1. I am thankful for days when I can lounge around the house and never worry about being presentable.
2. I am thankful for dvr that records the tv shows we like to watch so that we can watch them any time we want and fast forward through commercials.
3. I am thankful the there are no more political commercials on tv.
"If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get."
-Frank A. Clark
1. I am thankful that today I get to go back home and sleep in my own bed again. Big hotel beds are okay for awhile (especially when I'm the only one in them), but there is nothing like home.
2. I am thankful that own room has a balcony much like the conference room I was in yesterday. So this morning I decided to recreate the early morning chill (just in case it isn't recreated in the conference room) and opened the balcony doors while I was getting ready. I LOVE the bite in the air that comes with autumn and I'm thankful I was here alone so that no one complained when the room got really, really cold.
3. I am thankful for early nights to bed accompanied by restful sleep that leads to an alert morning. Sadly, the combination doesn't happen all that often.
"And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel."
-Ezra 3:11
"Gratitude is a Spirit-filled principle. It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God. Through it, we become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things, which gladden our hearts with their messages of God's love. This grateful awareness heightens our sensitivity to divine direction. When we communicate gratitude, we can be filled with the Spirit and connected to those around us and the Lord. Gratitude inspires happiness and carries divine influence."
-Bonnie D. Parkin, "Gratitude: A Path to Happiness," Ensign, May 2007
1. I am thankful for a pillow that is comfortable and doesn't kink my neck.
2. I am thankful for mornings when I already have my clothes for the day picked out--it makes the morning "getting ready" routine move much quicker and smoother.
3. I am thankful that the hotel conference room that my meetings are being held in today has two balconies with glass doors so that the light fills the room and I don't feel too cut off from the world. Also, when I came in first thing this morning the balcony doors were open so the room had that cold, crisp morning air feeling that I love, and I was grateful that I was here early to experience it.
"Gratitude is a mark of a noble soul and a refined character. We like to be around those who are grateful. They tend to brighten all around them. They make others feel better about themselves. They tend to be more humble, more joyful, more likable."
-Joseph B. Wirthlin, "'Live in Thanksgiving Daily'," Ensign, Sep 2001
This is a season for giving and a time for gratitude.1. I am thankful for phone calls from family and friends who live far away. It is always reassuring to know that there are people out there who care about me and are thinking of me.
2. I am thankful that I have access to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and also that I enjoy eating them.
3. I am thankful for earrings that go with everything so I don't have to put any thought into my morning selection.
"We show our gratitude by sharing with others."
-H. David Burton, "More or Less," NewEra, Nov 2007
"Mercies and blessings come in different forms--sometimes as hard things. Yet the Lord said, 'Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things' (D&C 59:7). All things means just that: good things, difficult things--not just some things. He has commanded us to be grateful because He knows being grateful will make us happy. This is another evidence of His love."
-Bonnie D. Parkin, "Gratitude: A Path to Happiness," Ensign, May 2007
1. I am thankful for long weekends spent with Somebody, friends, East Coast-ness, good food, and much relaxation.
2. I am thankful that Somebody was willing to take me to any restaurant I wanted for my birthday dinner.
3. I am thankful that the yummy smell of a birthday cake was waiting for me when I got home from work today. (Thanks, Mom!)
We are thankful for blessings we cannot measure, for gifts we cannot appraise, "for books, music, art, and for the great inventions which make these blessings available[;] … for the laughter of little children[;] … for the … means for relieving human suffering … and increasing … the enjoyment of life[;] … for everything good and uplifting."
"Three Centuries of Thanksgiving," Etude Music Magazine, Nov. 1945
1. I am grateful for moments when I feel like the calling I have been given is the right calling for me.
2. I am grateful for ponytail holders—they make it easy for me to not do my hair.
3. I am grateful for Christmas music (and yes, I am already listening to it in the car. But not in the house. Somebody would never allow that.)
“Our society is afflicted by a spirit of thoughtless arrogance unbecoming those who have been so magnificently blessed. How grateful we should be for the bounties we enjoy. Absence of gratitude is the mark of the narrow, uneducated mind. It bespeaks a lack of knowledge and the ignorance of self-sufficiency. It expresses itself in ugly egotism and frequently in wanton mischief.
“Where there is appreciation, there is courtesy, there is concern for the rights and property of others. Without appreciation, there is arrogance and evil. Where there is gratitude, there is humility, as opposed to pride. How magnificently we are blessed! How thankful we ought to be!”
-Gordon B. Hinckley, “‘With All Thy Getting Get Understanding’,” Ensign, Aug 1988
Well folks, the trees are changing colors, the days are getting shorter, and you can just smell autumn in the air. It's time for jackets and pumpkins and the November Attitude of Gratitude Challenge. Participation is completely voluntary. For those of you who have not played before, the challenge is outlined below.
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: Each day during the month of November you will list three "things" for which you are grateful.
Definition of "things"- the term "things" is used here to encompass a myriad of stuff including, but not limited to: a certain set of circumstances, an event, an inanimate object distinguished from a living being, possessions or effects, a deed or act, a product of work or activity, an idea or notion, a piece of news or information, a person, a memory, anything that makes you smile.
*The challenge is to come up with three ORIGINAL "things" each day. Try not to repeat entries.
WARNING OF POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS!!
Please note that challenge participation may result in any or all of the following:
- you will be surprised at all the Lord has done for you
- angels will attend
- you will feel help and comfort
- you may find yourself singing as the days go by
- your doubts will fly
To get you started, here is my list for today, November 1.
1. I am grateful that Somebody likes to travel as much as I do.
2. I am grateful for friends that are happy to see me again.
3. I am grateful for medication that takes the edge off of sickness.
"Gracias, danke, merci—whatever language is spoken, “thank you” frequently expressed will cheer your spirit, broaden your friendships, and lift your lives to a higher pathway as you journey toward perfection. There is a simplicity—even a sincerity—when “thank you” is spoken."
Thomas S. Monson, “The Profound Power of Gratitude,” Ensign, Sep 2005
