The Gratitude Effect

Welcome to the January 2016 Gratitude Circle bloghop!

What a month this has been! There were days when I couldn’t believe how quickly time seemed to whiz past. As usual, we went through a sick phase at home. We’re becoming such pros at it that we were in perfect sync this time – me with a bleeding ear and he with a strep throat and my son, at college had the ‘flu. Sigh.

But hey, enough about that! It is part of life’s ups – yes, not really down. For one thing, we recovered and for another, we stepped back from all that busyness and got some much needed R&R. We vegged out watching TV, slept, laughed and gave our screens a rest.

So on with the gratitude list already!

• This month, I am supremely grateful, yet again, for the kindness of strangers. The campus shopkeeper who was kind enough to get Vidur’s prescription for him when he was sick. The post office for making a speedy delivery of stuff we sent him. His own patience through his recovery. Total heart-squeeze there!
• I had a quick trip north and stayed with friends for a couple of days and had a delightful time with their 3 year old – we were practically inseparable. What a lovely break!
• My friend’s sister, whom I’ve met once years ago, called me to ask for help with writing a tribute to someone. The person was a caregiver to her husband suffering from Alzheimer’s for several years. The husband was a wonderful person and would receive many tributes – so my friend’s sister wanted to write one for the caregiver, frame it and gift it to her. I was so overwhelmed by her kind thoughtfulness. So of course I sent her a draft and she called back to bestow blessings on our family. It is acts like these that make life beautiful. And of course I was happy when she told me she loved my writing.
• Special thanks to Wisdom Times for featuring me in their list of top 100 personal development blogs. I am honored to be in fabulous company.

• The day before yesterday, I felt a little lazy to cook dinner and was wondering what I could rustle up when my doorbell rang. I opened it to find my neighbor standing there, bearing a large plate. Dinner. It was her daughter’s birthday. How kind of her! Talk about wishing and instant gratification!
• Of course I am grateful for the sunshine, which enabled me tackle my mountain of laundry. Yeah, I had to, since my husband was out of town and it felt mean to keep that growing load waiting for his return. I mean I could have, but I didn’t! I can be nice like that!
• I am thrilled to add one more child to my child sponsorship list. You can too!

As always, the more we appreciate every little thing, there’s more to be grateful for!

Starting this month, I will be sharing an easy gratitude practice or activity along with my Gratitude Circle post. 

Today, I’m pleased to share “Encourage Thankfulness with Gratitude Stones” from Our Peaceful Planet. Thank you Nancy!

At “Our Peaceful Planet” Roy & Nancy, (husband & wife team) are dedicated to inspiring happier, healthier lives. Please visit their site to find very unique crafts & home decorating ideas, printable delicious recipes,  amazing natural healing info, green living tips, creative organizing, how-tos & more! They’ve been featured on Home Talk, one of my favorite sites.

This pretty project is very easy, has many variations and can be shared with family and friends, or as an activity for children.

How to (Click here for full tutorial)

Collect a handful of smooth small stones. No need to be perfect. If they have a flattish side, great.

Paint a heart (or whatever you like) on each stone with a paint brush.

Outline the hearts – make them prettier.

Make a little pouch. Here’s Nancy’s tutorial on how to make no sew burlap pouches. Place the stones in the pouch.

Print the poem below.

The activity

Gift the pouch with the stones along with the poem to those you love.

Let them put the stones around their room, or home or work area.

Each time they spot one, they must pause and think of something they’re grateful for.

Make it different each time.

Do try this – I’d love to know/see how it went!

Join me for the January Gratitude Circle bloghop with your own post. It can be anything related to gratitude and not necessarily a list. Write about something that made you happy because gratitude = happiness. Share an inspiring story, share a kindness. Share an experience that made you feel good. And add your post link to the linky below.

The Gratitude Circle bloghop is scheduled for the last Thursday of every month. Here’s the new badge.

(Right click the image to download)
Add it to your sidebar/your post and if you feel inclined, link back to this post. Thank you! Keep smiling!