tank to spin on Saturday mornings … looking forward to the warm weather and riding outdoors.
    4) today is the first day of the Chinese New Year and the Year Of The Monkey is FINALLY over! 🙂

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    1. Awwww…yay! I have never been on an airboat ride, so thank you thank you for taking me with you! And, I learned something new I didn’t think I knew – you’re a cyclist! I am so envious of that skill. I have tried it multiple times (even competed) and just can’t feel safe enough to pursue. I love your energy and enthusiasm, too. I think the Universe conspired to cross our paths – thank you for sharing yours each week on Instagram. I always look forward to seeing your adventures and I especially love seeing you here. Thank you, Joanne! x

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      1. I too am a believer that we meet people for a reason 🙂

        I am a cyclist, but I would suggest I’m a really bad one. It doesn’t stop me from doing it though … although with all the accidents I’ve had, maybe I should 😉

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      3. I’m betting you would change that opinion if you ever watched me golf 😉

        I have a theory that after you get really good at something, it starts to lose its sparkle. A large part of the joy comes from learning, practicing, and trying to master the skills.
        Maybe it’s just me and perhaps that’s why I keep drifting back to cycling in spite of all the crashes I’ve had over the years 🙂

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      4. Oooo….golf. I feel your pain there 😆 I love your perspective on finding the joy mastering new skills. In fact, that must be why I am still golfing after 40 years of picking up a club for the first time -lots of skills yet to be mastered 🙂

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  14. Grateful for: 1) getting to see a non-kid movie with my teenager yesterday 2) knowing tonight’s dinner will be a crockpot meal and 3) that my youngest daughter and I get to stand out in the cold for an hour today to sell Girl Scout cookies. Note on 3): when my oldest daughter was a scout, cookie shops were two hours. Also, cookies!

    Love this post, Michelle, and your beautiful self and photos. You definitely make my world a sunnier place.

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    1. This made me smile so big, Kristen – love all three that you mentioned (though, it would have been a toss-up between the cookies and non-kid movie with the teenager). I’m grateful for the blog post from you still sitting in my inbox – it waits for me like a gift. Thank you!

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  16. You are so awesome! I sooooooooooo needed to read this today. Not that I am not grateful or thankful, but sometimes I forget to reflect on the positive things in this life of mine. Over all things are going pretty well right now. 1. I have the kids moved to Nashville, 2. school is FANTABULOUS! (of course) and 3. my application has been accepted at UT Tyler and I am officially enrolled! YAH! I haven’t registered for any classes of yet because it will be this fall but that’s ok.
    I could easily focus on the bad things that have happened in the last week… classmates who were killed, shootings in Canada etc. But I will not!
    Have a wonderful, incredible, beautiful day my friend.. la la la la la laa!! 😘

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    3. Dear C/K,
      Ahhh….been looking forward to coming back and reading your sweet words again. You inspire and amaze me every time I talk to you.
      Congrats on school! You seriously rock, woman!
      How exciting that your kiddos are in Nashville, too. Hoping you get to visit often (when you have time!) and soak in that cool city. I was just talking to hubby today about dragging him along on one of my trips out there – he’s never been.
      I am sorry about you losing a classmate – that just plain sucks.
      Full disclosure – I was on a happy, grateful high when I wrote this post last week…and am just not getting back into that space. It doesn’t take much to knock me off of my sunshiny perch, and luckily it doesn’t take much to get back up there, either. You and Kisma both had amazing comments this morning and I KNOW that’s why I am soaring again.
      Thank you, sweet friend. I am so thankful for you and your friendship. xo

