It's time to peer into the lives of others, and see what's happening on blogs around the world... Here is an article I found most incredible. Sharing is caring! : ) Here's the link to the actual website, and the article is copy & pasted below. Enjoy!
http://www.yikesmachine.com/2010/10/thankfulness-an-unexpected-group-activity/.
Near the end of August I came across a blog called Shine Little Light written by Sophie from Sydney, Australia. Every Saturday, Sophie publishes the current week’s edition of her ongoing series, Things to Be Thankful For.
I consider myself a generally thankful person. I try to acknowledge the good stuff in my life and not take the extraordinarily lucky fates that allow me to live, work, learn, and access services for granted. That said, reading her weekly posts I started thinking about how an active habit of thankfulness could influence a person’s daily life. My presumption was that the intentional development of gratitude would likely be of potentially immense personal value. I imaged that stress levels would recede, relationships would strengthen, tempers would cool, and I may be able to better live more fully in the beauty and joy of life.I decided to try and work on developing thankfulness into my daily routine.
I grabbed an empty navy blue notebook that I had on hand and started recording my thoughts whenever I felt appreciative. Almost immediately thereafter, some really crappy days came rumbling through and with those challenges I found that yes, my suspicions were correct. With a daily gratitude routine I found the stresses of life were somehow easier to deal with, I was more calm and reasonable, and I managed to retain a semblance of perspective and empathy in places where in the past, tempers flared.
I fully attribute this softening to my attentive focus on appreciating the good, even when life occasionally feels about as solid as scrambled eggs.
I grabbed an empty navy blue notebook that I had on hand and started recording my thoughts whenever I felt appreciative. Almost immediately thereafter, some really crappy days came rumbling through and with those challenges I found that yes, my suspicions were correct. With a daily gratitude routine I found the stresses of life were somehow easier to deal with, I was more calm and reasonable, and I managed to retain a semblance of perspective and empathy in places where in the past, tempers flared.
I fully attribute this softening to my attentive focus on appreciating the good, even when life occasionally feels about as solid as scrambled eggs.
Then, on the 12th of September, less than two weeks after I started this process, I lost my little book.
At first I freaked out over someone finding and reading the personal details of my life, possibly even knowing it was mine and thinking less of me. Because of the easy to carry size of the notebook, I had taken to carrying it around in my bag or back pocket and so I could note my thanks on the go. In it, I had made admissions of my own less-than-stellar moments (attached to appreciation of my husband’s patience), and there were plenty of identifying details that would easily link it back to me.
On the day it went missing, I had run a number of errands in the morning, went to work, came home, and then back out to drinks with The Mister and some friends. All of these events took place in a six-block radius, so I knew I it was nearby, but where?
On the day it went missing, I had run a number of errands in the morning, went to work, came home, and then back out to drinks with The Mister and some friends. All of these events took place in a six-block radius, so I knew I it was nearby, but where?
After a couple of days of going without, I started to really miss my thankfulness practice and started anew with a larger less-likely-to-be-lost blank book. After a few weeks I had all but forgot about the missing book containing those first two weeks gratitude.
Last week, the lost book came back to me.
It turns out, I left it at work.
I work in a place where different people use different workstations daily and it’s normal to rotate quite a bit. I left it in the desk I had been working at, and last week when I was assigned to that space again, I was cleaning up and a familiar blue corner peeked out from the clutter.
The dread and panic I felt when I initially lost it rose back into my chest as I pulled it out of the pile and saw that the paper cover was faded from handling, the pages rumpled from touch. It had clearly been read.
I work in a place where different people use different workstations daily and it’s normal to rotate quite a bit. I left it in the desk I had been working at, and last week when I was assigned to that space again, I was cleaning up and a familiar blue corner peeked out from the clutter.
The dread and panic I felt when I initially lost it rose back into my chest as I pulled it out of the pile and saw that the paper cover was faded from handling, the pages rumpled from touch. It had clearly been read.
I steeled myself while I opened it to re-read my admissions, to see just what secrets I had inadvertently shared that many of coworkers obviously now knew.
My anxiety turned to surprise when I turned a page to the 12th of September and could see through the paper that the writing continued. I turned the page again and saw this:
My anxiety turned to surprise when I turned a page to the 12th of September and could see through the paper that the writing continued. I turned the page again and saw this:
It reads as follows:
13 September 2010
1. I am grateful for the words of a stranger who has reminded me to be grateful.
2. I am grateful that I am brave enough to write in someone else’s book, or is the word cheeky?
3. I am grateful for the generosity of my friends, of their hearts, their time, their wallets, their attention.
4. I am grateful for pens and paper.
5. I am grateful that I am tired, hungover and cranky by choice
6. I am grateful for music, for it’s ability for rescue and repair me.
7. I am grateful for interactions with strangers, whether they are fleeting or whether they become friendships.
8. I am grateful for the dictionary on my iPhone that just taught me what jeer means – to grin and laugh coarsely or mockingly.
9. I am grateful for this job where I can take time to think and write.
1. I am grateful for the words of a stranger who has reminded me to be grateful.
2. I am grateful that I am brave enough to write in someone else’s book, or is the word cheeky?
3. I am grateful for the generosity of my friends, of their hearts, their time, their wallets, their attention.
4. I am grateful for pens and paper.
5. I am grateful that I am tired, hungover and cranky by choice
6. I am grateful for music, for it’s ability for rescue and repair me.
7. I am grateful for interactions with strangers, whether they are fleeting or whether they become friendships.
8. I am grateful for the dictionary on my iPhone that just taught me what jeer means – to grin and laugh coarsely or mockingly.
9. I am grateful for this job where I can take time to think and write.
You guys, I cried.
The book was full. Written to the last page in countless different hands.
Nobody mocked it. Nobody commented on other people’s thanks except to give messages of support on issues that others were struggling with. The writers also made admissions of their own imperfections and thanked me for sharing mine although I had clearly not intended to. Page after page I read the personal hopes and heartfelt appreciations for all the little things of monumental importance in their lives.
Astonishingly, a gratitude that was repeated again in again in myriad hands and pens was the appreciation of the book itself. That it reminded them to be grateful, that it showed them they weren’t alone in both the blues and the pinks of life, that it remained there waiting to be read containing new thanks since they last wrote in it.
Hope you all are grateful for something simple and overly taken for granted!!
Love it! Love you, faithful readers. Behave yourselves ;)
<3 bex....
<3 bex....
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