I’ve done away with new year’s resolutions and adopted instead affirmations for the new year. Unlike resolutions, affirmations cannot be broken.
Among my affirmations: “I feel gratitude for all the people who bless my life.” While I feel gratitude on a daily basis for my family, friends, co-workers, and the children and families whose lives have intersected with mine, I don’t think I’ve always shared and expressed my feelings of gratitude as well as I might.
This morning I learned from NPR about the book 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed my Life by John Kralik, a lawyer who decided to write one thank you note a day for a year—to family, friends, co-workers, even to the barista at his local Starbucks.
Feeling inspired, I immediately ordered a copy of the book which I can’t wait to read. How could a life not be profoundly changed by this experience? While I am not resolving to write 365 notes this year (because if I missed a day, I would feel inclined to beat myself up rather than feel good about the 364 that I did write), I do affirm that “I share words of gratitude with the people who bless my life.” When I have a thought of gratitude toward someone, I will let them know and put more of those thoughts into writing.
And that includes all of you who have taken the time to read this blog and have shared your own words of gratitude and gentle support here over the past year. Wishing you and your families a bright new dawn and every blessing for the year ahead!
What are your affirmations for the year ahead? I’d love to hear them!
9 Comments
Hi Sarah. I just found your blog thru Soule Mama’s and wanted to say hello. Your shop is wonderful. I look forward to catching up on your past posts.
Happy New Year to you and your family!!
~ Wendy
http://Crickleberrycottage.blogspot.com/
Sorry for the delayed response, but thank you, Wendy! Glad you found your way here. It’s been a little quiet of late, but I’m hoping to change that, now that the holidays are behind me.
That hits the target perfetcly. Thanks!
We’ve got a year of goodness going on if you;d like to join us 🙂
http://www.gypsyforest.com/welcome_to_gypsy_forest/365-a-year-of-good-things.html
Thank you for the invite, Stephinie! What a lovely idea, to express gratitude through a daily photograph. I am about halfway through the book now, and I have to say I am finding it very powerful. Gratitude journal, photographs, thank you notes — however we express our gratitude, the exercise cannot help but change us.
I started in the 90’s to write people in my life who in some small way had made a difference in what I experienced, what they may have given or made available to me, a different perspective or idea anything that I then recognized or later as important as to who I am, how I think, choices I have made. I did not expect to receive responses from these people. Nor did I expect some to even remember me. But I began to receive notes, cards and letters that touched my heart in a way that let me know that I had made a difference in their lives also. I am glad I had started so early to send these notes as many of the teachers, artists, historians, inventors, model builders were elderly when I first met them. I did not grieve in the usual way when they died as I had said during their lifetime, Thank you and I love you. I also wrote to friends, neighbors and people my age and younger as I have been thankful for people of all ages I have met through my years. I hope John Kralik had as much fun, surprises and fond memories as I did.
I’ll try to help keep you motivated, Jingle, if you’ll promise to keep helping me!
Oh, Carol, I think he did! His experiences have been much like yours. I urge you to read the book. I’m thoroughly enjoying it. It’s simple but very powerful.
The person who I most need to write a thank you letter to is your mother, Carol. It’s been on my to-do list for years. Your mother is one of the most godly and loving people I have ever met. Year after year she sends me a birthday card (yes, I know, me and her 10,000 kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews), but the fact that she does this, and remembers everyone, and takes the time, and never forgets is just pure godliness. And I just love the love she exudes to everyone she meets, and she is the person in the world I most want to be like.
And I must write that letter and tell her. I will send it before the weekend is over.
I really love all of the things you offer. I don’t think you need to add anything! You have a great mix of things. The whole idea of Waldorf is less is more, and quality over quantity. I think you have the necessary things to make for a happy childhood. I just wish I had the money to buy it all! Keep up the good work!