Happy Thanksgiving Day

Happy Thanksgiving Day!
Or should I say Happy Gratitude Day? Of course, we can look at it as everyday is a day of gratitude and a chance to be grateful for the gifts that fill our lives.

How wonderful to have a day set aside for celebrating thankfulness and to share our gratitude with others. Imagine what it would be like to have that same focus for 365 days a year. Many do.

Just as people choose to make resolutions on New Year's Day, you can start a new tradition on Thanksgiving Day. Make a commitment to gratitude with a plan for keeping gratitude present in your life throughout the year. What can you do to foster gratitude in your daily life?

If you need some reasons for developing a gratitude practice, check out the Benefits of Gratitude.

Announcing The Gratitude Habit Store

A couple of weeks ago I began to play with a method of setting up a store through Amazon.com. After some initial difficulties, I managed to figure out how to create a Gratitude Store.

At the Gratitude Store you'll find an assortment of gratitude books, blank journals for writing appreciations and gratitude lists, children's gratitude books, and The Gratitude Habit: A 365 day Journal and Workbook. I will be adding to it from time to time.

You'll notice I've added a link to the store on the right hand side of this blog.

So, I invite you to check out Gratitude Store. 

And... I've also created a new Shared Easel Store for art and creativity books for children and adults, and art supplies.

The Wow As Gratitude

When I was in 9th grade I had a wonderful English teacher who introduced the concept of being WOWed by life. I seem to remember her encouraging us to be open to the opportunities of experiencing the WOW. All these years later, I still remember her passion for getting us to open our eyes to the wonders of the world around us. I'm not sure about the rest of the class, but one student (that's me) clearly heard her and took her words to heart.

For the past couple of years I have thought about the WOW experience as a form of gratitude but I just wasn't able to put it into words. Then recently, I found myself writing an explanation of how the two were related as if I were explaining it to myself. That explanation has become one of the articles in the most recent issue of The Shared Easel Newsletter. To read the article, visit: http://sharedeaselnews.blogspot.com/2013/11/wow-form-of-gratitude.html.

I definitely learned that high school lesson. I am always being WOWed by life...and loving it!

Gratitude Crafts and Activities on Pinterest

Since the beginning of November, I've been posting gratitude crafts and activities on The Gratitude Habit page on Facebook , every day. In addition, I have added a number of other creative gratitude projects, along with each of these, onto a Pinterest board. I will continue to add more thankful activities in the coming months as I come across new ideas. The Pinterest page makes it easy to keep all the projects together in one place.

Keep in mind that many of these are great gratitude projects to consider for any time of year you would like to focus on expressing your thankfulness.

As of today there are over 60 Gratitude Crafts and Activities already posted on the page.

Gratitude: For A Quick Pick Me Up

 

Need a Quick Pick Me Up? Make a Gratitude List. 

The fact is that some days are harder to face than others. You've probably had days like that, when even the simplest of things becomes difficult to deal with. And I would think that most people have experienced a day when they've wished they had stayed in bed all day OR times when it's hard to summon up your usual cheery self. 

Try a little gratitude intervention to turn your day around.

Here’s a quick pick me up. In just a few minutes you can  help shift your mood and get yourself back on track. Take a short intermission in your day to write a list of 15 to 20 things you are grateful for in your life.

You still may wish you had stayed in bed all day but the list is likely to give you more inner resolve to face the rest of your day. 

 

One Year Anniversary of The Gratitude Habit

Celebrating the One Year Anniversary of The Gratitude Habit

Wow...it's been quite a year. One that I am very thankful for. This journey into gratitude has been a wonderful surprise. And as I mark this one year anniversary of the publication date for The Gratitude Habit, I am finding myself reflecting on the steps that brought me to this point. I am totally wowed. Who would have thought that I would have ended up spending my days writing, reading, experiencing, and thinking about gratitude. Not me. The past couple of years have been a delightful surprise.

Another big surprise is knowing that I haven't come close to exhausting the subject yet. I am amazed at how excited I am about the plans I have for future gratitude projects. I feel lucky to have stumbled upon this seemingly alternate path...yet maybe all the roads I've traveled have been leading to this path all along.

For more on the subject, visit: the latest issue of the Shared Easel Newsletter 

The Gratitude Habit: Gift Ideas

Only One Day to the Book's One Year Anniversary!!

The Gratitude Habit is an ideal gift for family and friends. It can be given on it's own as the primary gift or as part of a gift basket. Here are some gift giving ideas that include The Gratitude Habit Journal/Workbook.

Gift Idea #1: 
        Includes...

• The Gratitude Habit: a 365 Day Journal and Workbook
• Set of Pens
• Assorted Teas 
• Organic India Chai Masala Tea

 
Gift Idea #2: 
        Includes...

• The Gratitude Habit: a 365 Day Journal and Workbook
• Gift Card for Amazon.com

Gift Idea #3: 
        Includes...

• The Gratitude Habit: a 365 Day Journal and Workbook
• Micro Sherpa Throw (as pictured) Or Cozy Fleece Blanket Throw
• Thermal Ceramic Coffee Mug
• Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans
• Blank Strathmore Blank Cards for Making Handmade Thank You's
• 4" x 6" Photo Album

 Here are some additional gift basket ideas:
 

• Candles
• Classic Thank You Cards or Rustic Thank You Cards
• Ferrero Chocolates

The book is an ideal gift to have on hand for last minute gifts or to bring as a hostess gift for Thanksgiving or any of the social events of the upcoming holiday season. Order now to be prepared.

For more gratitude gifts, visit The Gratitude Habit Store.