All too often we only set aside one time per year to really, truly give thanks for all we have. Even those who feel they don’t have a lot have one thing we should all be thankful for; the gift of life. Beauty is all around us and if we can capture that sense of continued awe when we stop, take a breath, and appreciate all of the things we enjoy but take for granted, the world instantly looks like a better place.

Gratitude and appreciation is truly the conduit to happiness, a sense of purpose, and a fuller life. I’ve been meaning to start a gratitude journal now, and the idea struck me that it would be even more powerful to share it and inspire others to do the same. My aim is to find one thing to be grateful for each day which will force me to dig deeper to see tiny details that make our lives great but go overlooked.

Without further ado:

#ThankfulThursday – 4/23 – 4/29/2015

Today I’m thankful for…

4/23/2015 – You reading this.

Our time is precious and you spending time to read my words (even if you bail right now) is something I’m grateful for. I’m hoping you see your time well spent, and those who know me can tell you how much joy I derive from helping people!

4/24/2015 – Sewer & Water Infrastructure.

One of the most convenient, unseen, and unheard aspects of our modern lives is the water and wastewater infrastructure. Clean water at every tap and even better, our varieties of “dirty water” is swept away in seconds. Both of these promote healthy lives, the huge benefit aside from its basic convenience.

4/25/2015 – High fructose corn syrup.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (better known as HFCS) gets a lot of flack – but boy is it tasty and cheap. I try to ignore my sugary cravings but HFCS makes for really tasty stuff I love to eat, like soda/pop/Coke or BBQ sauce (in moderation, when my willpower enables).

4/26/2015 – Telescopes.

It was recently the Hubble Space Telescope’s quarter-century birthday. Telescopes have the amazing distinction of letting us look farther away by zooming in. I’d argue the telescope is one of the most inspirational inventions in human history.

Telescopes have allowed us to look deeper into the expanses of the Universe, look back in time, and better understand our tiny place amongst the billions of galaxies. There are few things filled with as much wonder and inspiration as space, and the telescope has been our key tool to turning that curiosity into discovery.

4/27/2015 – Coupons.

This one’s pretty self-explanatory – who doesn’t love a good deal!? Thanks to Groupon and LivingSocial for making the coupon business a little cooler and helping me find deals on awesome experiences like my recent trip to Seattle Glassblowing Studio.

4/28/2015 – Partnerships.

The marvelous win-win. Partnerships are great, you give some and you get some and somehow you both end up with more than you gave. At least that’s the case when they’re done right. Partnerships can be the basis for great relationships, for fledgling companies trying to make it any way they can, and for those who have something to offer.

I’m grateful for the partners I have in my life, from my friends and family and to those who are helping on my startup journey. Thank you, seriously.

4/29/2015 – Model Rockets.

I’ve often been finding myself being thankful for the things in my life that have helped guide me to where I am today. Model rockets were an amazing hobby and it planted a seed in me that grew to be much greater.

It showed I could take a few basic components; a couple of tubes, some fins, a cone, streamers, and some glue and you could send it up so high in the air and it would come back down in one piece. You learn about design, aerodynamics, propulsion, and it says “I could do this, I can build rockets.”

It all led to experimentation, learning, and doing – and the power of rocket motors were downright inspiring to me. The hobby inspired me to think bigger and find ways to make those big visions a reality.

I made my own rockets and learned how to learn from the failed attempts, pick up, figure it out, and try again. And there’s not much more you need to build anything in the world, and I’m thankful to have had that instilled so early on.

Your turn

I’m always looking for more inspiration, so tell me, what’s one thing you’re grateful for from the past week? I’ll share a few submissions during next week’s post and intend to keep that going all year long. While I love #ThrowbackThursday, I’d love to see #ThankfulThursday take off too.

The more we can say thanks, the better off we’ll be. Especially because we don’t know if we’ll be able to say “thanks” to those we care about tomorrow or to those who’ve touched us that we’ll never cross paths with again – why wait?