Month: October 2014

31 Days of Gratitude (2014)

Every day for one month, the month of October, I made and handed out a ‘thank you’ card to someone in my community/circle. This is the second year for this project – 31 Days of Gratitude – and this year proved to be just as fruitful an experience as the first time around.

Day 1
Day 1
Day 2
Day 2
Day 3
Day 3
Day 4
Day 4
Day 5
Day 5

London-20141007-02929_fotorLondon-20141008-02944_fotorLondon-20141009-02947_fotorLondon-20141006-02920_fotorday 10 of 31day 11 of 31day 12 of 31day 13 of 31day 14 of 31day 15 of 31day 16 of 31

 

 

Some days were easier than others in getting this card made and handed out. Some days I knew exactly who I wanted to give it to. This project was a commitment, and it shaped my days.

day 17 of 31 day 18 of 31 day 19 of 31 day 20 of 31 day 21 of 31 day 22 of 31 day 23 of 31 day 24 of 31 day 25 of 31 day 26 of 31 day 27 of 31 day 28 of 31 day 29 of 31 day 30 of 31day 31 of 31

I love this project. I look forward to October every year.

31 Days of Gratitude

Yesterday, someone asked me if what I am doing with this project was a part of the ‪#‎21daysofgratitude‬ stream on Facebook. I have given it some thought, and I would like to share my thoughts with you.

The outward articulation of gratitude is important, it is vital to living whole, happy lives. But there is a difference between expressing gratitude for the THINGS in our lives, and expressing gratitude to the PEOPLE in our lives. With this project, I don’t just want to say ‘I am thankful for music’, I want to write the person who makes the music, or plays the music, and say ‘Thank you for bringing joy into my life every time I hear you play.’ Does that make sense? Do you see the difference? This project of mine, and yours too if you choose to participate, is about uplifting both ourselves and OTHERS; it is about allowing our own personal expression of gratitude to multiply and positively affect the lives of those we come in contact with everyday. In this way, the joy found in expressing gratitude compounds with the joy produced in receiving such a gift. Quality human expression/connection is the ultimate aim and result of this project, and I can attest to it’s success – my life, and the relationships I foster, only get better and better with each card I write.

So, that being said, I encourage you to express gratitude every chance you get, and every way you can. I encourage you to look for the opportunities given you everyday to say ‘Thank you’. Take them, it will change the imprint you leave on this world.

All my love,

Lefty Smudges