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      1. It is SO easy to get down in the dumps, especially if you watch the news. And even if you DON’T watch the news, you will still pick up on the bad stuff on Facebook, Twitter etc. I open AOL every morning for my email and I will stroll through the newsfeed but I rarely stop and read anything. I do, however, still read the paper 📜 from my hometown in Western KY every day…EVERY DAY! I think I know more about what happens in Paducah than the people in Paducah do! LOL! Mostly, it is because all of my family (shy my daughter, SIL and a couple of cousins) is still there. But I have gotten so fed up with the crap on FB that I have come close to deactivating my account again.. ugh! Unfortunately, that is the only way I can keep up with some people or see pics of my baby nieces and nephew. 😦
        The classmate was killed in a car crash and actually there were 2 in the car and the other guy graduated the year ahead of us so technically he was a classmate also. It is so sad and senseless. My son-in-laws father probably has cancer again..this time it’s bad if it is confirmed today 😓 I can pray and be supportive of my kids but there isn’t much more I can do above that right now. I will be in Nashville the second week of March, when is your next trip down?? Would be SO freaking cool if we could meet up!
        School totally rocks! I LOVE it, but I will graduate in May and I will so miss my friendly kiddos I am in class with everyday. They are awesome! But I will transfer to UT this fall and make ALL new friends! 😎 cuz that’s what I do!!
        Have a wonderful, incredible day my sweet friend! 😚💖

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      2. You are amazing in so many ways. Just reading about your Paducah newspaper and you making new friends, put a huge smile on my face. I am with you on FB – I have deactivated my account – twice!! But I always come back cuz that’s the best place to see my nieces and nephews. I’m so sorry for your recent losses and I’m adding my prayers against cancer, too. Thank you for always being here ❤️

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  17. Its a if the planets aligned this morning and brought me to your page yet again. This is a magnificent post and I am thankful for 1. This blogging family of mine because you are apart of that. 2. Coffee because its my reward in the morning after a 4am workout and 3. Accepting that life currently is calm.

    Love and hugs Mama! I am sharing this post!

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    1. I love how much you love coffee…and I am in awe of your 4 a.m. work-out. I am glad that your life has calmed a bit…I know you had a very turbulent holiday. I think of you all the time, and I am thankful for you, too ❤

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  18. I have my annual struggles with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) this time of year like clockwork. so this is a healthy challenge for me.

    A. An extremely supportive church family. Am in awe that God has me as the role of shepherd as a lay minister. Love this group of people so much.
    B. Slightly longer days allowing me to get out for some winter runs, and all the physical and mental benefits that go with it.
    C. Being blindsided by an unexpected debt that came out of nowhere. It has forced me into a more simple minimalist lifestyle.

    Glad you are still running Terry. Hope the knee is holding up okay.

    An excellent post that makes me think. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

    ~Carl~ xo

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    1. Carl!!! My fellow running friend 🙂 I love your list, and love how you can find three things in the midst of the challenges. I’ve been reading so much that points to “the obstacle being the way” – the jury is still out on how well I handle obstacles, but gratitude experience like yours certainly helps. Glad to hear you’re still running, too. I just put 7 in the books today – it’s been a long time since I could do that. Another thing to be grateful for ❤️

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      1. Thank you so much Terry. I really appreciate your caring, touching response. Seven (I am assuming miles) is really amazing. Winter runs can be very challenging but also very rewarding when you are able to achieve a big accomplishment….just like you did today! Well done! 🙂

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  20. The Kid President is seriously funny! I, too, try to remember the many reasons to be grateful. This weekend I saw several videos on forgiveness – people who had lost loved ones to murder and (eventually) were able to forgive the offender. I realized how grateful I was that the grievances I hold against certain family members only involve stupid little ego stuff – surely, I can forgive that and be grateful they haven’t done anything that would be so much harder to forgive. So grateful for the people I met this past week, from all walks of life, but all engaged in helping people heal from the things that make our lives so difficult. Grateful for your post, as a reminder to be grateful 🙂

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    1. Your words completely made my Sunday as you’ve given me more things to be thankful for as well. I’ve always been amazed at the resilient souls who can forgive violent crimes to loved ones. I learn from those people, and I have learned from you. Thank you so much for being here!
      Michelle

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  22. Needed this one on an early morning when the writing just wasn’t coming….

    I’m thankful to be alive and healthy in body and spirit (even if both could use a kick in the right direction.)
    I’m thankful for my kids and who they are right now.
    And I’m thankful that my wife loves me for who I am at this moment, and not the person that I’m trying or want to be.

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    1. Hi Charles,
      You completely made my day. I love you list and just reading it made me think how grateful I am for my spouse and kids, too.
      As for the writing….you know it will return. It always does 🙂

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