The Gratitude Challenge continues!
As I mentioned in my last blog, I’ve issued myself a challenge for the month of November: to count my blessings every day leading up to Thanksgiving.
I’m still in the early stages of the challenge, but I’m already feeling, well, challenged! The first two days were easy enough. Then things got a bit more difficult.
I really had to stop, think and examine my day for wonders and blessings. If I looked hard enough, though, I could always find something to be thankful for. That’s lesson number one for me–giving thanks is illuminating, but it sure takes work!
Here are some highlights from days 2, 3 and 4 of the challenge. Plus, don’t forget to weigh in with your own thanks and Gratitude Challenge progress reports in the comments below!
Gratitude Challenge, Days 2-4
1) A day of rest in the middle of the week.
I took a random day off last week. No special occasion or strange Turkish holiday! I just had some unused vacation time. The day was lovely. Life in New York is always go, go, go. How refreshing to take time to do nothing at all, except eat a good sandwich, catch up with family and wander around the city.
2) Christmas in November!
I’m a huge fan of Christmas and–spoiler alert–I’ll be working on some Christmas crafts for Guideposts.org coming soon. I spent the past week brainstorming ideas, so my head’s been full of gift wrap, tinsel and snow globes. It’s always nice to start thinking about Christmas a month ahead of time. And, I’m thankful for a job that lets me contemplate holiday crafts during working hours!
3) A good night’s sleep.
Ah, sweet sleep. What a gift I usually take for granted…until recently. I’ve been having some trouble sleeping–I keep waking up during the night. So before I went to bed last Thursday, I sent up a little prayer to God: Please, please help me sleep through the night. I’m happy to report that it worked and I was ever so grateful!
4) Coffee break with a side of laughs.
On Friday, I took a coffee break with my colleagues Danielle and T.J. We didn’t go anywhere fancy, we didn’t even sit down. Instead, we spent a good hour standing outside, sipping coffee and laughing non-stop. Simple, yet one of the highlights of my week.
5) A glimpse back in time.
My apartment building is undergoing renovations. The other day, I toured one of the floors under construction and got an inside look at the building’s original crown molding and mosaic tiles from the late 19th century. It was kind of thrilling, like going back in time. I couldn’t help but feel lucky to live there, even if my apartment is teeny-tiny!
